u/AcanthisittaNo6174

We created a recruitment firm with lots of automations. we work with amazing tech companies to find great hard working talent. we heavily focused on actual performance metrics instead of resume volume.

<15 days average time-to-fill
90%+ quota hit rate
90%+ 12-month retention
100% pre-vetted candidates
<30 days average time-to-impact

Feels like more companies should optimize hiring around proven performance instead of just who’s actively applying.

One thing I’ve noticed watching companies try to fix revenue problems:

They almost always start by blaming strategy, marketing, pricing, outbound volume, territory design, etc.

But sometimes the biggest issue is simply hiring people who sound experienced instead of people who have consistently performed.

Saw this happen with a founder recently. Good product, strong market, decent inbound demand but they kept hiring salespeople based on interviews and resumes.

On paper everyone looked great.

Then the results never showed up.

What eventually changed was shifting the focus entirely to historical performance:

• Did they actually exceed quota?
• Were they promoted?
• Did they perform across multiple environments?
• Were they trusted with larger accounts?
• Did former leaders want to hire them again?

Another interesting thing: many of the strongest candidates weren’t unemployed or actively searching.

They were already doing well somewhere else. They just happened to be open to more growth, better leadership, or a bigger opportunity.

Feels like a lot of hiring misses happen because companies optimize for availability instead of proven performance.

One thing I’ve noticed watching companies try to fix revenue problems:

They almost always start by blaming strategy, marketing, pricing, outbound volume, territory design, etc.

But sometimes the biggest issue is simply hiring people who sound experienced instead of people who have consistently performed.

Saw this happen with a founder recently. Good product, strong market, decent inbound demand — but they kept hiring salespeople based on interviews and resumes.

On paper everyone looked great.

Then the results never showed up.

What eventually changed was shifting the focus entirely to historical performance:

• Did they actually exceed quota?
• Were they promoted?
• Did they perform across multiple environments?
• Were they trusted with larger accounts?
• Did former leaders want to hire them again?

Another interesting thing: many of the strongest candidates weren’t unemployed or actively searching.

They were already doing well somewhere else. They just happened to be open to more growth, better leadership, or a bigger opportunity.

Feels like a lot of hiring misses happen because companies optimize for availability instead of proven performance.

One thing I’ve noticed watching companies try to fix revenue problems:

They almost always start by blaming strategy, marketing, pricing, outbound volume, territory design, etc.

But sometimes the biggest issue is simply hiring people who sound experienced instead of people who have consistently performed.

Saw this happen with a founder recently. Good product, strong market, decent inbound demand but they kept hiring salespeople based on interviews and resumes.

On paper everyone looked great.

Then the results never showed up.

What eventually changed was shifting the focus entirely to historical performance:

• Did they actually exceed quota?
• Were they promoted?
• Did they perform across multiple environments?
• Were they trusted with larger accounts?
• Did former leaders want to hire them again?

Another interesting thing: many of the strongest candidates weren’t unemployed or actively searching.

They were already doing well somewhere else. They just happened to be open to more growth, better leadership, or a bigger opportunity.

Feels like a lot of hiring misses happen because companies optimize for availability instead of proven performance.

Spent the day doing ride alongs with a founder trying to hire their first real sales team.

Honestly reminded me why so many startups struggle with hiring.

On paper, candidates looked great. Strong resumes. Big logos. “Exceeded quota.” All the usual stuff.

But sitting in on calls, watching how prospects reacted, seeing objection handling live… completely different story.

One rep talked 80% of the call.
Another couldn’t explain the product simply.
One had “enterprise AE” experience but froze when asked to prospect.

The founder said something interesting after:

“I wasted 4 months hiring based on resumes instead of real selling ability.”

That’s the problem with most recruiting right now. Everyone is optimized for volume, keywords, and LinkedIn titles.

Very few people actually vet whether someone can sell.

The best sales hires I’ve seen usually share a few things:
- They simplify complex ideas fast
- They create energy on calls
- They know how to listen
- They’ve consistently performed across different environments
- And they can build trust quickly

Way harder to evaluate than a resume.

Watching founders go through this process firsthand made me realize why one strong sales hire changes a company trajectory and one bad one can burn an entire quarter.

Curious how other founders here evaluate sales talent beyond resumes?

Www.zandertalent.com

Hey everyone, I’m currently chatting with some fantastic founders at prominent tech companies in the US. Despite the power of AI, it’s crucial to have a strong talent pool for growth.

A single salesperson can significantly impact early growth.

Top reps can drive 3–5 times more revenue, while a poor hire can result in a loss of $150K–$500K+ in salary and pipeline.

So, how do you find great people? I’m also happy to share tips on how to close deals and drive more clients up and revenue
www.Zandertalent.com

Been thinking abt this a lot lately.

A few stats that should make every early-stage team pause:
3–5x difference in output
Top sales reps generate 3–5x more revenue than average hires.
$150K–$500K+ per bad hire
One wrong sales hire isn’t just salary it’s lost pipeline, missed deals, and wasted months of momentum.
70–80% of early revenue concentration
At most startups, the first 5–10 sales hires drive the majority of early revenue.

When you’re early, one mis-hire doesn’t just slow you down and it can completely distort your growth trajectory.
Getting the first few sellers right matters more than almost anything else in GTM.

We fix this

Are any female individuals in the United States interested in pursuing a career in talent placement? I am a Vice President of Sales and would be delighted to assist in training and molding someone into a highly effective salesperson. The role is commission-only, and I am specifically seeking candidates based in the US. Please send me your LinkedIn profile.

People always ask me what makes Zandertalent.com stands out? Honestly we assist high-growth tech companies and service-based businesses in finding top-selling and gtm individuals. We work with great companies where we want them to feel proud to work.

Our approach is unique; we don’t send resumes. Instead, we deliver revenue producers. Our candidates undergo a thorough pre-vetted process to assess their actual performance, including their ability to meet quotas, build pipelines, and generate deals. We have an extensive network of startup operators and exclusively focus on revenue-driving roles. We are revenue and sales operators, who understand what it takes to find good sales people, and we are not traditional recruiters.

Hiring across GTM (SDR / AE / RevOps / Sales Managers) solid companies, real budgets, no fluff.

SDR: $55–70K base + uncapped (OTE $85–110K)

AE: $80–140K base (OTE $160–300K)

Sales Managers: $120–180K base (OTE $220–350K)

RevOps: $100–160K base

Mix of AI, SaaS, and high-growth startups.

Comment or DM if you want details.

US based. Send me

LinkedIn via dm and location

We have a multi step approach. We do targeted searches for people not looking to move who are high performing and show case better opportunities for them. We also vet our talent by proven Vp of sales at successful organizations. It’s a better filtering system. We source, qualify, vet, coordinate all candidates. We even pre train them before onboarding. We’re growing fast at zandertalent. Any other value adds to include?

If you have a stable situation and looking for commission pay to earn a lot and work with a mentor to develop you let me know. We starting building a dynamic team remotely and growing. Www.zandertalent.com for more information

If you are interested in, have a strong background to do well and software sales feel free to reach zandertalent.com and fill out the form

Strong English and phone skills are a must and should be in the United States if you are in Brazil Venezuela Argentina, I’m happy to chat if you are C1 English