How to Run a Test Assignment Before Making a Sales Hire in 2025
Interviews alone often fall short when it comes to predicting future performance, especially in sales.
According to Deloitte, they’re a poor predictor of candidate potential. That’s why many companies now use test assignments alongside traditional interviews to make more informed hiring decisions.
Salespeople are the engine of revenue growth. Without the right talent in place, even the best products can fail to reach their market.
To ensure you’re hiring the right person, you need a clear, unbiased assessment process that reveals real skills. Standardized test assignments offer exactly that while also helping to reduce bias in the hiring process.
Why Test Assignments Are Important for Sales Hires?
Test assignments are vital because they go beyond traditional resumes and interviews to provide a tangible measure of a candidate's real-world selling capabilities.
"Interviewing is the least statistically correlated method of predicting success on the job, and yet it is often used exclusively by many companies to make hiring decisions,” says Susan Hosage, Senior Consultant and Executive Coach, OneSource HR Solutions.
In sales, practical skills and adaptability are everything, and not everyone has the skills or qualities to do the job well.
Test assessments offer employers a direct window into how a prospective hire would approach actual sales scenarios, from prospecting and objection handling to closing deals.
You want someone for the long haul because replacing sales staff can be costly. The average cost of sales representative replacement is estimated at around $130,933, considering factors like training, lost productivity, and recruitment expenses. This cost may be even higher for sales leaders who often have additional benefits.
According to Inc.com, 75% of sales hires fail in their first year. Clearly, the stakes are very high.
One key benefit of testing is that you’re doing skills-based hiring, which is much more impactful and cost-effective than traditional interviews.
Sales test assignments reveal a candidate's ability to communicate effectively, negotiate, analyze situations, and demonstrate resilience, all critical competencies for a sales professional.
Pre-employment assessments can improve hiring efficiency by 74%. It also helps you eliminate up to 90% of the unqualified candidates in the screening funnel.
Types of Sales Skills Assessments
You can use various sales skills assessments to help identify candidates who are qualified and a good fit for your company culture and sales goals.
Here are some effective types of assessments:
1. Written Communication Assessment
Sales roles often require clear and persuasive writing. They communicate using email and text messages with potential clients. Written tests can help assess their proficiency in the required language for the job and writing skills.
You can make your own written communication tests or use standardized assessments from testing platforms. For example, you might ask candidates to draft a cold email to a potential client, which can help you assess their ability to convey value propositions.
2. Verbal Communication Assessment
Assessing verbal communication skills helps determine how candidates articulate ideas and engage in conversations. Good oral communication is a must for most sales jobs, especially those where the person directly engages with potential and existing customers.
Verbal assessments can be conducted through a phone screening process or video interviews. Focus on clarity, tone, and responsiveness. AI-enabled tools can also automate this assessment. For example, HireVue uses AI to analyze verbal cues and provide insights into a candidate's communication abilities.
3. Mock Pitch
A mock pitch simulates a real sales scenario. It allows job candidates to show their selling techniques and product knowledge. For instance, you could ask them to present a product to a hypothetical client and evaluate their persuasion skills and adaptability.
Mock pitch exercise provides a glimpse into their potential performance in actual sales situations. This assessment can be done as part of the interview and scored using a pre-determined scorecard.
4. Role Play
Role-playing exercises test a candidate's ability to handle various sales situations, such as dealing with objections or negotiating deals. For example, role-play a scenario where you (the recruiter) are a challenging client and the salesperson needs to solve your concerns regarding the product.
You can assess their problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence with role-playing tests. Also, these sales role-play exercises are valuable for understanding how candidates might perform under pressure. This can also be incorporated into the interview process or conducted as a written test.
5. Take-Home Tests
Take-home assignments allow candidates to work on tasks at their own pace, reflecting real job responsibilities. For example, you might provide a case study requiring them to develop a sales strategy or analyze market data. Such a take-home sales test may help assess their analytical skills and understanding of sales processes.
Take-home tests aren’t very favored with the candidates, though. There can be some resistance to such tests. According to a survey by Interviewing.io, candidates thought the tests were time-consuming, and they often didn’t get any feedback. Also, the fact that there’s no compensation doesn’t help.
