Assessments | SeibCo, LLC

Resolve Lack of Communication Undermines Employees

January 26, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

“Communication gaps limit company growth, innovation, and employee job satisfaction.” Jeannette Seibly

Employees everywhere are navigating rapid change: new terminology, new protocols for working with others, and rising concerns about psychological safety. Yet many leaders still fall short in communicating expectations, giving practical instructions, and offering the direction employees need to perform well. Leaders unintentionally widen and quietly erode the very employee satisfaction they’re trying to build.

Overcome Lack of Communication to Improved Results

Leaders, the key is awareness! And, the willingness to ask the employee what they need. Yes, it may take more time initially. But saves you lots of time, money, and customers in the long run.

Answer the Request for Help. When employees ask for help, answer in a manner that supports them to achieve intended results. You may not know the answer yourself. In those cases, refer the employee to team members that may know, or a vendor that knows how the system operates.

When an employee asked his manager for instructions on how to proceed with a project, the boss replied, “Just do it. Ask as you go along.” The employee was confused; he had never done the work before and didn’t know where to begin. He simply needed written instructions, or at least verbal guidance. But the boss didn’t know the process either and expected others to compensate for his lack of clarity. The employee eventually created instructions for himself and others, but those instructions disappeared when he and other team members quit. Lack of communication caused a spike in turnover because no one had the direction they needed to succeed.

Learn How to Listen for …

When leaders fail to listen for how they can help employees excel, they unintentionally widen communication gaps. Many leaders don’t listen for, or genuinely invest in, their employees’ career development. They stay focused on getting the job done with as little stress or disruption to themselves as possible. The real key is to care. Provide career‑development opportunities and encourage employees to apply what they learn, because strong communication and genuine support are what support performance.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Never assume you, as the leader, have all the answers. Shutting down an employee who is having difficulty explaining what they want only creates more work in the long run. Take the time to ask open-ended questions, look for examples (e.g., pictures, graphs, or flowcharts) to ensure you are aligned, and remain open to others probing and asking questions too.

Never Assume Employees Should Know

When leaders assume employees should already know what resources and company benefits are available, they unintentionally widen communication gaps. Many employees don’t know what to ask for or even realize which benefits exist.

For example, when employee assistance programs (EAP) aren’t clearly communicated, people miss out on support at the very moment they may need it. Sharing information about free tax advice and other available resources builds trust, reduces stress, and strengthens a positive team culture.

All of this is achieved through full and clearer communication.

When employees can count on leaders to communicate clearly about expectations, opportunities, and the resources available to them, trust deepens and great results become the norm.

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 33 years of experience guiding leaders and executives to achieve exceptional results. She delivers practical coaching and innovative solutions for hiring, leadership development, and performance success. Successful leaders have coaches—connect with Jeannette to elevate your results and impact in 2026.

If you and team not delivering the results you want, consider your lack of communication is the barrier. Contact me for a confidential conversation to identify the gaps and strengthen your impact as a leader.

Do You Allow Self-Doubt to Sabotage Your Results?

January 19, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

“Self-doubt can be a saboteur and cause us to miss out on achieving intended results.” Jeannette Seibly

Self‑doubt is far more common among leaders than most people admit. It shows up when coaching team members, navigating project snafus, or learning new skills. The good news is that everyone experiences self‑doubt, including the most effective leaders.

The bad news is that self‑doubt often convinces leaders to stop doing the work needed to move forward, avoid needed conversations, or allow fear to take over the driver’s wheel. That’s precisely when self-doubt wins and you stop, which is the wrong move.

Self‑doubt may feel like a stop sign, but more often it’s a green light. It signals that you’re entering unfamiliar territory, a place where growth, innovation, and new results become possible. The real challenge is not the doubt itself, but the lack of clarity, skills, or perspective needed to move forward. That’s where mentors, coaches, and collaborators make all the difference.

Using Self-Doubt as Leverage

Take Time for Reflection: What Worked / What Didn’t Work

This simple exercise, grounded in objective data, reveals what needs attention: conversations, work assignments, your expectations, or structural changes to the project or how you leverage an opportunity. Without data, self‑doubt fills in the blanks with fear instead of facts.

