We’ve worked with the team at RMAX for well over a decade as they built out their sales team, placing nearly every one of RMAX’s sales representatives and sales managers. Even after Sika acquired them in 2017, the RMAX team retained the autonomy to continue using us as their primary recruitment firm. What first began as a steady hiring effort to build out their sales team pre-acquisition has evolved into a true partnership built on deep trust and understanding between our teams. 

For this particular placement, a sales manager was planning to retire after about seven years working at RMAX. They knew they needed to fill the Regional Sales Manager role he was leaving behind, so they brought us in to help find the right candidate. Because their company has so little turnover, they didn’t want to find a “quick fix.” They needed to make sure they were hiring the right person for the long-haul.

They had some specific requirements due to the regional nature of the role. First, we’d ideally find someone already living in either Denver or Southern California. “Travel” can mean very different things depending on where a salesperson is located. While road-tripping the Midwest is easy, traveling out West nearly always requires hopping on a flight. For RMAX, the perfect candidate would understand that nuance already. 

Experience-wise, they had two main qualifiers: a building envelope background, specifically in the commercial space, and experience managing a geographically spread-out team. 

Lastly—and most intangibly—they wanted someone who could bring infectious energy to the team while lending a fresh perspective, regardless of the candidate’s age. Unlike many other qualifiers, this isn’t something easily discernable from a resume. Our team called many candidates, trying to rapidly evaluate whether each one fit the bill. 

We presented them with candidates who had a wide variety of work histories that could work for this role. This included people who’d managed a team for a couple years, some who were earlier in their management career, and a few with lengthier tenures managing people. Our recruiters were also diligent in where they sourced talent from: a few candidates came from direct competitors, and others from adjacent categories within the industry. 

Overall, we spoke to ~30 qualified candidates, presenting five to the hiring team who were qualified, interested, and had the right “soft skills” for the role. 

They ultimately hired a candidate we already had in our talent database. She originally submitted her resume through our website without applying for a specific position and was intrigued when we reached out about this particular opportunity a year later. 

While some other candidates had longer management tenures, the candidate they ultimately hired had the personality, outlook, and energy level that exactly matched what the hiring team envisioned for this role. She also brought an impressive sales background; for them, it wasn’t just about finding someone who’s passionate about what they sell. They also wanted to find someone able to turn that passion into a persuasive story to sell it. After interviewing her, it quickly became clear she was the right choice.

The candidate we placed in this role continues to be an excellent asset to the sales team, bringing the energy they hoped to find alongside the knowledge and experience they needed someone in this role to have. 

We continue to have a great relationship with the hiring team at RMAX, on average making around three placements per year with their team. Many of the people we’ve placed have stayed and grown into leadership positions throughout their time at the company. We also continue doing some work with their parent company, Sika, acting as a supplemental resource for their internal hiring team.

Experience a faster, smarter, smoother search.

CONTACT US ▶