10 Essential Skills to Look for in Sales Candidates
When evaluating sales candidates, look for and assess real-world skills that drive performance. You should consider both hard and soft skills through various assignments.
The following are the key skills a smart salesperson should have:
Communication skills: Salespeople have to deliver persuasive messages across email, phone, and in-person interviews. Needless to say, their communication skills should be A-plus. You can find communications skills tests to evaluate clarity, tone, and adaptability.
Emotional intelligence: Handling rejections and reading buyer intent requires emotional intelligence. A study of 44 Fortune 500 companies found that salespeople with high emotional intelligence produce 2x revenue compared with those with average or below average EQ.
Technical skills: In sales environments, customer relationship management (CRM) tools like Salesforce or HubSpot are often used. A candidate’s comfort with software is non-negotiable. You can easily put their knowledge of CRM or any other required tools to test with short tasks.
Problem-solving ability: Sales hires should think critically, especially when objections arise or a deal size demands custom structuring. Take-home assessments are good for assessing these critical skills (for example, candidates develop a mini go-to-market strategy).
Adaptability: Early-stage companies or new-business acquisition account executives face shifting business goals. Your sales staff should be adaptable enough to go with the flow. Behavioral assessments can help predict whether candidates will adapt to changing targets and tools.
Negotiation skills: Negotiation affects revenue, commission rate, and even acquisition outcomes. Role-play a pricing conversation, testing if the candidate protects the deal size while offering a win-win.
B2B sales skills: Selling into complex buying committees demands abilities different from those of a B2C role. Use assessments specific to major sales roles that mirror your target buyer profile and required B2B growth.
Compliance knowledge: In regulated markets, like finance or healthcare, compliance can’t be overlooked. A salesperson should know regulations like the back of their hand. This knowledge can be tested with a multiple-choice questions quiz.
Presentation: Consider this an extension of their communication power. Candidates must be able to present value clearly and confidently. Ask them to give a short product demonstration, either live or recorded.
Relationship-building skills: Building trust is essential in both inbound hires and outbound efforts. Ask interview questions around how a candidate maintained long-term client relationships or successfully handled unexpected sales opportunities.
"Great salespeople are relationship builders who provide value and help their customers win." - Jeffrey Gitomer, American Author
How to Run a Test Assignment the Right Way: Step-by-Step Guide
Running a test assignment before making a sales hire can be the difference between a good recruit and a bad one.
Let’s see how you can run a test assignment for sales successfully:
1. Define the Role and What Success Looks Like
Start by creating a clear job description that outlines the sales role’s core responsibilities, required skills, and performance expectations. Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) such as deal sizes, acquisition targets, or revenue goals to define what success looks like.
This clarity guides your internal hiring team and ensures candidates understand what’s expected. Most importantly, it helps you design test assignments that accurately reflect the role's demands and assess the right competencies during recruitment.
2. Choose the Right Test Type for That Role
After that, select assessments that evaluate the actual skills necessary for the role. For example, if the position requires strong communication skills and the ability to handle objections, a role-play exercise simulating a sales call can be effective.
Many recruitment testing tools offer a range of skills tests that can be tailored to assess specific competencies relevant to sales positions. For instance, TestGorilla's assessments can help identify candidates who possess the necessary skills and cultural fit for the company.
Ideally, you must test both technical understanding and soft skills.
You may need to use more than one test to get a complete picture, but keep the hiring process focused. Overloading candidates with too many assessments can slow down hiring and reduce completion rates.
Pro tip: Select tests that last 10-15 minutes to keep testing simple, effective, and engaging. Too long or time-intensive assignments could be discouraging for candidates.
3. Set Candidate Expectations (Scope, Time, Format)
Communicate clearly with candidates about the nature of the assessment, including its scope, time commitment, and format. For instance, inform them if the test involves a 15-30 minute phone call, a take-home assignment, or an in-person presentation.
Setting these expectations upfront ensures that candidates are prepared and can demonstrate their abilities effectively.
You could mention in the job description that the hiring process would involve skills tests or behavioral evaluations.
4. Run the Assignment and Capture Everything
Record the candidate's performance during the assessment for later review. This can include taking notes during a phone screen, recording a video presentation, or collecting written responses.
