UK Sales hiring picks up 11%, but it's spread thin
3,501 roles are open across 1,615 companies, and no single employer holds much ground. Two of the bigger names, Gartner and Salesforce, are actually posting fewer new roles than last month.
of open roles are at employers on the UK Home Office sponsor register. Gartner, Amazon, Salesforce and Capgemini are on the list.
UK sponsor register, matched by employeris what the typical role asks for. 15% ask for 10 years or more.
41% of open roles state years1,292 new roles in the last 30 days, against 1,169 the 30 days before, at the same companies.
Companies read for 60 days or moreThis week's read
Sales hiring in the UK is up. New postings rose 11% over the last 30 days, and the weekly pace has stayed close to its recent peak, 358 new roles in the week of 26 October against a peak of 365 the week before. For a job seeker, that means more roles are appearing each week than a month ago.
But don't expect one or two companies to explain the growth. The top 8 employers on the list, including Gartner, Amazon, Salesforce and Capgemini, together hold only 7% of all open roles. That tells you this market is spread across many companies rather than concentrated in a few big hirers, so it pays to look beyond the famous names.
In fact, some of the biggest names are slowing down. Gartner has 52 open roles but its new postings fell 32% compared with the month before. Salesforce has 32 open roles and its new postings fell 55% over the same period. Both are still active hirers, just posting less than they were.
If you need sponsorship, 48% of open roles sit at employers with recent filings on the UK Home Office sponsor register, and Amazon, Capgemini, SPGI, Deliveroo, Gartner and Salesforce are all on that list. On skills, CRM is named in 24% of postings and Salesforce the tool in 21%, so familiarity with these systems shows up often. The experience bar is on the higher side too: the median posting asks for 5 years minimum, and 15% want 10 years or more.
A few other things worth knowing before you apply: only 12% of these roles are remote, so most expect you in an office. And only 12% of postings list pay, so you often won't know the number until you're in the process.
What this means for you
Three things you can act on this week
- Look past the big names
The top 8 employers hold just 7% of open roles between them. With 1,615 companies hiring, casting a wide net will likely serve you better than chasing a handful of famous employers.
- Don't assume growth means every big hirer is accelerating
Gartner's new postings fell 32% and Salesforce's fell 55% in the last month, even as the overall market grew 11%. Check an employer's recent pace, not just its open role count.
- Know the experience and skills bar
The median posting asks for 5 years minimum experience, and 15% want 10 or more. CRM is named in 24% of postings and Salesforce the tool in 21%, so these come up often.
Momentum
New Sales roles each week
Last 30 days: 1,292 new roles, against 1,169 the 30 days before (+11%). Each week counts the same companies, and a role counts as new only in the week it was posted, so a careers site we start reading never shows up as growth.
See the numbers
| Week starting | New roles |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep | 292 |
| 14 Sep | 285 |
| 21 Sep | 287 |
| 28 Sep | 278 |
| 5 Oct | 340 |
| 12 Oct | 295 |
| 19 Oct | 365 |
| 26 Oct | 358 |
Who is hiring
The companies with the most open Sales roles
1,615 companies are hiring. The top eight hold 7% of the open roles.
| Company | Open roles | Change in new roles | Sponsor register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gartner | 52 | -32% | On the list |
| Amazon | 43 | On the list | |
| Salesforce | 32 | -55% | On the list |
| Capgemini | 31 | On the list | |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise | 25 | ||
| Johnson Controls | 24 | ||
| SPGI | 23 | On the list | |
| Deliveroo | 20 | On the list |
Change compares new roles in the last 30 days with the 30 days before, shown where a company posted 25 or more in the earlier 30 days. Staffing agencies are left out. A company name links to its Ashney company page where there is one.
What they ask for
The technology Sales roles ask for most
Ask Rate is the share of roles that name a skill, from 3,406 postings read in full. Ways of working (methods such as Agile, tools such as Jira) are listed apart; office tools and soft skills are left out.
Ways of working
Industries named most: SaaS 19%, Financial services 7%, Retail 5%. Certifications named: driver's license 1%. 12% of open roles say they are remote.
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