INTEREST CATEGORY: SELLING AND SALES MAN
POSTING TYPE: Calls: Journals

Author: Rebecca Dingus

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Journal of Selling

Special Issue Call for Papers

Deadline for Submissions: September 1, 2023

Hiring Collegiate Sales Talent: Recruiting, Supporting,
& Retaining the Next Generation of Sales Professionals

Guest Editors:

Rebecca Dingus (Ohio University) & Erin Gillespie (University of Northern Alabama)

Hiring collegiate sales talent is always challenging. Some students have the advantage of taking sales classes and ramping up faster.  However, sales roles continue to have high levels of turnover. Coupling that with the impact of “the great resignation,” the stakes for recruiting, selecting, and retaining high-quality sales talent have never been higher nor the market more competitive.

Sales students feel tremendous opportunity and immense pressure in choosing where to start their career. As many schools require sales experience for internship credit, sales students often receive multiple offers from their internships or while still taking classes. These offers are happening earlier and earlier in their collegiate career. No wonder they’re called Gen Ztressed! How can companies attract the best talent? How do these students choose? How can a university or sales program best support students as they make these decisions? And, what are today’s students truly seeking? What does it take to gain/keep their attention, and to retain them as a sales force? Do perks like on-site manicurists, laundry services, and unlimited popcorn, or slushies work?

This special issue aims to explore how current market trends, evolving organizational cultures, desires of sales-focused Gen Z’ers, and modern best practices for recruitment and retention intersect as a means of fueling the next generation of sales professionals. Papers might explore common job functions, salaries, perks, and placement information. Or, papers might identify the types of culture and support that will attract and retain students.

A variety of topics comprise the best practices of hiring and retaining collegiate sales talent for internships and full-time opportunities (as well as converting interns into full-timers), including but not limited to:

• Competitive compensation structures (including perks and types of contracts)
• Retention goals and strategies (Especially in the age of heightened job hopping, how do Gen Z’ers feel “impact” in their work? Do they need that? What will keep them in a role or at a company?)
• Development opportunities (training, professional development, career development, career trajectories)
• The evolving nature of the sales role and the workplace, and modern skills required for that
• Competing desires from Gen Z’ers for autonomy vs. community in organizational culture
• The evolution of workplace community, mentorship, support, and resources
• Accepting a job based on a company’s prestige, as a strong line on their resume helps in the next move
• Planning for the future sales force knowing how frequently Gen Z is likely to change roles
• New and evolving norms in 2022 (travel, entertainment in work and in recruitment, etc.)
• Interns vs. full-time differences (and conversion)

Contact information for the Special Issue Co-Editors:

Rebecca Dingus, Ph.D.
Ohio University
71 S. Court St.
Athens, OH 45701
(740) 593-2079
dingusr@ohio.edu

Erin Gillespie, Ph.D.
University of Northern Alabama
1 Harrison Plaza
Florence, AL 35632
(256) 765-4330
egillespie1@una.edu

Submission Information:

Each electronic submission should contain two Microsoft WORD files (no PDFs, please). The cover page document should include the title of the paper (upper/lower case), name, position, and complete contact information for each author. The other document should contain the manuscript without any author-identifying information. Journal of Selling manuscripts must contain a “managerial implications” section. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with Journal of Selling author guidelines:

https://www.cob.niu.edu/academics/marketing/certificates/journal-of-selling/contributions.shtml.

The Journal of Selling has three categories of manuscripts:

• Academic manuscripts use the traditional scientific approach for understanding sales phenomena with the goal to add to the body of knowledge supported by rigorous research methods.
• Application manuscripts focus on sharing cutting edge insight on marketplace behaviors, changes, benchmarks, etc. Theoretically sensible, the papers generally focus on an existing problem/opportunity and provide more information on current reality.
• Pedagogy manuscripts should illustrate a teaching/training improvement when using a certain idea/method/content/approach and contain empirical support. The importance of teaching and researching in this domain is vital in helping educators and trainers remain on the cutting edge of sales instruction. Case studies are now accepted as well.

Please submit papers directly to both guest editors at dingusr@ohio.edu and egillespie1@una.edu with the subject line: JS Special Issue Submission.