Have the Tough Conversations

These conversations aren’t easy, but they don’t have to be painful. Preparation matters. Use your reflection data, stay open to feedback, and be willing to hear what you may have missed.

Plan to Listen for:

signals where you’re on the right track
where you went off-track
gaps in conversations or financial projections
team members doing the bare minimum
quiet changes that could derail the project

Ask Open‑Ended Questions

Listening is your competitive advantage. There may be unseen dynamics slowing progress: political, relational, or operational. A mentor, executive coach, or industry expert can help you interpret what you’re hearing. Always ask: “What would you do?”

Be Coachable

Admitting there’s a problem is uncomfortable. Hearing someone else point it out can be even harder. But coachability is a leadership multiplier. Stay more committed to results than to ego. If doubt persists, talk with one or two additional mentors (not five or ten) to uncover what’s really driving your hesitation.

A company owner frustrated with poor hiring results blamed candidates, recruiters, and the economy. The real issue? He wasn’t using valid, legal, and scientifically sound selection tools to understand a candidate’s thinking style, behavioral traits, and occupational interests. His biases were not objective data. But he used them to drive decisions. Retention dropped. Customers left.

To achieve true job fit (and keep customers), use objective, replicable data to transform hiring quality and your long‑term results.

Ask Yourself: “What Can I Learn?”

This is one of the most important questions. Self‑doubt always carries a message. Ask: “What is this teaching me?” Listen for the answer in silence, not in the noise of others’ opinions. Then turn insight into action by talking with your coach, taking a course (or teaching one), and having the conversation(s) you’ve been avoiding.

Overcoming self-doubt when faced with a challenge can be difficult. That’s why having an executive coach to guide you through the process is important. Contact me for a confidential conversation to discover where you are sabotaging your results.

Why Companies Fail to Hire Top Talent

January 12, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

“If you don’t know what you are looking for, your hiring process will fail, costing you time, money, and sleepless nights.” Jeannette Seibly

If your job ad has been running for weeks, the problem isn’t the talent pool. It’s your hiring preparation, your lack of clarity, and your poor follow through.

We’ve all seen the posts: “We can’t find the right person.” Yet the same ads run week after week, sometimes month after month, while leaders insist they’ve reviewed hundreds of applicants with no success.

Let’s be honest: the problem isn’t the talent pool. The problem is the company, the hiring boss or leader, and/or lack of a clear selection system.

Top talent hasn’t disappeared. It’s being overlooked, filtered out, or scared away by hiring practices that haven’t evolved since 2020.

Why Does This Really Happen?

Lack of objective data. This is the #1 culprit. Too many leaders still trust their “gut” which is just bias wearing a nice suit.
Lack of clarity. Job descriptions are skimmed, recycled, or written by committee. If you can’t articulate what success really looks like, you can’t hire for it.
Combining jobs to save money. Wanting someone who is both detail obsessed and a big picture innovator? That’s not a unicorn. That’s a fantasy. And fantasies don’t reduce turnover.
Not involving the team. Instead of asking the people who actually depend on the right person being hire, leaders guess what the job requires.
Failure to onboard. If you can’t clearly explain expectations to a candidate and don’t have a 180‑Day Success Plan, you have wishful thinking.

Let’s Get Real in 2026

Follow a well-designed strategic job‑fit hiring plan. One client had over 100% turnover. They said, after implementing a structured hiring system and holding managers accountable, turnover dropped below ten percent. (SEE Chapter 2, Hire Amazing Employees for guidance to develop a practical system.)
Use qualified assessments. Valid, reliable honesty‑integrity and job‑fit assessments reveal who the candidate really is not who they pretend to be in an interview. (SEE Chapter 9, Hire Amazing Employees)
Use a structured interview format. Feelings and intuition derail good decisions. Ask every candidate the same job‑related questions and use the Rule of 3 to dig deeper. (SEE Chapters 4 and 10, Hire Amazing Employees for practical guides to get started. One employment attorney said the questions alone are worth the price of the book.)
Stop delaying decisions. Strong candidates won’t wait while you “think about it.” If they meet or exceed requirements, complete your due diligence and make the offer. (SEE Chapter 19, Hire Amazing Employees)
Onboard with intention. Culture, expectations, and weekly follow‑up matter. When top talent leaves, others follow. Onboarding is retention. (SEE Chapter 20, Hire Amazing Employees)

The Truth Leaders Need to Hear

Companies don’t have a talent shortage—they have a clarity shortage.
If you’re still hiring the way you did five years ago, you’re already behind.
Top talent isn’t rejecting you because they’re picky. They’re rejecting you because they can tell you’re not ready for them.
Hiring is not a scavenger hunt. It’s a strategic discipline.
If your hiring process depends on luck, you’re not hiring, you’re gambling.

