In a survey of 10,728 working Britons, 69% of sales professionals claimed that it is important that their employer offers competitive salaries and employee benefits. This is higher than any other profession in the country, including finance (68%), legal (61%) and human resources (56%).
The average salary for UK sales professionals is £31,339, while the average British salary generally is £28,186.
The research found that sales professionals were also particularly interested in career progression, which was an important factor to 42%, compared with the UK average of 36%. Only workers in professional services ranked higher here, with 44% of those polled placing this in their top five job considerations.
Fewer than one in 10 (8%) salespeople believe it is important to work for a company that promotes diversity in the workplace – less than any other business function. By contrast, the average across the country is 12%. Twice as many (16%) HR workers stated that this is a key factor in choosing an employer.
Randstad UK managing director Ruth Jacobs said that sales professionals are led by their heads and not their hearts. “When it comes to making important job decisions they don’t let secondary factors cloud their vision – if the price is right it’s the job for them.
“Sales people know what they want, and they aren’t afraid to pursue it. Financial considerations such as salaries and other monetary employee benefits always play a crucial part in career decisions, but for those working in sales cash rewards override all other considerations by a significant margin."
She added: “It’s not the most highly-paid profession in the UK – and you’d be forgiven for thinking that traditionally lucrative sectors such as financial services and banking would attract the most money-minded individuals. But sales is storming ahead as the preserve of the most ambitious and financially-motivated candidates."
