CASE STUDIES
Two businesses. One lesson: interviews are not enough.
Park Avenue and Highfield explain how the SPQ*GOLD sales test added objective evidence to sales hiring decisions—and why both businesses continue to use it.
CASE STUDY 1 · PARK AVENUE RECRUITMENT
From hiring on instinct to building a team of nearly 25
Park Avenue wanted a more structured way to judge whether graduate candidates would genuinely be comfortable with the sales demands of recruitment—not simply interview well.
5 years
A continuing working partnership.
Every hire
SPQ*GOLD used in every hiring decision.
Nearly 25 people
Growth from a small team.
THE CHALLENGE
Interview performance was not enough
Park Avenue first came to Paul Waters Associates through The Recruitment Network. The business needed evidence about the real sales demands of the role that CVs, confident answers and instinct alone could not provide.
THE RELATIONSHIP
Used for every hire—without subscription or pressure
Across five years, Park Avenue built SPQ*GOLD into its recruitment process while retaining complete freedom to use the service when it added value. Ella describes the relationship as “absolutely transformative”.
“We don’t have to carry on using them, but we want to.”
Ella Lamport, Co-Founder, Park Avenue Recruitment
THE OUTCOME
Better evidence in every hiring decision
The assessment identifies what requires closer examination, while PWA’s interpretation turns the evidence into targeted questions, watch-fors and practical onboarding actions.
Watch the complete 4:46 Ella Lamport interview
CASE STUDY 2 · HIGHFIELD PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS / DATAX CONNECT
How Highfield stopped guessing on sales talent—and started keeping the people it hired
The business interviewed carefully and hired for values. The missing evidence was whether an impressive candidate genuinely had the sales edge, resilience and consistency the role required.
5+ years
Continuous use since November 2020.
45 people
Across two specialist recruitment businesses.
Every final-stage hire
Assessed before the panel meets.
THE CHALLENGE
Interviews were missing genuine sales capability
Some new-to-recruitment hires fitted the culture and values but could not sustain the consistent sales activity the role demanded. The gap became clear only after the cost of the hire had already been incurred.
THE SOLUTION
Data before the final interview
Every candidate now completes SPQ*GOLD before meeting the final panel. The report and focused questions help interviewers pressurise the specific concerns identified by the evidence.
THE OUTCOME
Better-informed hiring and stronger retention
Highfield can now examine sales resilience before making the hire instead of discovering a mismatch during the first six months. Liam says the additional filter has definitely contributed to improved staff retention.
“You don’t just get the report. You get access to Dom’s brain.”
Liam Thomas, Founder, Highfield Professional Solutions / DataX Connect
Watch four more Highfield case-study clips
Report plus real support
Follow successful outcomes
More than test results
A family-business reputation
The shared lesson: an impressive interview is not evidence that someone will sustain the work of selling.
SPQ*GOLD adds role-relevant evidence before the cost of a mismatch appears after the hire.
