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How to source and shortlist {role_name}

Hiring guide

About {role_name}

Job description

Source and shortlist candidates

Structured interview

Progression and salary

Where can you find qualified {role_name}?

Finding top Acquisition Managers requires a mix of online sourcing, networking, and role-specific platforms.

A. Professional Networks:

  • LinkedIn – Search by title variations like Acquisition Manager, Sales Manager, Business Development Executive.
  • XING – Popular in European & Middle Eastern markets.
  • Meetup – Sales, networking, and industry-specific events.

B. Educational Institutions:

  • MBA programs from leading business schools (Harvard, INSEAD, IIMs, London Business School).
  • Alumni networks of universities with strong sales & marketing programs.

C. Company Career Pages:

  • Competitor websites – Monitor sales and acquisition-related openings.
  • Partner and vendor company career portals.

D. Role-Specific Job Boards:

  • SalesGravy – Dedicated to sales professionals.
  • Rainmakers – Focused on sales hiring.

E. Geography-Specific Job Boards:

US

  • Indeed USA
  • Glassdoor
  • SalesHead

India

  • Naukri
  • TimesJobs
  • Shine

UAE & KSA

  • Bayt
  • GulfTalent
  • Naukrigulf

Remote Positions

  • We Work Remotely
  • FlexJobs
  • Remote.co

What are the best practices for headhunting {role_name}?

  • Target Competitor Sales Teams – Approach high performers from companies in your target industry.
  • Use LinkedIn Boolean Search – Example: ("Acquisition Manager" OR "Sales Manager" OR "Business Development Manager") AND ("technology" OR "finance") AND ("UAE" OR "KSA").
  • Leverage Referrals – Ask existing employees or network connections for warm introductions.
  • Personalized Outreach – Reference a candidate’s achievements in your first message to increase response rate.
  • Engage in Industry Events/Webinars – Build relationships before pitching roles.

"Find Talent Quickly" – Leverage Headhunting and Referrals

Learn More  ->Get a demo

How to shortlist candidates?

Once you have started to get applications from applicants, a thorough screening process and shortlisting of prospects will help you make the most of your time spent with the most qualified ones. 

Automated shortlisting tools :

Automated screening quickly filters out unqualified candidates, saving time for manual review. This allows the manual process to focus on the most promising candidates, ensuring the best ones are considered for further evaluation.

Screening questions to auto-shortlist based on predefined criteria

like qualifications, location, experience, and skills. Either use job board or use an ATS such as whitecarrot. Here are some questions for {role_name}

  • Experience – “How many years of experience do you have in acquisition strategy or B2B sales?”
    • Auto-reject if less than 3 years.
  • Relevant Skills – “How many years of experience do you have in financial analysis for sales deals?”
    • Auto-reject if less than 2 years.
  • Location – “Are you located in [City/Country] or open to relocation/remote work?”
    • Auto-reject if answer is “No” and relocation not possible.

Skill based question to auto shortlist candidate

Analyze the skill test data to automatically shortlist top-performing applicants. (recommended screening test time - 15 minutes). Here are some skill test questions for {role_name}

Acquisition Strategies

Ability to create targeted plans to acquire new clients.

  1. Which is the first step in building a client acquisition strategy
    • a) Closing the deal
    • b) Understanding target market ✅
    • c) Negotiating prices
    • d) Sending proposals
  2. Which acquisition strategy works best for high-value B2B deals?
    • a) Mass cold calling
    • b) Personalized outreach ✅
    • c) Discount offers
    • d) Trade fair participation onl
  3. What is a common KPI to measure acquisition success?
    • a) Website page views
    • b) Number of client meetings ✅
    • c) Internal HR referrals

Negotiation

Ability to reach mutually beneficial agreements.

  1. The best negotiation outcome is:
    • a) Win-lose
    • b) Lose-win
    • c) Win-win ✅
    • d) Win at all costs
  2. In negotiation, “BATNA” stands for:
    • a) Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement ✅
    • b) Business Agreement to New Acquisitions
    • c) Best Agreement to Negotiation Advantage
    • d) Buyer Agreement to New Arrangement
  3. A good negotiation preparation step includes:
    • a) Ignoring competitor pricing
    • b) Researching the client’s needs ✅
    • c) Offering the highest price first
    • d) Avoiding discussion of terms

Financial Analysis

Ability to analyze potential deal profitability.

  1. Which metric indicates profitability from a deal?
    • a) ROI ✅
    • b) CTR
    • c) Conversion rate
    • d) Bounce rate
  2. What’s the purpose of a break-even analysis?
    • a) To find the point where revenue equals costs ✅
    • b) To compare sales team performance
    • c) To increase acquisition leads
    • d) To review market size
  3. Which financial document helps assess client payment reliability?
    • a) Balance sheet ✅
    • b) Employee roster
    • c) Marketing plan
    • d) Sales script

Note - Auto reject candidates if scores less than 70% in this section

One way video interview

Recruitment Bullet

Use tools like hirevue, whitecarrot.io to ask candidates pre-recorded questions about their experience and skills.

Recruitment Bullet

Use sample question given in scorecard.

Collect other information 

Recruitment Bullet

Collect data from shortlisted candidates, such as salary expectations and visa status.

"Shortlist in Seconds" – Use our CV scoring feature to get top candidate recommendation

Learn More  ->Get a demo

Manual candidate profile shortlisting:

Recruitment Bullet

Thoroughly review the CVs of the top scoring candidates from the automated process

Recruitment Bullet

Look for evidence of the required skills, experience, and achievements

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Review the candidate’s portfolio or GitHub repositories to see examples of their work.

Schedule recruiter calls with the candidate

Recruitment Bullet

Use a tool like calendly or whitecarrot to allow candidates to self-schedule calls based on your availability

Recruitment Bullet

Confirm the call details (date, time, dial-in info) with the candidate via email

What questions to ask in the recruiter phone screen?

Recruitment Bullet

 Use scorecard for rating candidates for recruiter

Recruitment Bullet

Sample scorecard : 

Criteria Sample Question Rating (1–5)
Communication Skills "Tell us about a challenging client you successfully acquired."
Negotiation Skills "Describe a time you secured a deal despite initial pushback."
Market Knowledge "What acquisition strategies work best in [industry]?"
Financial Acumen "How do you assess whether a deal is profitable?"
Cultural Fit "What motivates you to stay long-term with a company?"
Recruitment Bullet

Check for consistency in responses from the candidates.

Recruitment Bullet

Record such scorecards in an ATS like whitecarrot or use google doc

Frequently Asked Questions?

Most common skills to look for in an Acquisition Manager?

Negotiation, acquisition strategy, market research, financial analysis, client relationship management.

How do I keep Acquisition Manager candidates engaged during sourcing and shortlisting?

Provide timely feedback, share role-specific achievements they can expect, and keep communication personalized.

How can I assess cultural fit during shortlisting?

Use scenario-based questions in one-way interviews that reveal values and work style. Example: “How would you handle a client request that conflicts with company policy?”

Hiring guide

About {role_name}

Job description

Source and shortlist candidates

Structured interview

Progression and salary