Building a BDR or Inside Sales Team: How About Hiring a Veteran?
November 11, 2013
Recently, I was working with one of OpenView’s portfolio companies to build an inside sales team, but the hiring manager and I were having some difficulty finding candidates who had the right personality/discipline for the job. After a few weeks or searching, the hiring manager had an epiphany — “Devon, I’ve got it! We really should make an effort to find a veteran for this role. If we are looking for someone who’s disciplined, that would be a perfect profile.”
An amazing idea, and one that I’d like to see other companies in our portfolio start applying in their searches.
4 Characteristics that Make Veterans Perfect for Sales or Business Development Roles
When it comes to hiring sales reps or business development reps (BDRs) at startups or expansion-stage organizations, some of the most important qualities are drive, discipline, persistence, and the ability to be a team player. For someone coming out of the military, these four characteristics are likely to have been ingrained in them during their time in service.
Where to Post Your Job Openings
In order to get your open position in front of great veteran candidates here are some websites that you should consider posting with:
How Great is This?
Also, NBCUniversal has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to launch “Next Steps for Vets,” a web portal that supplies an array of nimble tools and ready resources to veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses, leading them into employment and educational opportunities.
Also, did you know that in certain states, your company can actually get a tax credit for hiring low-income or disabled veterans? Here is the Massachusetts policy and application information.
A BIG THANK YOU to veterans and military professionals out there for all of your handwork and devotion toward protecting US citizens, and helping to maintain our freedom.