Ask VP candidates whom they'd hire, post says

A May 19 post on X by the account @TechSalesGuy told hiring managers to ask VP Sales candidates a simple question: which two or three people would they bring with them if hired. The post framed the answer as a test of whether a sales leader can attract proven talent, not just describe strategy. It also said missing that check can cost about $100,000 in recruiter fees on average. The thread circulated in sales-leadership circles on Tuesday and drew follow-up comments from the original poster. ### What exactly did the post tell employers to ask? The May 19 thread said companies should ask VP Sales candidates which “2-3 people” they would bring with them. The idea, as laid out in the post, was to measure the candidate’s network strength and ability to recruit former colleagues into a new organization. The @TechSalesGuy account presented the question as a practical screen for a senior sales hire. The thread’s examples and replies treated the answer as evidence of whether a candidate has built enough trust with past performers to assemble a team again. ### Why did the thread focus on a candidate’s network? The post tied the question to team-building speed. A VP Sales hire is often expected to recruit frontline managers, account executives or other early commercial leaders soon after joining, and the thread argued that prior relationships can shorten that process. Christian & Timbers, a sales-leadership recruiting firm, says companies choosing recruiters for VP of Sales roles should focus on “candidate network quality” and post-placement retention, alongside sector depth. Peak Sales Recruiting, in an older guide on VP of Sales recruiting, similarly frames recruiting strategy as a central part of the role. ### Where does the $100,000 figure come from? The thread itself said failing to test a candidate’s network can cost about $100,000 in recruiter fees on average. The post did not appear to include a public calculation in the search results reviewed for this story. (christianandtimbers.com) Executive-search pricing published by recruiting firms shows why the number can surface in VP-level hiring discussions. RevPilots said on May 15 that VP and executive searches often run 25% to 33% of first-year total compensation, while Talo says retainer fees for executive or specialized leadership roles typically run 25% to 35% of first-year salary. (peaksalesrecruiting.com) HireGen also says retained executive search firms generally charge 25% to 35% of total compensation. Those ranges can produce large fees when a VP Sales package includes base pay, bonus and equity, though the thread’s “about $100,000” figure remains the poster’s estimate rather than a disclosed invoice or industry standard. (revpilots.com) ### Is this a hiring rule or just one operator’s advice? The May 19 post was social-media advice, not a formal hiring standard. (hiregen.com) The thread did not cite a survey, a company policy or outside research showing that this question is widely used across VP Sales searches. Indeed’s career guide says headhunters are commonly used for director-level and above roles and are paid commissions when they fill a position, but it does not prescribe this kind of interview question. (revpilots.com) The X post is better read as a tactic circulating among sales operators than as a documented industry rule. ### What would a company check next if it used this advice? A hiring team that follows the thread’s approach would still need to verify names, roles and willingness to move. The post points to the candidate’s recruiting pull, but it does not replace reference checks, compensation work or a formal search process. The original thread remained live on X as of May 20 under the @TechSalesGuy handle, where readers could review the May 19 examples and follow-up comments from the poster. (indeed.com)