Craft Technology Recruitment

“I need a Sales Engineer who can truly sell value.” We hear this a lot — but what does it mean in practical terms? It means you need an SE who doesn’t just demo features, but focuses on the outcomes that matter to your customer. But what are the steps you can include in your interview process, to find these SEs? Here’s 3 ideas for testing value-selling skills: 1️⃣ Role-Play Scenario: Ask them to give you a 10-minute demo of a product (real or hypothetical). Understand if they: • Uncover your needs. • Focus on solving your problem, not just showing features. 2️⃣ Past Experience: Ask: “Can you share an example where you helped a customer achieve a meaningful business result?” Look for a clear narrative where they: • Identified customer pain and tied it to a solution.   • Demonstrate how focusing on impact closed the deal 3️⃣ Insightful Questions: Ask: “What questions would you ask to understand a customer’s pain points?” Dig deeper with follow-ups like: • “How do you ensure your questions uncover the customer’s real challenges, not just surface-level issues?” • “Give me an example of a time when your discovery questions revealed something unexpected.” A true value-selling Sales Engineer doesn’t just help you win deals — they help you build trust. Finding them is key.

Around 2 years ago, we placed a very high-potential Sales Engineer with our client — let’s call her Rachel. She was everything you’d want in an SE: ➡️ Technically sharp ➡️Great communicator ➡️Always curious ➡️Customers naturally trusted her Rachel hit the ground running, and the client loved her. But in a catch-up with her recently, the enthusiasm in her voice had changed. She sounded tired. Her typical week this year? ◾ 45-55+ hours worked ◾ 7-9 demos, up to half of them unqualified ◾ Supporting not just Sales, but also Product, Marketing and Customer Success She was stretched across the entire funnel. And the industry statistics back it up: 🔺 22% of Sales Engineers report feeling burned out. 🔺Just a 10% rise in unqualified demos adds 4 extra hours to the workweek. 🔺 30% of demos happening with unqualified prospects is still the industry average. Instead of strategic consulting and technical problem-solving—the work she loved—she often spent her time firefighting. Her motivation faded, and burnout crept in.  Rachel confided she’d been close to quitting. But thankfully her company had made a change this quarter: ✅ They were qualifiying prospects in more depth to protect her time. ✅ Automation of the more repetitive demos had begun, giving her more time for high-impact work. ✅ The company recognised the strain of wearing so many hats, and had hired additional head count. Rachel got her spark back. She’s feeling valued, and is enjoying having the impact she always wanted. Burnout doesn’t come from doing too much—it comes from doing too much of the wrong thing. If you want to retain your best Sales Engineers, you need to: ➡️ Protect their time ➡️ Give them the tools to be effective ➡️ Recognise their value and support their growth Rachel’s story ended well—but it doesn’t always turn out this way. Is your PreSales team thriving, or close to burn-out?

Are you thinking about a Career in PreSales? Here’s the thing: getting into PreSales doesn’t happen by luck. You need a plan and the right approach. We've helped lots of candidates land their first PreSales job — and I can see why so many people want to be a Sales Engineer. You get to mix tech skills with sales, solve real problems, and often be in demand with employers. If you’re currently thinking about PreSales, here are 5 simple tips to help: 1️⃣ Not All Sales Engineering Roles Are Created Equal Some roles are more about communication and presentation (think low-code/no-code SaaS tools). Others demand deep technical expertise (like engineering tools and complex integrations).  What suits your experience, and what are you most passionate about? 2️⃣ There’s No Linear Path to Sales Engineering Unlike other sales roles, there’s no single entry point. Many SEs come from tech support, customer success, or professional services. 3️⃣ It’s More Than Just Demos Doing endless demos is a common misconception about PreSales.  SEs are the glue holding the sales process together — understanding customer needs, solving challenges, and making sure everything works seamlessly. 4️⃣ Pre-Sales Offers Stability and Great Pay With 70–80% of pay often guaranteed, SEs can often enjoy steady income compared to Account Execs who rely more heavily on commission. 5️⃣ Your Network and Skills Matter Want to get into pre-sales? Connect with people in the field, join pre-sales communities, and keep working on both your technical and communication skills.  🔑 Continuous learning is a huge part of being successful in the world of PreSales! Thinking about taking the leap? What excites you about this career path? Comment below or message myself or (Ginevra Zabeo) if you would like any tips or guidance!

