1.
How to Recruit
Sales Professionals
Glassdoor asked 1,000 sales professionals about their
job search plans and how they like to be recruited.
68%
plan to look
for a new job in
the next year
45%
plan to look
for a new job
in the next
three months
19%
have no plans
to look for
a new job at all
Top 5 Workplace Factors that
Would Cause Sales Professionals
to Leave Their Jobs:
1
2
3
Transparent about the pros & cons of different companies
Work as hard for me as they do employers
Knowledgeable about my experience
76%
64%
60%
5 Solid communication skills
6 Large network 33%
7 Not pushy 28%
8 Aggressive 12%
4 Someone with a strong understanding of the sales profession 55%
Top 3 Recruitment Tactics that Work!
Attributes of Recruiters Sales Professionals Most Value:
What works best when reaching sales professionals:
Feedback from Sales Professionals to Recruiters
If you’re looking to recruit, identify what attributes you can
compete on and message to those in the interview process.
Money Isn’t Everything
When sales professionals are making job decisions
they trust the following sources for more information:
97%
Friends 67%
Current work colleagues 51%
Family 40%
of sales professionals read
online reviews about a company
before accepting a job offer
86%
of sales professionals are more
likely to apply to a company that
a friend recommends
Previous work colleagues 58%
Online forums 43%
Online news sources & blogs 36%
Previous manager 30% Current manager 18%
Recruiters 14%
Bottom line: when recruiting sales professionals, your employer
brand reputation matters. Find out how to manage it with Glassdoor.
http://employers.glassdoor.com/
For complete Glassdoor methodology, contact pr@glassdoor.com
Hosted meetups offering the opportunity to speak
with other current sales professionals
Blog posts from sales professionals
that work at the company
10%
Social media outreach 49%
7%
53%
71%
are likely to accept
less money to work
at a company with
a great culture
are likely to accept less
money for the opportunity
to work at a company
selling something that is
particularly compelling
78%
Sales Professionals Share Job Search Plans
Average Tenure of Sales Professionals at One Company:
31%
13%
20%21%
12%
2% stay for more
than 5 years
stay on average
less than 1 year
stay on average
4-5 years
stay on average
3-4 years
stay on average
2-3 years
stay on average
1-2 years
“Understand
the impact corporate
culture has on whether
or not we are willing
to jump ship.”
“Ignore my age and focus
on my experience.”
“Don’t embellish the
job or the opportunities for
the position. Be honest and
forthright.”
“Balance responsibility to the
company with giving me the most
accurate information about the job.”
DOs
“Don’t pester me to call
you and then disappear.”
DONTs
“Try not to oversell the culture or
benefits. If you’re not rated one of
the highest it comes across like
they’re trying to hook you in when
you research and find out otherwise.”
When
are they most likely to jum
p
ship?
79% of men say they would
accept a lower compensation
package to sell something
compelling, compared to
73% of women.
52% of women say the
relationship with a direct
manager would cause them
to leave their current job,
compared to 43% of men.
Most Important Elements of the Compensation Plan Are:
Compensation Preferences Differ Among Genders
Commission
Company perks
(i.e. vacation time, office lunches, etc.)
Healthcare / medical benefits
Bonuses
Equity / company stock
62%
Base salary
50%
41%
33%
20%
94%
College/University professor or
other academic advisor 7%
How to Attract Top Talent
Men Women
Women in sales prioritize both healthcare and
company perks over commission.
Commission is the #2 priority for men in sales.
51% of female
sales professionals
want company perks,
compared to only
37% of male sales
professionals
What Influences Job Decisions
Women value a good relationship with their boss
more than company culture. Top factors for women:
21
2
3
Salary and compensation
Career growth opportunities
Company culture
65%
48%
4 Relationship with manager 46%
5 Senior leadership 38%
72%
How to Recruit
1 | Salary and compensation 72% (vs. 74% for men)
2 | Career growth 61% (vs. 68% for men)
3 | Relationship with manager/direct boss 52% (vs. 43% for men)
vs.
Healthcare / medical benefits
Equity / company stock
93%
21%
46%
97%
15%
56%
Commission68% 49%
Company perks37% 51%
Bonuses34% 32%
Base salary
Online job sites 75%
Friends 39%
Current co-workers 20%
Recruiters 51%
Social media 35%
Family 11%
Former co-workers 45%
Networking events 22%
Conferences 4%
How Sales Professionals Most Often Hear About Job Openings: