Why A Specialist Software Sales Recruiter Should Be On Your Speed Dial

Software sales companies who are relying on in-house recruitment or generalist recruiters are doing things the hard way. In an industry where there is a deepening shortage of high-performing IT salespeople, the difference between hiring a star salesperson and a mediocre one will have a dramatic effect on your company’s bottom line.

Using a specialist software sales recruiter is the easiest, quickest, and most results-driven way to attract and secure top talent. Here are five reasons a specialist software sales recruiter should be on your speed dial, starting today.

1. A specialist technology recruiter knows your market. 

Do you want to be explaining the intricacies and challenges of software sales recruitment to a recruiter who fields receptionists typically for the finance industry? No, thought not.

A recruiter that specialises in software sales is precisely that: a specialist. They already know the role you’re filling, they know the types of people who succeed in software sales, and they have a deep understanding of the tech industry you are operating in. That is one impressive head start.

2. They are exceptionally well tapped into the talent pool. 

When you call a specialist software sales recruiter with a new vacancy, they immediately have people in mind to fill that role. A specialist recruiter spends much time mapping the talent in the IT sector, from active job-seekers to passive sales superstars.

This means they are several steps ahead of the generalist recruiter, who has to start from scratch, advertise the role, do background research on candidates, and approach passive ‘movers and shakers’ before they can really start to work effectively on your behalf.

3.  Their network is extensive, yet highly focused.

All good recruiters have an extensive network they can mobilise to find talent. However, how much of that network is quality when it comes to software sales recruitment? For a generalist recruiter, the answer tends to be ‘very little’.

For a specialised software sales recruiter, almost their entire professional network will revolve around software sales, meaning that their LinkedIn connections alone will be a trove of high quality active candidates and passive top performers they already have a relationship with.

A generalist just cannot afford to spend the time building strong networks in your niche- they have too many other sectors to think about. For a specialist, software sales are all they think about.

4. They are good at hiring for cultural fit. 

Because specialist software sales recruiters focus expressly on a niche market, they know the market extremely well and are familiar with different company cultures. Given that hiring for culture is a vital pillar of good recruitment, having a recruiter on your side who understands the culture of the software sales sector and its different players is an incredible advantage.

5. They know where software sales candidates are looking for jobs. 

A specialist recruiter knows which platforms software sales professionals use when they are looking for their next opportunity. They know which LinkedIn groups they operate in, which tech forums they hang out in, and which publications they read. This means they know exactly where to target their job ads to fill your vacancies, and exactly how to attract the top talent.

So, should you use multiple specialist recruiters to raise your chances of getting the best talent? 

No, definitely not. Find one great software sales recruiter, and stick with them.

Why? Three reasons.

1. The first is that recruitment is a numbers game, and every successful recruitment firm knows this. As soon as you spread your business between multiple agencies and allow them to ‘fight it out’ to the finish, you will almost certainly see diminished effort from each player, as they all realise that their chances of making the placement have just dropped. (As a sales company, you will understand the business imperative here.)

2. Secondly, there are only so many high performers in software sales in your region, and the top specialist recruiters probably all know about most of them. Therefore, you will also likely receive many of the same CVs from the different agencies, just creating work for your hiring manager to weed out the duplicates, and then agonising about which recruiter to use.

3. Thirdly, you will also get a better long term outcome if you choose just one recruiter to drive your hiring process. This recruiter will be heavily invested in your long-term hiring strategy, advising you on recruitment trends, how you might better attract candidates, and how you can compete for talent against your competitors.

By selecting the very best software sales recruiter you can find and create a healthy relationship with them, you can be assured they will dedicate 100% of their effort to finding you the right person for your role and your company.

Using a generalist recruiter for your highly tech-specific recruitment hunt is doing your company a disservice. You are looking to hire experts, so use an expert to find them.

Until next time,

Nikki

About LivRecruit

LivRecruit specialises in Inside Sales, Senior Sales and Technology Recruitment. The LivRecruit team is based in Greater Manchester and have over 17 years’ experience providing recruitment solutions for technology companies across the UK.

If you are looking for the right new hire for your technology team or want to take your career to the next level call us on 0161 883 2856 or email us here.