Having recruited Mid Senior New Business Sales Executives for tens of FinTech companies, here’s what we think is the most performant interview process. It balances candidate experience with hiring team time, while still ensuring sales quality and cultural fit:
1. 30 Minutes with a Recruiter
This stage is about giving candidates insight into the company, ensuring salary alignment, confirming genuine interest, and shortlisting the top 3–5 candidates.
2. 1 Hour with the Hiring Manager
The Hiring Manager should lead this by showcasing the team, product, culture, and role. They should be open about the company’s revenue and performance metrics, and also the team’s individual success.
This is followed by performance-based questions. Great salespeople should confidently discuss KPIs, closed deals, sales process, approach, and methodology. This stage is also crucial for building rapport between the candidate and potential manager.
3. 1 Hour Product Demo & Peer Q&A
This often-missed step is essential in FinTech hiring. The candidate watches a live product demo delivered by a peer-level Sales Exec.
This reduces early churn many Sales Execs leave quickly after discovering the product isn’t market-fit or lags behind competitors. A live demo gives real insight, and speaking with someone already in the role adds authenticity.
Bonus: Candidates selling competitor solutions can give real-time product feedback. This feedback can go straight to the Product team post-demo.
4. Final 1-Hour Interview with Hiring Manager + Senior Sales Leader (e.g., Head of Sales or CRO)
If the candidate is aligned on the role and product after the earlier stages, this final session should focus on two things:
- Their 30-60-90 day plan
- Cultural fit within the sales org and wider firm
Allow 10–15 minutes at the end for candidate questions this helps them decide if they’d be happy to accept an offer if extended.
Important Considerations
- Red Flags: If a candidate struggles to clearly outline achievements from the last 3 years including who they signed and how it’s a red flag. Sadly, it’s common.
- Interview Training: Hiring Managers and panel members should be trained on how to conduct interviews effectively. Include both technical and behavioural criteria aligned to company values. Use frameworks, structured questions, and scoring systems to reduce bias.
- Block Interview Time Weekly: Hiring managers should block out 3–4 hours at the start of the hiring process. This time should be shared with internal stakeholders and used consistently.
- Two-Way Product Demo: The demo should be a dialogue, not just a presentation. Candidates should be encouraged to give opinions, take notes, and ask insightful questions — a key signal of a strong salesperson.
- Empower the Team to Say No: If anyone on the hiring team has serious doubts, they should be empowered to reject the candidate without needing consensus.
Need Help?
If you’d like to optimise your FinTech Sales recruitment process or get a curated list of great interview questions for Sales Executives feel free to reach out:
📧 mike@volition.work