Of course, you can use a standardized scorecard or rubric to evaluate performance on the test. However, taking notes on how they do things can give you even more information to work with. That, in turn, makes it easier to gauge the quality of people applying for the job.
Capturing these extra materials allows you and your hiring team to evaluate the candidate's abilities objectively and consistently.
5. Score Using a Rubric and Discuss with the Hiring Team
Develop a scoring rubric that outlines the criteria for evaluating the assessment, such as communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural interview. Use this rubric to score each candidate's performance, and then discuss the results with the hiring team to reach a consensus.
Structured interviews, which use standardized questions and scoring systems, have been shown to have higher predictive validity for job performance compared to unstructured interviews.
6. Use the Results Alongside Interviews to Make Your Decision
Combine the assessment results with insights gained from interviews to make a well-informed hiring decision and send the formal offer letter. This holistic approach to screening ensures that you consider both the candidate's demonstrations of competence and their potential fit within the sales culture.
This way, you can reduce the likelihood of making a bad hire and get the person who deserves the job and is likely to excel at it, and perhaps even stick to it for the long run.
How to Evaluate Sales Test Assignment Results
Effective sales hire assessments require a structured approach to ensure that hiring decisions are based on objective criteria and aligned with company goals.
Now let’s explore how you can evaluate the results from different assignments given to candidates during the selection phase:
Develop a structured scoring rubric: Make a well-defined scoring rubric for consistent and objective evaluation. For instance, this Sales Pitch Rubric from VE International provides a framework that assesses criteria such as introduction, preparedness, and knowledge, each rated on a scale from 1 to 4.
Incorporate quantitative and qualitative metrics: Combining numerical scores with qualitative observations provides a comprehensive view of a candidate's performance. Metrics such as clarity of message, engagement level, and confidence of delivery can be quantified. On the other hand, observations on adaptability and problem-solving offer qualitative insights.
Use technology for evaluation: Where feasible and possible, use tools for implementing and analyzing sales test assignments. Most testing platforms automate scoring and analysis, giving you insights on candidate performance in seconds.
Scoring Rubric Template
Here’s a sample scorecard template for an SaaS sales executive for high-ticket software companies. This can be reused with some tweaks specific to well-defined roles, for example, sales management roles.
| Criteria | Weight (%) | Score (1–5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product knowledge | 15% | Demonstrates clear understanding of the product and use cases | |
| Sales process and methodology | 15% | Uses a structured approach (e.g., MEDDIC, SPIN, Challenger, etc.) | |
| Communication and presentation | 10% | Articulates value proposition clearly; strong verbal and written skills | |
| Prospecting and lead qualification | 10% | Effectively identifies and qualifies ICP leads | |
| Objection handling | 10% | Responds to client concerns with confidence and clarity | |
| CRM usage and organization | 5% | Keeps CRM data clean and updated (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) | |
| Technical aptitude | 5% | Understands technical product features and integrations | |
| Cultural/team fit | 10% | Aligns with company values and collaborates well with a team | |
| Performance under pressure | 10% | Handles rejection, tight deadlines, and stress effectively | |
| Deal strategy and closing skills | 10% | Demonstrates closing ability and strategic deal planning |
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Running Sales Test Assignments
Running sales test assignments is a powerful way to gauge candidate abilities, but missteps in the process can lead to hiring the wrong person.
In one survey, 41% of companies reported losing at least $25,000 because of a bad hiring decision, and 25% reported losses over $50,000.
Common mistakes to avoid when conducting sales test assignments are:
Assigning overly complex or vague tasks: Tasks that are too broad or complicated can overwhelm candidates and fail to provide clear insights into their skills. Similarly, being too vague with questions or assignments kills the purpose of assessment in the first place.
Using the same test for every sales role: Different sales positions require different skill sets. Applying a one-size-fits-all assessment can overlook the unique requirements of each role. For example, a test designed for a market development rep may not be suitable for a high-ticket software sales position.
Ignoring candidate feedback: Failing to consider candidate feedback can lead to a poor candidate experience and potentially deter top talent. After tests and rounds of interviews, engage with candidates about their assessment experience. Create a survey to gather feedback so that you can refine the traditional hiring methods.