If you want to win the talent game in 2026, stop treating hiring as a side job. Top performers can instantly tell whether a company is prepared or improvising. The companies that rise will be the ones willing to do the unglamorous work of preparation and follow‑through. Good hiring isn’t luck.

Need help discerning what is working and not working in your hiring plan? Contact me for a confidential conversation to ensure you’re ready to hire top talent.

2026 Is Right Around the Corner! Are You Ready to Achieve Real Sales Results?

December 23, 2025 by Jeannette Seibly

“If you want to improve your results, focus on objective data to get you unstuck and moving forward.” Jeannette Seibly

As 2025 winds down, every company is asking the same question: are we truly on track for a profitable finish? Some will succeed. Many won’t. And whether you’re ready or not, 2026 is around the corner.

Beyond sales and profitability numbers, objective data is scarce. Too often, we lean on excuses: Why someone couldn’t follow through, or stories like, “our top customer has been out of the country for six months.” We downplay lackluster results and cling to hope. But hope is not a strategy.

In 2026, let’s replace hope with hard data. Let’s turn numbers into strategies, and strategies into results so by year’s end, you don’t just meet your projections, you surpass them.

7 Tips to Achieve Real Results

1. Hire the Right People. Not everyone can sell your products or services, no matter what they’ve sold before. As the old saying goes, “Just because they can sell Cadillacs in Boston doesn’t mean they can sell Lincolns in Denver.” The key is to get real about who you hire and get real data about their natural ability to prospect, persist, and close. Use a qualified job-fit sales assessment that provides consistent, objective data.

Low assertiveness: A candidate who is “too nice” may build rapport but struggle to ask for the sale.
Team-dependent: Someone who thrives only in group settings may falter when left to hunt alone.
Mismatch of style: A polished corporate seller may not adapt well to scrappy startup environments.

2. Coach with Laser-Focused Accuracy. The right job fit assessment also sharpens your coaching. (SEE Chapter 9, Hire Amazing Employees) Address the real “why” behind a salesperson’s struggles. For instance, telling a rep to meet more people when they already have plenty of contacts won’t help. Instead, coach them on how to engage those contacts and uncover buying interest.

3. Stop Relying on Technology to Fix Sales Performance. A new CRM or AI tool won’t magically improve results. These are tools, not producers. Without the right salespeople, technology only makes things worse. Low performers hide behind learning systems, while high performers resent being slowed down from meeting prospects and closing deals.

4. Engage Customers Every Quarter. Quarterly engagement keeps customers loyal and more likely to refer you. Use a scorecard to focus conversations on quality, service, and pricing, and how you can help them in the future. Training is essential to make these discussions effective.

5. Hold Daily Sales Team Huddles. If you’re not already doing this, start now. A 10- to 20-minute STAND-UP HUDDLE each morning keeps everyone accountable. Standing shortens the meetings and makes it harder for low performers to hide. Focus on progress and needed adjustments. Don’t let excuses derail creativity and sales results.

6. Train for the Details. Years ago, a sales expert told me: successful salespeople know the details of their products and services. That wisdom made a huge difference in my own results. Provide weekly training, updates, and stories. And remember, repetition works.

7. Acknowledge Results. Recognition works wonders. Acknowledge individuals and your team by sharing brags. Use a dashboard to show weekly results. This builds support when someone is stuck and motivates everyone to do more of what’s working.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019-2025

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve remarkable success over the past 33 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Want objective, real-world data on your sales team? Contact me today to find out how.

