How Interview Bias Is Costing You Great Salespeople

Interview bias in sales hiring may be costing you top talent. Learn how to spot and overcome this challenge to build a high-performing, diverse sales team.

How Interview Bias Is Costing You Great Salespeople

Think for a moment about your last sales hire. Did you rely on a "gut feeling"? Or maybe you dismissed a candidate because something about them just didn’t “click”?

While these instincts might feel harmless, they could be signs of interview bias in sales hiring, and they may be costing you exceptional talent.

If your sales team is underperforming or you’re struggling to build a high-impact team, the issue might not be with the candidates. It could be with how you’re assessing them.

The truth is, hiring salespeople is unique. You’re not just looking for someone who can perform the job—you need someone who can grow revenue, build relationships, and thrive in a competitive environment. But all too often, biases in the interview process prevent businesses from finding the right fit.

What Is Interview Bias, and Why Does It Matter?

Interview bias happens when subjective factors—like personal preferences, stereotypes, or first impressions—influence hiring decisions.

In sales recruitment, this can be particularly damaging because it often eliminates candidates who could have been top performers, simply because they didn’t “fit the mould.”

Here are some common types of bias that may creep into your hiring process:

Similarity Bias: Hiring managers lean toward candidates who remind them of themselves, even when those qualities aren’t relevant to the role.
Halo Effect: A single impressive trait, like confidence or charisma, overshadows a candidate’s weaknesses.
Confirmation Bias: Interviewers look for evidence to confirm their first impression rather than objectively assessing the candidate.

While these biases might seem harmless, they lead to hiring decisions based on emotions rather than tangible evidence of a candidate’s ability to succeed in sales.

How Bias Impacts Your Sales Team

Bias doesn’t just affect individual hires—it has a ripple effect on your entire team and business performance. Here’s how:

1. You Miss Out on Top Performers

The best salespeople don’t always fit traditional expectations. They might lack the stereotypical “sales personality” or have an unconventional career path.

By relying on biases, you could overlook candidates who bring fresh ideas, unique approaches, or much-needed diversity to your team.

2. Turnover Rates Increase

When hiring decisions are based on bias rather than skills and suitability, the wrong people end up in the wrong roles.

This leads to disengagement, poor performance, and ultimately higher turnover rates, costing your business time and money.

3. Your Sales Strategy Suffers

A strong sales team needs a balance of skills, personalities, and approaches. Bias can result in a homogenous team that lacks the diverse perspectives needed to tackle challenges creatively and connect with a broad range of clients.

In short, interview bias doesn’t just hurt your hiring outcomes—it holds back your entire organisation's potential for growth and innovation.

Unstructured Interviews: A Breeding Ground for Bias

One of the biggest culprits behind interview bias in sales hiring is an unstructured interview process.

When there’s no clear framework for evaluating candidates, interviewers often default to subjective opinions and “gut feelings.” This leaves too much room for bias to take over.

For example:

No Standardised Questions: Without a consistent set of questions, different candidates are evaluated on completely different criteria.
Overemphasis on First Impressions: Unstructured interviews often place too much weight on charisma or appearance, rather than actual skills and potential.
Lack of Objective Scoring: With no scoring system in place, decisions are often made based on vague impressions instead of concrete evidence.

In sales, where results matter more than resumes, an unstructured process can lead to costly hiring mistakes.

The Solution? A Smarter Approach to Sales Recruitment

If you’re ready to eliminate bias and start hiring top-performing salespeople, it’s time to rethink your approach. This is where Coburg Banks can help.

With decades of experience in sales recruitment, Coburg Banks knows what it takes to identify, attract, and assess exceptional sales talent.

Why Choose Coburg Banks for Sales Recruitment?

At Coburg Banks, we combine industry expertise with proven recruitment strategies to help businesses build high-impact sales teams. Here’s what sets us apart:

Bespoke Recruitment Solutions: We tailor our approach to your unique sales strategies and organisational goals.
Structured Interview Processes: Our methods eliminate bias by using objective criteria and standardised assessments.
Access to Top Talent: With a vast network of sales professionals, we find candidates you wouldn’t reach with traditional methods.
Focus on Results: We prioritise candidates with the skills, drive, and attitude to deliver measurable revenue growth.

By partnering with Coburg Banks, you can be confident that you’re hiring the right people—not just the ones who leave a good first impression.