Hiring for Learning Speed

Experience tells you where someone has been.

Learning speed tells you where they're going.

That matters because sales isn't a job you master once.

Every conversation teaches something.

The people who improve fastest eventually outperform the people who simply started ahead.

That's why we hire for learning speed.

Not experience.

Resumes tell you where someone worked.

They don't tell you how quickly someone changes.

So don't just test whether someone can sell.

Test whether they can learn.

Give them something simple to explain.

Then give clear feedback.

You spoke too much.

You didn't ask enough questions.

Your explanation wasn't clear.

Give them a minute.

Then ask them to try again.

Most people repeat the same approach.

A few change it immediately.

You're not measuring persuasion.

You're measuring adaptation.

Then ask one final question.

What have you changed your mind about in the last year?

People who learn can usually tell you.

They remember what changed.

And why.

Experience explains the past.

Learning speed predicts the future.