What to “Listen For” During Job Interviews

December 15, 2025December 15, 2025 by Jeannette Seibly

“During interviews, what we ‘listen for’ shapes the quality of the interaction, and ultimately determines whether we hire the right person for the right job.” Jeannette Seibly

As hiring managers, recruiters, and interviewers, too often we listen through our biases and judgments to determine whether a person can do the job or not.

We’re listening to respond, which is not true listening.
Or, we’re just not really listening for anything and just waiting to ask the next question.
Or, we’re contemplating if we’ve already made the right decision about hiring the person (not based on objective data).
Hint: If you have a response before the person finishes speaking, you’re not listening!

Skills you may already be listening for:

Attention to detail: Do they dot the I’s and cross the T’s?
Ability to stay calm under pressure: Do they react impulsively or remain steady when challenged?
Be a team player: Do they work well with others, or are they know-it-alls or do-it-yourselfers?
Coachability: Ability and willingness to accept feedback and learn from their mistakes and failures.
Communication: How well are they listening to you?

How Using Job-Fit Assessments Clarifies What to “Listen For”

Using a qualified and objective job-fit assessment (e.g., PXT Select®) provides “Listen for …” cues in the Selection Reports. These reports outline how a candidate’s thinking style, behavioral traits, and occupational interests align with the role. When you combine these insights with the interview questions in the PXT Select® report, you gain objective evidence of whether the person can do the job, will do the job, and can do the job here.

This clarity helps you know where to probe further, using the Rule of 3 from Hire Amazing Employees, and keeps you emotionally detached from the candidate’s charm or a false impression that can cloud judgment.

Additional Behaviors Worth “Listening For”

Consistency between words and actions: Do their examples align with how they describe themselves? Use the Rule of 3 (Hire Amazing Employees) to deep dive into someone’s true ability — not just to complete the skill or task, but to think through the pros and cons of what they are doing.
Ownership of mistakes: Candidates who can admit missteps and explain what they learned often bring resilience to the job. Interviewer question: “Tell me about the last mistake you made and what you did to fix it. Who did you talk with?”
Curiosity and initiative: Listen for questions they ask about the role, team, or company. Genuine curiosity signals engagement. If they have no questions or it’s clear they didn’t do any prep work on the company, position, or interviewer, you may need to move on.
Values alignment: Beyond skills, listen for whether their personal values resonate with the culture you’re building. What common themes do they describe, perhaps without realizing it? For example, if they struggled in the past with a micromanaging boss, how did they handle it? What type of autonomy do they need in this job to be successful?
Communication clarity: Are they able to simplify complex ideas, or do they get lost in jargon? Can they explain what they are saying in words others would easily understand?

Practical “Listening For” Habits for You

Pause before responding. Give space for silence. It often reveals more than a rushed answer.
Notice patterns, not isolated statements. One polished story doesn’t equal consistency.
Note emotional tone. Calm confidence differs from rehearsed charm.
Separate impression from evidence. Write down what you heard versus what you felt. Then, compare. If it’s not consistent, deep dive into whether they truly want the position or are simply checking a box that they had an interview. Note: If you’re using structured interview processes (questions found in Hire Amazing Employees), it is easier to compare candidates.
Document evidence immediately after the interview. Memory fades quickly, and written notes prevent bias and false memories from creeping in later.

Remember during interviews, what you “listen for” can make or break an interview. Come prepared, listen, and ask good follow-up questions to transform a good interview into a great one. Contact me to get the highest value out of your interviews.

Do You Want Your Leadership to Make a Positive Difference?

December 8, 2025 by Jeannette Seibly

“Your leadership style builds your influence, reputation, and legacy.” Jeannette Seibly

Influence, reputation, and legacy are not built by title alone. They are sustained by the people-centered skills that leaders should practice every day. For many leaders, experience and expertise are invaluable, but the ability to connect, facilitate, communicate, and make sound decisions often determines whether their leadership style makes a positive difference.

The Challenge

Even the most accomplished leaders can find themselves at crossroads:

People skills may need refreshing to engage diverse generations.
Facilitation skills must evolve to foster collaboration rather than control.
Communication skills require clarity, empathy, and adaptability in a noisy world.
Decision-making skills demand balance between wisdom and openness to new perspectives.

