Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring Top Sales Operations Managers

The Sales Operations Manager role serves as the backbone of a high-performing sales organization. This critical position bridges the gap between strategic business objectives and tactical sales execution, requiring a unique blend of analytical prowess, process optimization skills, and cross-functional collaboration abilities. Finding the right candidate who can truly drive sales efficiency and effectiveness can be challenging when relying solely on traditional interviews.

Work sample exercises provide a window into how candidates actually approach the core responsibilities of the role. Rather than asking hypothetical questions about how they might handle a situation, these exercises allow you to observe candidates demonstrating their skills in realistic scenarios. For Sales Operations Managers, whose work directly impacts revenue generation and sales team productivity, seeing their problem-solving approach in action is invaluable.

The best Sales Operations candidates possess both technical capabilities and soft skills that enable them to influence without authority. They must analyze complex data sets, identify actionable insights, and communicate those findings effectively to stakeholders across the organization. Work samples help you evaluate these multifaceted skills in context.

By incorporating the following exercises into your interview process, you'll be able to differentiate between candidates who simply talk about their abilities and those who can actually deliver results. These exercises are designed to reveal how candidates think, how they approach problems, and how they collaborate—all critical factors for success in a Sales Operations role.

Activity #1: CRM System Optimization Analysis

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to identify inefficiencies in CRM usage and recommend practical improvements. A successful Sales Operations Manager must be able to optimize CRM systems to ensure data accuracy, streamline workflows, and provide valuable insights to the sales team. This activity tests their technical knowledge of CRM platforms as well as their strategic thinking about how these systems should support sales processes.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a sanitized screenshot or mock-up of a CRM dashboard (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.) with intentional inefficiencies such as:
• Redundant fields
• Missing key data points
• Inefficient workflow steps
• Poorly designed reports
• Create a brief document describing current pain points reported by the sales team (e.g., "Reps spend too much time entering data," "Managers can't easily track pipeline movement")
• Allow 45-60 minutes for this exercise
• Provide the candidate with access to a computer with standard office software

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided CRM screenshots and sales team feedback
• Identify at least 3-5 specific inefficiencies in the current CRM setup
• Create a prioritized list of recommended improvements, including:
• What specific changes should be made
• How these changes would benefit the sales team
• How you would measure the success of these improvements
• Prepare a brief (5-10 minute) presentation of your findings and recommendations
• Be prepared to explain your reasoning and answer questions about your approach

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide one piece of positive feedback about an aspect of their analysis that was particularly insightful
• Offer one constructive suggestion about an area they may have overlooked or a recommendation that might be challenging to implement
• Give the candidate 5-10 minutes to revise one of their recommendations based on your feedback
• Observe how receptive they are to feedback and how effectively they incorporate it into their thinking

Activity #2: Sales Performance Data Analysis

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to analyze sales data, identify meaningful patterns, and translate those insights into actionable recommendations. A strong Sales Operations Manager must be able to go beyond basic reporting to deliver insights that drive strategic decisions. This activity tests their analytical skills, attention to detail, and ability to communicate complex data in a clear, compelling way.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a mock sales performance dataset (in Excel or similar format) that includes:
• Sales by rep, region, product line, etc.
• Win/loss rates
• Sales cycle length
• Pipeline conversion rates
• Year-over-year or quarter-over-quarter comparisons
• Include some anomalies or concerning trends that aren't immediately obvious
• Provide a brief context about the company's sales goals and current challenges
• Allow 60-75 minutes for this exercise
• Ensure the candidate has access to Excel, Google Sheets, or similar tools

Directions for the Candidate:

• Analyze the provided sales performance data
• Identify key trends, patterns, and areas of concern
• Create 2-3 visualizations (charts, graphs) that highlight the most important insights
• Develop 3-5 specific, data-driven recommendations to improve sales performance
• Prepare a brief presentation (10 minutes maximum) explaining:
• What the data reveals about current sales performance
• Which metrics are most concerning or promising
• What specific actions the sales leadership team should take based on your analysis
• How you would track the impact of your recommendations

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of their analysis or presentation that demonstrated strong analytical thinking
• Offer one suggestion about how they could make their data presentation more impactful or their recommendations more actionable
• Ask the candidate to revise one of their visualizations or recommendations based on your feedback
• Evaluate their ability to quickly incorporate feedback and improve their work

Activity #3: Sales Process Optimization Role Play

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to collaborate with sales leadership to identify and address process inefficiencies. Successful Sales Operations Managers must be able to partner effectively with sales leaders, understand their challenges, and develop solutions that balance efficiency with practical implementation. This role play tests their communication skills, problem-solving approach, and ability to influence without direct authority.

