Industry Spotlights

It may come as no surprise that when it comes to choosing their next role, money matters most to candidates in the sales industry. Although this has not changed in the past five years, some factors have increased in importance and others have moved down the ranks. 

Sales candidates place significantly more importance on salary and compensation than those in other industries and it remains the top driver of attraction for 18.2% of respondents. In addition to base salary, compensation such as a company car or car allowance, bonus or profit-share opportunities and an attractive commission are strong motivators.

Work-life balance now ranks second for sales candidates, moving up one place on the list of key drivers since 2012. In comparison to other industries, candidates in sales may be less likely to seek compensation for overtime or to choose part time roles and therefore they may value flexibility as a means of helping them achieve work-life balance.

“Traditional talent pools are shrinking, particularly for more mature B2B industries and we are seeing more and more blue-chip brands struggle to attract top sales talent. Top candidates have more options. Companies therefore need to work on their employee value proposition and understand they are competing for talent. It’s simple supply and demand.” - Ben Maurer, Manager, Six Degrees Executive

Career development is now the third most important factor, slipping one place since 2012. While promotion opportunities are seen as a ‘must have’ for one in three candidates, candidates in this industry are significantly less likely than other industries to be looking for on-the-job or external training opportunities.

With the focus on career development becoming less important, other drivers that were lower on the list in 2012 have become more influential. Working environment, for example, has moved up two spots to number six. The growing sophistication of the internet and access to information may help explain this as it has enabled candidates to become more aware of factors such as work environment and culture when considering a new company to work for. 

Colleagues/co-workers have also become more important to sales candidates since 2012, relative to other drivers, moving up one place to number 10. However, as sales roles often require travel, competitive targets and closer relationships with clients than co-workers, colleagues/co-workers is a significantly lower driver for sales candidates than those in the total sample group (2.8% vs 4% total). 

Although they remain lower ranked drivers, management quality and a company’s reputation, size and market position are significantly more important to candidates in the sales industry than those in the total group. Therefore, it may pay to give slightly more focus to these as key selling points.

About this research: The data points referred to on this page are drawn from the SEEK Laws of Attraction survey. For more information about the SEEK Laws of Attraction survey and the terms and conditions governing the use of this data, click here.