The Opportunity

By fine-tuning these people-centered skills, you can:

Amplify your impact by guiding teams with generosity and positive acknowledgement.
Model intentional leadership that blends honesty, responsibility, and accountability.
Create pathways for others to grow without losing their own expertise.
Develop your emotional intelligence and emotional integrity—intelligence helps you understand emotions, while integrity ensures you act with consistency and values.

And most importantly, these practices connect directly to your leadership style and legacy: the imprint you leave on people, organizations, and communities long after your role has changed.

Practical Pathways Forward

Hire a coach: Partner with someone who can provide tailored guidance, accountability, and a fresh perspective.
Invest in facilitation training: Learn to guide discussions that empower rather than dominate.
Practice active listening: Honor voices across generations and backgrounds.
Refine communication habits: Use story-driven clarity to inspire action.
Strengthen decision frameworks: Develop a win-win-win perspective.

Level Up Your Skills by measuring your progress. Use engagement scores, retention data, or feedback loops to track whether your leadership style is truly making a positive difference. Examples include:

Job fit assessments — how you are seen from the inside out.
360-degree assessments — how others see you.
Social index assessments — how you want to be seen.

These tools provide both internal and external perspectives, helping you align your leadership practices with the legacy you intend to leave.

Very Important Note: Many leaders do not feel ready to read (current and future). I have coached and mentored many professionals who faced challenges early in their careers. And advised them to provide pathways that help future leaders and bosses grow, contribute, and thrive.

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve remarkable success over the past 33 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Contact me to see my “Fine-Tuning Leadership Skills Guide.” Start today to build a strong leadership style and make a positive difference.

Supporting Gen Z to be Effective Leaders

December 1, 2025 by Jeannette Seibly

“Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room; it’s about collaborating effectively.” Jeannette Seibly

At a recent business meeting, I encountered a young woman whose leadership energy was undeniable. She radiated confidence, spoke with conviction, and clearly had the drive to influence and inspire. Yet, as the conversation progressed, her potential was overshadowed by two challenges: she believed she was the smartest person in the room, and her emotions often erupted unchecked. These behaviors, if not addressed, sabotage leadership and future opportunities. (Note: Gen Z was born between 1997 and 2012.)

The Promise Gen Z Leaders Bring

Gen Z is reshaping the leadership landscape. They are:

Innovative thinkers who embrace technology and fresh ideas.
Fearless voices willing to challenge norms and disrupt traditional hierarchies.
Authentic leaders who want their work to align with values and purpose.

This generation’s leadership spirit is a powerful force. But like any force, it requires balance.

The Leadership Growth Required

In this meeting, the young woman’s expertise was undermined by behaviors that eroded her credibility:

Intellectual arrogance: She dismissed others’ perspectives, assuming her ideas were superior.
Emotional outbursts: She interrupted peers, grew visibly angry at senior leaders, and failed to regulate her reactions.
Damaged trust: These actions created tension, making collaboration difficult, and diminishing her professional presence.

Several of the leaders in the room questioned whether the young woman had the professional ability (and maturity) to be in the business conversation they had been having.

Lessons for Emerging Leaders

As bosses and leaders, Gen Z’s leadership drive must be paired with emotional maturity.

Key lessons include:

Humility as strength: Listening actively and respecting others’ contributions builds influence.
Emotional intelligence: Patience, empathy, and composure are essential for leadership.
Client and team relationships: Influence comes from guiding, not dictating. People respond to partnership, not control.
Professional presence: Credibility grows when passion is expressed with respect and balance. Using appropriate brag metrics provides influence.
Develop a win-win-win mindset: Learning how to create bridges instead of burning them is critical, especially for Gen Zs. They have a long career ahead of them. They will never know when the person they dissed or company leader they offended is in a position to hire or promote them, or do business with their company. While they may say they “don’t care,” someday, they will.

Guidance for Mentors and Coaches

Seasoned professionals play a vital role in shaping Gen Z leaders now and in the future:

Offer constructive feedback that redirects energy without diminishing confidence.
Model calm collaboration so younger leaders can see composure in action.
Create safe learning spaces where mistakes become opportunities for growth rather than career‑ending missteps.
Offer workshops and other training (e.g., videos) where the person can learn how to offer ideas without dominating the conversation or alienating others. Providing a job fit assessment leadership report can also provide important insights.

