Technical capability is essential when hiring engineers and technical sales professionals. However, experience alone does not guarantee success in a role. Many hiring failures occur not because someone could not do the job, but because how they work did not align with the business, the team or the customer environment.
Behavioural assessment helps employers reduce this risk by providing insight beyond the CV and interview.
Why strong CVs do not always lead to strong hires
Most recruitment processes focus heavily on experience, qualifications and technical skill. While these are important, they only tell part of the story.
Employers often experience situations where technically capable hires struggle with customers, sales professionals fail to adapt to complex or consultative sales cycles, or engineers perform well individually but disrupt team dynamics. These issues are rarely visible at CV stage.
Research consistently highlights behavioural mismatch as a leading cause of hiring failure, particularly in specialist and customer-facing roles.
What behavioural assessment actually looks at
Behavioural assessment is not about personality labelling or theoretical profiling. It provides structured insight into how individuals are likely to behave in real working environments.
This includes how they communicate, how they approach problem-solving, how they respond under pressure, what motivates them, and how they interact with colleagues and customers. In technical sales and engineering roles, these factors often determine long-term success more than technical skill alone.
Why interviews alone are not enough
Interviews are subjective. Candidates naturally present themselves in the best possible light, and hiring managers may focus on areas they personally value rather than those that predict performance.
Behavioural assessment adds an objective layer to the hiring process. It helps validate interview impressions and highlights potential risks that may not surface through conversation alone.
Studies suggest that structured assessment improves hiring accuracy by up to 30 percent compared to interviews alone, particularly in specialist roles.
Supporting technical sales recruitment decisions
Technical sales professionals operate in complex environments. They need to build trust with customers, manage long sales cycles and balance commercial pressure with technical credibility.
Behavioural assessment helps identify whether candidates are likely to communicate effectively with different stakeholders, manage rejection and negotiation, adapt their style to customer needs, and work closely with engineering and service teams. This insight supports more confident hiring decisions and stronger post-hire performance.
Supporting engineering recruitment beyond technical skill
Engineering roles also benefit significantly from behavioural assessment. Technical ability does not guarantee effective collaboration, leadership or adaptability.
Behavioural insight helps employers understand how engineers approach autonomy, problem-solving and teamwork, and whether they are suited to customer-facing or leadership responsibilities. This is particularly valuable for senior engineers, field engineers and project-based roles.
Reducing early attrition and repeat hiring
Early attrition is costly and disruptive. Industry research regularly estimates that replacing a hire within the first year can cost between 20 and 30 percent of annual salary.
Behavioural misalignment is one of the most common causes of early exits. By identifying potential risks before an offer is made, behavioural assessment supports better retention and reduces the likelihood of repeat recruitment.
Combining behavioural assessment with salary benchmarking
Behavioural assessment is most effective when used alongside salary benchmarking and specialist recruitment. Salary benchmarking ensures candidates feel fairly rewarded, while behavioural assessment ensures they are genuinely suited to the role and environment.
Together, these tools improve hiring outcomes and long-term performance.
At Mase Consulting, behavioural assessment for final interview candidates can be integrated into our Retained and Ready-to-go models at no extra cost.
Speak to a specialist recruitment partner
If you want to reduce hiring risk and improve long-term performance in technical sales or engineering roles, behavioural assessment can play an important role. You can book a discovery call with us or speak directly to one of our consultants by calling +44 (0)161 870 5000 to discuss behavioural assessment and recruitment support.
