Before you sign with a sales recruiting agency, ask how it finds candidates, how it checks a salesperson’s results, how quickly it fills roles like yours, what it charges and on what, and exactly what its guarantee covers and for how long. The answers separate agencies that place proven performers from ones that forward résumés. Here are the questions, grouped, with what a strong answer sounds like.
Questions about sales specialization
- Do you only recruit salespeople? Specialists know what good looks like in a sales role and already know where the candidates are.
- Which sales roles have you filled recently that are like ours? Ask for the role, industry and outcome.
- Do you recruit in our region? Ask about both countries if you hire in Canada and the United States.
Questions about finding candidates
- Where will the candidates come from? A strong answer involves direct outreach to people already selling to your buyers, not a job ad.
- How many candidates will we see, and how quickly? A focused shortlist of three to five strong people beats twenty résumés.
- How do you approach people who aren’t looking? This is the skill you’re paying for.
Questions about checking results
- How do you verify a salesperson’s quota and attainment? Look for a method: detailed questions on quota, rank, deal size and sales cycle, confirmed with references.
- What does a candidate profile include? It should tell you their numbers, not only their job history.
Questions about speed
- What is your average time to fill? Ask for a number, not “it depends”.
- What happens if you don’t fill the role in a set time? Some agencies let you walk away.
Questions about fees
- What do you charge, and is it on base salary or on-target earnings? The difference can be large for sales roles.
- Is it contingency or retained? Contingency means you pay only when you hire; retained means paying up front.
- Do you need exclusivity, and for how long?
Our guide to how much a sales recruiting agency costs explains the fee models.
Questions about the guarantee
- How long does the guarantee last? Many agencies guarantee a hire for about three months.
- Does it cover performance, or only resignations? A sales hire can stay and still miss their number.
- Is it a replacement or a refund, and are there conditions?
The guarantee tells you how confident an agency is in its own candidates.
How Sales Talent Group answers these questions
- Specialization: we recruit only sales roles, from SDRs to CROs, for B2B companies across Canada and the United States.
- Finding candidates: direct outreach to the top 20 percent of sales talent through our sales database and 12-step sourcing strategy. You get detailed profiles of pre-screened candidates within five days and interview the top three to five.
- Checking results: we verify every candidate’s quota history against your territory and customers.
- Speed: placement within 45 days, with an average of 29. If we haven’t filled the role in 45 days, you can cancel without paying.
- Fees: the industry-standard rate, performance-based, with no deposit. We ask for 45 days of exclusivity. Volume pricing is available.
- Guarantee: your hire is guaranteed to reach their first-year quota, and we replace them once within 12 months, at no cost and with no conditions.
See our guarantee, read our FAQ, or talk to us.
More questions about choosing a sales recruiter
What makes a good sales recruiting agency?
Sales specialization, direct outreach to passive candidates, a clear method for checking results, a fast process and a guarantee that covers performance for a meaningful length of time.
Should I use more than one recruiting agency at once?
It can feel faster, but it often means agencies compete on speed rather than quality and approach the same candidates. One specialist with a time-bound exclusive search usually produces a better shortlist.
How do I compare sales recruiting agencies?
Put the same questions to each one and compare the answers side by side, especially time to fill, how results are verified, what the fee is based on and how long the guarantee lasts. Our guides to the best sales recruiting agencies in Canada and in the U.S. cover what to compare.