Evaluating only likeability or style, not substance: Relying solely on a candidate's charisma or presentation style can be misleading. A candidate may perform well in interviews but lack the necessary skills for the role. Incorporating behavioral assessments and situational judgment tests can provide a more comprehensive view of a candidate's capabilities.
Not scoring objectively or consistently: Inconsistent scoring can lead to biased hiring decisions. That’s why a standardized scoring rubric is necessary. Make sure hiring managers are using the same scoring criteria for all candidates for the sales job.
5 Best Sales Talent Assessment Tools
You need the right tools to create, execute, and learn from sales hire assignments. Here are the best ones:
1. TestGorilla
TestGorilla provides a wide range of customizable assessments, including cognitive ability tests, personality tests, and role-specific skills tests. With over 300 tests available in its assessment library, it allows for a flexible and comprehensive evaluation of candidates, supporting a skills-based hiring approach.
You can conduct skill or competency-specific tests online, which usually take no longer than 15 minutes.
2. Talogy
Talogy (previously The Caliper Profile) is a scientifically validated assessment that measures 21 personality traits, 280 behaviors, and 56 competencies. It also tests cognitive abilities to predict on-the-job behaviors and potential.
It's designed to align an individual's natural tendencies with specific job models, which helps in selection, development, and team building. You can learn about and test different aspects of candidates.
3. SalesDNA
SalesDNA is an online diagnostic survey that assesses individual sales skills and traits. It provides deep insights into a candidate's motivations and behaviors. It's particularly useful for understanding what drives top performers and tailoring training and onboarding processes accordingly. It focuses on 64 key sales skills.
SalesDNA tests 8 competencies, including negotiation, closing, overcoming objections, and self-development.
4. SalesGenomix
SalesGenomix offers a comprehensive assessment that evaluates 140 sales-specific competencies across 14 different sales roles. It's built on over 20 years of field research and helps in predicting candidate success with a 70-80% likelihood.
SalesGenomix customizes tests by vertical and sales cycle length to ensure alignment. It’s a powerful tool for reducing the risk of bad hires, especially for B2B companies.
5. Mettl
Mettl Sales Profiler by Mercer offers multiple sales hiring profile assessment tools that evaluate a candidate's behavioral and cognitive competencies.
Their assessments are customizable, so they can match unique organizational requirements, helping in building a winning sales team by identifying critical competencies. The test is a little longer than others and runs for 45-50 minutes. It has 110 items.
Hire the Best Sales Talent
When you integrate tests and assignments into job interviews, you increase the accuracy in candidate selection, reduce hiring costs, and build a high-performing sales team.
Person interviews are still important, but if they’re your only tool to screen and select sales hires, you’re in for some hits and misses. And any business with an eye on revenue success would only want hits.
To make the process even more effective, consider partnering with experienced sales recruiters. They can connect you with qualified candidates, so you're ready to evaluate real skills through structured, role-specific tests.
Need help getting started? Check out our curated list of top experienced sales recruiters to find the perfect match for your hiring goals.
FAQs
What is a sales assessment test?
A sales assessment test is a standardized test used during the hiring process to evaluate a candidate's sales skills, personality traits, and cognitive abilities relevant to sales roles. These tests help identify candidates who possess the necessary competencies for success in sales positions.
What are sales psychometric tests?
Sales psychometric tests measure a candidate's psychological attributes, including personality traits, cognitive abilities, and behavioral tendencies. These tests help predict their suitability for sales roles. They also provide insights into how candidates may perform in various sales scenarios, as sales can be a challenging and complex role.
How do you evaluate a sales candidate?
Evaluating a sales candidate involves a combination of methods to assess their skills, experience, and fit for the role. This can include structured interviews with targeted interview questions, skills tests to assess actual skills, and behavioral tests to gauge personality.
What are some sales interview exercises?
Sales interview exercises are practical tasks designed to evaluate a candidate’s selling skills, communication style, and problem-solving ability. Common examples include role-play scenarios (e.g., selling a product to a mock client), cold call simulations, objection-handling tasks, mock discovery calls, and written proposals. These exercises help employers assess real-world capabilities that traditional interviews might miss.
What are assessment questions in sales?
Assessment questions in sales are queries designed to evaluate a candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to sales roles. These questions may cover topics such as prospecting strategies, handling objections, closing techniques, and understanding the sales process.