A leadership spirit is a gift. But without humility and emotional intelligence, it will cause self‑sabotage. The young woman I met has the raw talent to succeed, but her journey will depend on whether she learns to balance confidence with respect, and passion with patience.

For Gen Z leaders, the challenge is not just to step forward boldly, but to grow wise enough to make your leadership sustainable and be coachable.

Very Important Note: Having coached and mentored a number of people who are now older and more experienced, many-faced similar challenges early in their careers, including being fired. I strongly encourage bosses and leaders to provide counsel that helps these individuals strengthen their people, communication, and facilitation skills. Doing so ensures you won’t lose their drive, innovative ideas, and fearless voices, and in turn, these individuals will continue to grow, contribute, and thrive.

Do you have employees that need help with their leadership, communication, and decision-making skills, including Gen Z? It’s time to contact me and develop a program that supports everyone’s success.

How to Hire Salespeople Who Actually Sell

November 24, 2025 by Jeannette Seibly

“When you hire the wrong salespeople, your customers and top salespeople leave.” Jeannette Seibly

Note: Don’t have time to read the full article? SCROLL to SEE Executive Summary below.

Hiring salespeople is notoriously tricky. Many candidates look the part and talk the talk. But once hired, they fail to deliver needed and intended results. The cost of a bad hire isn’t just financial; it erodes customer trust, team morale, and your bottom line.

The key? Determine their ability to sell before you hire them. Sales managers don’t have magic wands, and “fixing” poor hires rarely works.

Questions that must be answered:

Are they:

Able to generate leads?
A self-starter or need prodding?
A team player?
Able to close an opportunity? (Many become hesitant and are afraid of the required “money” conversation.)
Fulfilling promises or making unrealistic ones (e.g., the price will never go up)?
Following-up and following-through? (Note: This is one of the biggest mistakes salespeople make.)

5 Smart Strategies to Improve Your Selection Process

Use Objective Data. Ditch intuitive Use the Selection Triad and validated job-fit assessments to evaluate prospecting, presenting, and closing skills. Job fit is the #1 predictor of sales success.
Assess Integrity. Use honesty/integrity assessments to uncover omissions and avoid candidates who stretch the truth. Always verify background, education, and accomplishments.
Test Listening Skills. Ask candidates to summarize parts of the interview: “Tell me what you heard.” Great salespeople listen before they sell. Also, check for openness to coaching, “Tell me about a recent mistake. What did you do? What did you do to correct it? Who did you need to talk with?” Beware of someone saying they never make a mistake. (In fact, move on to other candidates.)
Look for Curiosity. Candidates should ask thoughtful questions about your company, product, and culture. If they don’t, they likely lack the drive to uncover client needs.
Observe Presence and Patience. Watch body language. Do they squirm, interrupt, or rush? Sales requires calm confidence and the ability to make prospects feel heard and comfortable.

Top Attributes of Successful Salespeople

Coachability: You can’t coach someone into a job they’re not wired for. Remember, you’re hiring for job fit: thinking style, behaviors, and interests must align with the role.
Presence: Great salespeople are fully engaged in conversations. Multitasking is a myth and listening is their superpower.
Product Mastery: They know what they’re selling and how it works. They immersed themselves in the details; and, as a result, they build trust and prevent buyer’s remorse.
Persistence: They follow up consistently, stay visible, and don’t give up. They stay in contact through sharing articles, actively participate in networking (givers gain attitude), and social media.
Relationship Building: They treat every prospect and client like a VIP. They follow-through within 24–48 hours to build credibility and loyalty.

When was the last time you stopped long enough to review your sales teams’ skills? You haven’t? It’s time to contact me before the end of 2025!

Would you like a complimentary quick one-page copy of “Sales Manager Coaching Tool: Hire & Develop Salespeople Who Deliver?”

***

Executive Summary: Hiring Salespeople Who Actually Sell

“When you hire the wrong salespeople, your customers and top salespeople leave.” Jeannette Seibly

The Problem

Hiring mistakes erode trust, morale, and profits.
Sales managers cannot “fix” poor hires—selection must be right from the start.