⚠ Role Alert ⚠ We are excited to share this exciting new opportunity to join a global leading cybersecurity software vendor. 🚀 Our client is looking for an Overlay Solutions Engineer to support them with their most complex deals in Benelux. 🌍🌎 Make sure to reach out if you want to learn more or if you know anyone that could be interested! ☎️📱

Sales Engineers - how are you continually developing your technical knowledge?  And would it be helpful to know what tech skills are going to give you the best career opportunities in 2024 and beyond? Alongside the obvious (Cloud Certs, common DevOps tooling, GenAI etc.) - we’re seeing a big increase from our clients in the following: - APIs: Hands-on experience with tools like Postman is increasingly an essential skill for many SE roles.  If you're not already playing around with APIs, now's the time! - Scripting: Python continues to dominate client requests for scripting languages (due to the increase in automation), but JavaScript and PowerShell will also be helpful for your all round employability. - Microservices Understanding: Knowledge of containerisation and microservices architecture will help you explain the benefits of scalable application development - which is continuing to grow as a hot topic for customers. What else are you seeing in job descriptions or your customer environments?  And if you have any skills / tips to share please do comment below.

Is being "Bias" just a human thing? Apparently not anymore... A recent IBM survey reveals that 42% of companies now use AI screening in recruiting.  While the goal is increased efficiency, results show serious fairness issues: - AI tools may inadvertently favor certain demographics, unfairly rejecting diverse candidates. - Problems range from ageism to hobby-based favoritism. In one case, simply changing a birthdate led to an interview and job offer, exposing a major flaw. Using AI to streamline hiring is one thing, but if it creates more barriers than opportunities, is it truly beneficial? Check the article below if you want to learn more about how AI can impact discrimination in hiring processes👇

As H1 draws to a close, it's the perfect moment to reflect and recalibrate for the rest of 2024. Looking back at the Presales landscape, we've seen significant shifts: Key H1 trends: 💠 AI-powered demo environments gaining traction. 💠 Shift towards value-based selling over feature-focused pitches. 💠 Increased demand for industry-specific solution expertise. What's working: 💠 Personalized POC driving higher conversion rates. 💠 Virtual reality demos breaking geographical barriers. Challenges: 💠 Longer sales cycles due to economic caution. 💠 Rising competition in cloud-based solutions. What are your reflections on H1? Let us know in the comments!

Self assessments and candidates' feedback are a powerful way to improve your hiring processes.   Asking the right questions can help you identify areas that needs refreshing. Here are the top 5 questions to ask about your hiring 👇 1- What Do Our Hiring Demographics Look Like?  – Analyze the diversity of your applicants, interviewees, and new hires. Are there any noticeable disparities? 2 - Are Our Job Descriptions Inclusive?  - Review job descriptions for biased language. Are we focusing on necessary skills and qualifications that don’t exclude diverse candidates? 3 - Is Our Screening Process Fair?  - Evaluate your screening criteria and interview questions. Are they standardised to minimize bias? Consider using blind recruitment techniques. 4 - Do We Have Diverse Interview Panels?  - Ensure interview panels include diverse members. Are we bringing in multiple perspectives to reduce bias? 5 - Are We Gathering and Acting on Feedback?  Solicit feedback from candidates about their experience. Are we using this feedback to continuously improve our hiring process? I would love to hear how you constantly improve your hiring process in your organization. Share it in the comments below! 

Is an AI-driven privacy 'nightmare' on the horizon? The recent controversy around Microsoft's Recall feature, has sparked lots of debate around privacy and security The feature which takes screenshots of your laptop every few seconds, is being referred to as a potential privacy and security disaster. A further clear example of the need to not get carried away with AI in my opinion, as there are so many tough questions that still need to be answered. Article in the comments :)