Adding a new sales rep to your team can be a big undertaking. For many hiring managers, there’s always a sense of uncertainty: No matter how good a candidate looks on paper, you may harbor concerns about how well they’ll perform on your team.

Here’s what to look for in order to boost your confidence in your next sales hire:

1. A Passion for Learning

Sales requires constant learning. Not only do pharmaceutical sales reps need to stay on top of their own company’s breakthroughs and offerings, they also need to keep an eye on the industry as a whole, in order to understand trends, predict changes and best serve customers.

Great sales reps have a passion for learning. They’re always learning new things or identifying areas in which they want to know more. Ask candidates to talk about what they’ve learned recently, or what they’re excited to learn next.

2. Self-Driven, Goal-Oriented Work

In sales, each salesperson has their own set of responsibilities. Although they’re held accountable by their team, supervisor, and department, the day-to-day work of a sales rep often depends on that person finding their own inner motivation to work.

Learn more about candidates’ motivation and drive to reach goals by asking them questions like “What motivates you?” or “If you knew your supervisor would be out of contact for a week, how would you structure your day?” These questions help you learn more about the candidate’s inner drive and focus on achieving their own goals.

3. A Commitment to the Team

Every sales representative needs to be self-driven. Their individual goals, however, always feed into the team’s larger goals. The best pharmaceutical sales people recognize that these goals are interconnected, and they’re passionate about working within a team to achieve more than they can on their own. Ask candidates how they’ve worked with a team in the past, or explore how they handle workplace conflict.

Looking for a new sales representative to join your team? The recruiters at SMR Group can help. We specialize in connecting our clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech industries with some of the best sales and marketing talent available today. To learn more, contact us!