5 Smart Strategies

Use Objective Data – Apply the Selection Triad: structured interviews, validated job-fit assessments, integrity tools.
Assess Integrity – Verify honesty, background, and accomplishments.
Test Listening Skills – Great salespeople listen before they sell.
Look for Curiosity – Candidates should ask thoughtful questions.
Observe Presence & Patience – Calm confidence builds trust.

Top Attributes of Successful Salespeople

Coachability – You can’t coach someone into a job they’re not wired for.
Presence – Fully engaged, listening is a superpower.
Product Mastery – Deep knowledge prevents buyer’s remorse.
Persistence – Consistent follow-up builds visibility and credibility.
Relationship Building – Treat every client like a VIP, follow-through within 24–48 hours.

Hiring salespeople is too costly to get wrong.

Stop relying on intuition—use proven tools and strategies.

Contact Jeannette before the end of 2025 for a complimentary copy of the “Sales Manager Coaching Tool: Hire & Develop Salespeople Who Deliver.”

Jeannette Seibly, award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to success over the past 33 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Spotting Hidden Talent Easily

November 17, 2025 by Jeannette Seibly

“Spotting hidden talent can be easy and will increase employee, customer retention, and profitability.” Jeannette Seibly

Did you know hidden talent can be easily spotted using a well-designed job-fit selection system?

While many complain about the difficulty of finding “hidden talent,” the reality is that the right person may be sitting right in front of you. Unfortunately, biases often cloud our ability to see candidates as they truly are. Other barriers—such as lack of objective data, unrealistic expectations, and flawed assumptions—can further obscure their potential. The list goes on.

Bottom line: We miss spotting hidden talent due to a lack of good, reliable, and replicable objective data when making hiring, promotion, and job transfer decisions.

Ways to Avoid These Common Pitfalls

Prepare Job Applicants. Send them a helpful video about your interview process and what to expect. For many, this is their first time talking with your company. Provide several interview questions (and be sure to ask at least one or two of these) so they feel comfortable with your selection process. Also, send them a link to the brag book: “The Secret to Winning the Job: Start Bragging!” Many applicants have hidden talents that they need to learn how to share effectively.

Use a Valid Honesty/Integrity Assessment. Make sure it’s a direct admission tool and use only for pre-employment purposes (not current employees). This can help weed out candidates who are good at selling themselves but have things to hide. They also help create safer workplace environments. Be sure to check local and state statutes to avoid asking inappropriate questions (e.g., age, marital status, children, etc.). Contact me for a product brochure.

Conduct Phone Screen Interviews to Gather Objective Data. Ask questions designed to reveal facts about past employment and education. Verifying and documenting are essential. Too often, candidates aren’t honest about their past … they just want the job. (For help creating questions, READ Chapter 10, Hire Amazing Employees)

Too often, we rely on intuitive hiring rather than using a strategic job-fit system and obtaining objective data. Then, we are surprised 2 hours, 2 weeks, or 2 months later when we realize the person who showed up isn’t the one we interviewed. This is avoidable.

Use a Qualified Job-Fit Assessment. It’s crucial to see the “whole person” (e.g., thinking style, core behaviors, and occupational interests). Using the wrong assessment allows applicants to present themselves as they want to be seen—not as they truly are. With over 3,000 published assessments available, it’s easy to select ones not designed or compliant with Department of Labor standards for pre-employment use. How do you know the difference? Ask for a technical manual and check for distortion, predictive validity, reliability, and validity coefficients. (See Chapter 9, Use the Right Assessments and Skill Tests, Hire Amazing Employees) Using the correct assessment, the right way, makes all the difference in the selection process!

Using a qualified job fit assessment helps alleviate concerns about the legalities of who you are hiring.

