ASSESSMENT
A nationwide retailer wanted to strengthen its existing selection program for sales representatives. Even with application forms and testing in place, above average turnover was costing the stores hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in replacement costs. This retailer also wanted a sales force that more closely reflected its increasingly diverse customers.

ACTION
CMI proposed adding a behaviorally-focused structured interview to the selection process. CMI reviewed existing job-related information to find competencies required for success as a sales rep at the time of hire. Behavioral questions were drafted to tap these critical competencies. Hiring managers were trained to be effective interviewers, and were given standard criteria to score each candidates’ responses.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
After two years, groups of employees who were hired with and without the structured interview were examined. The results: the interviewed group showed less turnover and greater minority composition. In just two years, the company estimates the structured interviewing program saved $7 million in turnover-related costs alone!

This graph shows the percent of sales reps that were minorities and the annual rate of turnover for sales reps before and after the structured interview was added.