The State of Sales Hiring: An Interview with Sal Mazzarella of Sales Search Partners
Over the past few years, the process of recruiting sales talent to fill roles has become more varied and complex for employers. On the other side of the equation, job seekers have faced a challenging environment, particularly those in the beginning or latter stages of their careers. To help provide insight into the complicated sales job market and advice for employers and salespeople, I spoke with Sal Mazarella, a Managing Director at Sales Search Partners, a leading sales-focused recruiting firm serving the New England region.
The following is a transcript of our interview conducted on March 20, 2025:
Michael D’Aleo (MD): As we approach the end of Q1 of 2025, what is your initial read on the overall volume of sales hiring vs. 2024?
Sal Mazzarella (SM): A lot of optimism from businesses in terms of growth and hiring as we entered the year. In 2024, employers held the upper hand, where as to start the year here in 25, the market is stabilizing and businesses are hiring again. Not just in one-off roles, but cohorts and hiring classes.
MD: Are there particular industries that are particularly “hot” or “cold” in terms of hiring?
SM: Services industries are thriving – whether it’s the trades, professional services, IT-related services. Other industries that are doing well are AI (the buzz word), cyber and ecommerce– we’re seeing an influx there. There are some sectors of technology that aren’t doing as well and then manufacturing has fluctuated quite a bit in the last few years.
MD: Technology remains a desirable industry for early-career sales representatives, and is of course prevalent in your firm’s focal region of Greater Boston. Due to the competition for roles in the industry and the fact that it can often be easier for one to get a full-cycle (as opposed to starting as an SDR/BDR) elsewhere, some sales experts are encouraging young aspiring salespeople to go against the grain and pursue industries other than technology. What is your opinion on this topic?
SM: Particularly in our region, here in the northeast, we are fed software due to the tech hub in Boston. So, I think young professionals who are jumping into the workforce don’t know anything different, so they dive right into tech. I do, however, believe, just in the last year or so, that there’s been a push and encouragement for young professionals to expand their searches outside of tech and even those who have spent some time in tech, pivot out of the industry because it’s so volatile. If a company has a good product that you believe in and can sell, and they’ll train you up so you can be successful. Why wouldn’t you want to engage in a situation like that? What I encourage young professionals to do is evaluate on their top 3 must-haves and if they come across and interview with a company that has those things and they get an offer – take it. Why? Because 1, being too picky can lead to indecisiveness and 2, they probably won’t retire or die of old age in that role or with that company, so it’s really a launching point for them to get their feet wet.
MD: What trends are you seeing in terms of average tenures of sales representatives and managers who are seeking new roles? Are people spending more or less time in their roles before seeking new ones?
SM: We typically see sales professionals getting antsy in between the 2-3 year mark. I don’t think there’s any specifics I can pinpoint in terms of leadership roles vs individual contributor roles. We’ve seen so many factors that play a role in how long a candidate stays – whether it’s in their control or not. In comparison to other years, 6-7 years ago, I think employees are trying to stay in their roles longer only because the inconsistency of the market in the last few years.
MD: In terms of compensation packages, do you consider the current market more favorable to employers vs. employees?
SM: It’s definitely still an employer’s market. Although there’s a plateau happening right now, we saw each end of the spectrum in the last 5 years. I’m not sure candidates will ever fully regain control, but it’s still very much in favor of the employer.
MD: As someone who trains and coaches sales representatives and managers, I’ve noticed a growing frustration among “older”, i.e. 40+, salespeople seeking new roles, many of whom feel that their experience is undervalued and may even be facing age discrimination, whether it be intentional or unintentional on the part of an employer. What advice would you give more tenured salespeople who are seeking a new role?
SM: Experience comes with a distinct advantage—you know what to do and when to do it. Apply that same strategic mindset to your job search by leveraging your sales expertise, proven tactics, and professional network. In today’s market, where many aspects of the talent acquisition process are flawed, networking is more valuable than ever in unlocking new opportunities.
MD: On the other end of the seniority spectrum, many young salespeople in SDR/BDR roles (even those who have been successful) often feel that they are not being given the opportunity to move into full-cycle sales roles. What level of risk do companies face in hiring people for Account Executive roles that have not had prior full-cycle roles? What advice would you give SDRs/BDRs to land their first full-cycle role?
SM: I always go back to what kind of training and what type of leadership does the company have? If you have those two things, you should be able to bring a high performing SDR into your organization and create an all-star. Think Bill Belichick – he would take no-names and make them into superstars. I emphasize to candidates the risk of staying stagnant at a company that hasn’t promoted them versus joining an organization that offers a clear path for career growth. I encourage them to analyze the trajectory of others in the same role over the past two years—if more than 50% have been promoted, that’s a strong indicator of upward mobility. Sometimes, a lateral move or even a slight step back is the key to accelerating long-term success. The candidates who embrace this mindset are the ones who thrive in their careers in the years to come.
MD: Recruiting and staffing firms face a tremendous amount of direct and indirect competition. In the modern environment, what does your firm present as a value proposition to prospective clients in terms of working with you as opposed to attempting to fill a role via their internal talent acquisition staff?
SM: I love this question. Our job is not to take away the roles of internal TA. And we work really well with TA teams, adding bandwidth. However, with our specialization in sales, our localization to the greater Boston, New England area, there is not one internal talent acquisition team out there that is talking to the volume of sales candidates that my team is meeting with on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. For that reason alone, we can drive better results, quicker. Companies gain free access to our pre-vetted, top-tier candidates—with no upfront cost. As a contingency-based firm, we allow businesses to interview and compare our candidates alongside their own pipeline, ensuring they hire the best fit. At the end of the day, a sales leader’s top priority is getting the right person in the seat to drive revenue. So why not leverage every available resource—including us—to make that happen?
Note: You can learn more about Sales Search Partners at www.salessearchpartners.com and reach Sal at smazzarella@salessearchpartners.com .