Interview for Job Fit. Too often, our beliefs about required skills are sabotaged by subjective biases (e.g., good at math = good accountant; friendly = great boss). Ask job-related questions and listen! Hidden talent will reveal itself when you deep dive into their responses using the “Rule of 3” to determine the depth of their skills. (For additional insights on the “Rule of 3” and creating job-related questions, READ Chapter 10, Hire Amazing Employees)

Conduct Due Diligence. It’s not uncommon for applicants to list education, job titles, and companies that don’t exist! Conduct background, licensing, education, and other checks. Using a third-party provider often ensures a thorough and consistent process. (SEE Chapter 17, Types of Checks, Hire Amazing Employees)

Require Onboarding for Best Results. Start when the job offer is accepted and continue over several months. Otherwise, your newest talent may “leave” while still on the payroll. (READ Chapter 20, The Success of a New Hire Is Up to You!, Hire Amazing Employees)

Spotting hidden talent is easy when you use a well-designed strategic job fit system. When was the last time you reviewed your hiring practices? If you want to improve your retention, results, and revenues, contact me.

From Guesswork to Clarity: Hiring with Job-Fit Assessments Improves Revenues and Results

November 3, 2025 by Jeannette Seibly

“Job fit assessments take the guesswork out of your hiring process to improve revenues, retention, and results.”

In today’s hiring climate, speed often masquerades as strategy. Managers are urged to act fast—yet when the “right” candidate doesn’t surface, your hiring strategy often goes out the window.

Beneath the urgency and hesitancy lies a deeper tension:

Will this hire stick?
Will they elevate the team—or disrupt it?
Are we measuring what matters?

When clarity falters, misalignment follows. Promising candidates walk. Loyal customers drift. And retention, revenue, and results quietly erode.

When hiring decisions rely on urgency or intuition alone, managers often struggle to identify candidates who:

Have vague or inflated skills – that don’t translate to performance
Avoid accountability – by justifying shortcuts or disregarding rules
Resist feedback – rationalizing poor choices and showing little willingness to learn
Lack the long-term attitude or behavior needed – to support team growth and client retention
Require hands-on training – but resist being shown or told how to improve

These blind spots lead to failure and building a resilient, high-performing team. Without objective data from validated job fit assessments, better hiring outcomes remain out of reach.

Tired of interviewing a person and having them change their personality within two to 90 days? Keep reading.

What is a Job Fit Assessment?

It’s a screening tool that helps managers hire with purpose—defining roles, aligning expectations, and selecting candidates who truly fit.

Using “whole person” data—thinking style, core behavior, and occupational interests—reveals who a candidate is beneath the polish, not just how they want to be seen.

A job fit assessment shifts hiring from reactive to intentional, offering reliable, replicable insights that meet Department of Labor guidelines for both hiring and promotion.

Please note: Assessments are just one-third of the decision. Interviews (1/3) and due diligence (1/3) complete the trio.

Why are “qualified” job fit tools often overlooked? Most importantly, not all assessments are equal. A “qualified” job fit tool used for hiring and promotion must meet distinct scientific and legal standards. Most assessments don’t.

To be “qualified” and effective, these tools must:

Be scientifically validated and reliable, with proven predictive validity
Minimize bias and promote fairness
Deliver objective data for consistent, defensible decisions
Be easy to interpret and apply across roles and teams
Align with actual job performance

Why Are Job Fit Assessments Critical to Your Company’s Success?

Clarify Role Expectations. Most job descriptions list tasks, but few articulate a role’s impact on finances, systems, and people. A qualified job-fit assessment helps managers move beyond vague responsibilities to define true accountability about what success looks like (e.g., hiring salespeople who close deals, not just educate prospects; hiring financial planners who enjoy working with numbers).

Define Success Metrics. Hiring isn’t just about filling a seat—it’s about fueling performance. Job-fit assessments help managers identify what matters and avoid repeating costly mistakes:

What are the candidate’s natural strengths?
What skills need development?
How can we best support their success?
Are they coachable and open to feedback?

The insights provided by a qualified job fit assessment shape interviews, onboarding, and coaching—and reduce bias by anchoring decisions in data, not assumptions (e.g., eliminating bias tied to gender, age, education, or experience).

Align with Team Culture. Skills get candidates hired. Culture keeps them. The right assessment reveals how a candidate’s values, work style, and decision-making align with the team, company, and role—revealing synergy or friction before the hire.

Paired with honesty-integrity direct admission tools, managers gain deeper insight into values (e.g., drugs, theft, attendance), supporting trust-building from day one.

When managers hire with clarity, everything shifts: