What Hiring Managers Should Look for When Hiring for Salesforce Roles
Finding the best Salesforce talent isn’t just about looking at a candidate’s experience. Assessing these three Trailblazing characteristics is key.
Lissa Smith
- #1: They are actively skilling up with Trailhead
- #2: They participate in the Trailblazer Community
- #3: They have work experience outside of Salesforce that translates well
- Bonus: Pass or fail, they’ve at least attempted a certification
- Hiring for Salesforce Roles: Change your thinking, find the best talent
I’ve hired numerous new Salesforce Administrators across multiple roles throughout my career, and I can tell you firsthand that you should throw out your “candidate needs 3-5 years of Salesforce experience” requirement when hiring for Salesforce roles and instead focus on these three characteristics which indicate a curious and engaged Salesforce professional.
#1: They are actively skilling up with Trailhead
When I see a candidate who spends their off-hours learning and earning badges on Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform, I can immediately tell they have the drive and motivation to succeed. Heck, they’re already more technically skilled than I was when I started my Salesforce career!
All about Salesforce’s free online learning platform.
If you’re considering a candidate who doesn’t have any experience working in a Salesforce role, check to see if they’ve earned any superbadges. Superbadges present learners with real-world business problems that must be solved without step-by-step instructions, so they’re a good test of how the candidate will perform in a real-world business scenario.
Superbadges are NOT easy!
A candidate who’s earned a superbadge is more likely to have the dedication, focus, and resilience you’re looking for. Asking them about how they solved a specific superbadge is a great way to go deeper in an interview and really dive into their design thinking skills.
When hiring for Salesforce roles ask if the candidate built any apps on their own time? I’ve interviewed Trailblazers who have designed and built their own dedicated job-hunting apps in the Trailhead Playground, using them to track applications, interviews, and job offers. If you find a candidate who can proactively identify a problem, then design and build the solution to that problem, then you know they can apply the concepts and lessons of Trailhead to real-world scenarios.
Ask your candidate:
- What are your favorite Trailhead modules and projects?
- Can you show me an app or object you’ve built in a hands-on challenge that you’re particularly proud of?
- Tell me about a time you’ve struggled getting a challenge to succeed.
- What strategies have you used to achieve success?
How a candidate responds to setbacks while learning is a great indicator of how they will perform when they face real-world challenges in a Salesforce role.
#2: They participate in the Trailblazer Community
Candidates who go to local Trailblazer Community Group Meetings, Trailblazer Community Conferences, and are active in the Trailblazer Community forum are usually excited about and committed to Salesforce both as a platform and a career path. These candidates use their own time to learn more and to network with others in the Trailblazer Community.
And since they’ve put in that networking time, they’ve also developed a built-in support system—people who can help them brainstorm and troubleshoot problems, all while giving them advice along their career journey. With so many of us now meeting online, there’s no physical limit to the groups that candidates can join anywhere, from their own backyard to the other side of the globe!
And while we’re talking about it, are YOU staying active in the Trailblazer Community?
If you are, you probably have a shortlist of passionate, talented, and motivated Trailblazers you’d love to have apply for your open Salesforce positions. The potential candidates you’ll connect with will probably be more interested in working with you if they know you’re equally as passionate as they are about the Salesforce ecosystem and their career potential.
Try getting involved with programs like Merivis and PepUp Tech, the places that brand new Trailblazers go for business and Salesforce training—and where you can build even better community connections.
You’ll find participants in these programs who focus their time and energy on skilling up and learning the platform through taking on real-world case studies and solving those problems. As they do this, they also develop strong networks and gain mentors who will help them find success in their careers.
#3: They have work experience outside of Salesforce that translates well
Many people (including me) landed in admin roles accidentally, without any previous technical experience. Some of us even managed this before the life-changing resource that is “learning on Trailhead” even existed!
No matter the details of a candidate’s work history, it’s likely they will have some past skills that will help them on their Salesforce career path. For example, those who’ve worked in customer-facing jobs, like bartenders, flight attendants, retail sales associates, and baristas are experienced in:
- the importance of being customer-centric
- anticipating client needs and proactively suggest improvements
- prioritizing requests and determining how they can deliver the most value
- learning from their experiences and working to improve quality
- problem-solving and genuinely wanting to enhance the over customer experience
Any and all of these skills translate perfectly to what’s needed to thrive in Salesforce roles.
As you interview candidates, focus on behavioral questions that will help you determine if they are customer-focused, proactive problem-solvers. For those candidates without specific Salesforce experience, find out more about their soft skills, learn about their motivation and drive, and let them show you how their past work can be applied to the role they’re interviewing for. If they’ve got the right attitude and core customer service mindset, Trailhead can help them do the rest.
Bonus: Pass or fail, they’ve at least attempted a certification
Not everyone is a great test-taker. We know that Salesforce Certifications are a fantastic way to prove platform knowledge, and gaining one or more shows a candidate’s level of commitment and willingness to take risks. That said, I know a few full-time #AwesomeAdmins who still struggle with passing certification exams.
There’s no reason that Trailblazers should let the fear of failing stop them from trying for certification. Embracing the fear and taking the exams shows that a candidate is willing to take risks. And that effort should be encouraged, even if it means several retakes.
In interviews, it’s always great to see someone with certifications on their resume, but I also get excited to talk to candidates who didn’t pass their Admin exam until attempt 2 or 3 or 4 (or they’re still working on that goal). That proves to me they’re not only persistent but also resilient in the face of setbacks and incredibly motivated.
When we push through challenges and keep trying, incorporating the feedback we’ve received, we learn even more. A tenacious candidate with perseverance and a growth mindset is exactly the kind of person I want to work with.
Hiring for Salesforce Roles:Change your thinking, find the best talent
So, when seeking new talent, don’t get stuck in a “3-5 years of Salesforce experience” mindset. Focus instead on these three valuable Trailblazing characteristics, and you’ll be able to find and work with the best, most well-rounded, motivated, and determined candidates (you can thank me later!).