Directions for the Company:

• Assign someone to play the role of a frustrated Sales Director who believes the current sales process has too many steps and is slowing down deals
• Provide the candidate with:
• A diagram of your current (or a fictional) sales process workflow
• Basic conversion metrics for each stage
• Common complaints from the sales team
• Allow 15 minutes for preparation and 20-30 minutes for the role play
• The person playing the Sales Director should be somewhat resistant to change but open to logical arguments

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the sales process documentation and prepare for a meeting with the Sales Director
• During the role play:
• Ask clarifying questions to understand the Sales Director's specific pain points
• Discuss which parts of the process are most problematic
• Suggest 2-3 specific process improvements that would address the concerns while maintaining necessary controls
• Explain how you would measure the impact of these changes
• Gain buy-in for your proposed approach
• Be prepared to handle objections and negotiate compromises

Feedback Mechanism:

• The person playing the Sales Director should provide feedback on:
• One aspect of the candidate's communication that was particularly effective
• One area where the candidate could have been more persuasive or responsive
• Give the candidate 5-10 minutes to reflect and then redo a portion of the conversation incorporating the feedback
• Evaluate how well they adapt their approach and whether they demonstrate improved effectiveness

Activity #4: Cross-Departmental Collaboration Exercise

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to work effectively across departments to solve complex sales operations challenges. A successful Sales Operations Manager must collaborate with marketing, finance, product, and other teams to align strategies and implement solutions. This activity tests their collaborative mindset, communication skills, and ability to navigate competing priorities.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario involving a cross-departmental challenge, such as:
• Implementing a new lead scoring system that affects both sales and marketing
• Revising sales compensation plans in collaboration with finance
• Developing a new product launch process with product management
• Assign 2-3 team members to play roles from different departments, each with their own priorities and concerns
• Provide the candidate with background information on the challenge and stakeholder perspectives
• Allow 15-20 minutes for preparation and 30-40 minutes for the exercise

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the scenario and prepare for a cross-departmental meeting
• Your goal is to facilitate a productive discussion that leads to an agreed-upon solution
• During the meeting:
• Clearly articulate the challenge from a sales operations perspective
• Actively listen to each stakeholder's concerns and priorities
• Identify areas of alignment and potential compromise
• Guide the group toward a solution that addresses the core needs of each department
• Establish clear next steps and responsibilities
• Be prepared to handle disagreements and keep the discussion focused and productive

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the exercise, each participant should provide:
• One observation about how effectively the candidate facilitated collaboration
• One suggestion for how the candidate could have better addressed their department's concerns
• Give the candidate 5-10 minutes to reflect on the feedback
• Ask them to explain how they would approach a similar situation differently in the future based on what they learned
• Evaluate their self-awareness and ability to incorporate multiple perspectives

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work sample exercises?

Each exercise requires different time commitments. The CRM Optimization and Data Analysis exercises typically need 60-75 minutes, while the role plays and collaboration exercises require 45-60 minutes including preparation time. We recommend spreading these across different interview stages rather than attempting all in one day.

Should we use our actual company data for these exercises?

While using real data creates authenticity, we recommend creating sanitized or modified versions of your actual data to protect confidentiality. The key is ensuring the data contains enough complexity and patterns to make the exercise meaningful while removing any sensitive information.

What if a candidate doesn't have experience with our specific CRM system?

Focus on evaluating their approach and thinking process rather than specific technical knowledge. A strong candidate should be able to demonstrate system-agnostic principles of CRM optimization and data analysis. Consider providing a brief overview of your system's key features before beginning the exercise.

How should we evaluate candidates who take different approaches to the same exercise?

Create a rubric with key criteria for each exercise before you begin interviewing. This might include factors like analytical rigor, clarity of communication, practicality of recommendations, and responsiveness to feedback. This ensures you're evaluating candidates consistently while still allowing for different but equally valid approaches.

How can we make these exercises fair for remote candidates?

These exercises can be adapted for remote interviews using video conferencing and screen sharing. Provide materials in advance when possible, use collaborative tools like Google Sheets or Miro for real-time work, and ensure role plays are conducted with clear audio. The principles remain the same whether conducted in-person or remotely.

Should we compensate candidates for completing these work samples?

For exercises requiring significant time investment, especially those completed outside the interview process, offering compensation demonstrates respect for candidates' time and expertise. For exercises completed during interview sessions, clear communication about time expectations is usually sufficient.

The Sales Operations Manager role is pivotal to sales team success, serving as the bridge between strategic vision and tactical execution. By incorporating these work sample exercises into your hiring process, you'll gain deeper insights into candidates' abilities to analyze data, optimize processes, and collaborate effectively across your organization.

Remember that the best candidates will not only demonstrate technical proficiency but also show adaptability, strategic thinking, and excellent communication skills. These exercises are designed to reveal those qualities in action, helping you identify the Sales Operations Manager who will truly drive your sales organization forward.

For more resources to enhance your hiring process, check out our AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator. You can also view the complete Sales Operations Manager job description that inspired these work samples.

Build a complete interview guide for this role by signing up for a free Yardstick account at yardstick.team/sign-up