Talent Insights

Technical Salespeople Talent Pool Report

Executive SummaryDid you know that a technical salesperson living in the SF Bay Area is over three times more likely to be contacted by a recruiter than a technical salesperson living in Austin or Denver? LinkedIn data shows that: • There are over 378,000 total technical salespeople throughout the United States • The SF Bay Area has the biggest population of technical salespeople, but also has the highest demand of any market • Medium, lower-demand markets like Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Austin are likely to offer untapped sources of talent • Professionals with skills to sell cloud, enterprise, and analytical software are in high demand • While this pool is driven primarily by excellent compensation and bene�ts, and good work-life balance they differ from other talent in that they value organizations that produce innovative products and services

OverviewA world of insights can be gathered from LinkedIn’s 175 million members - the world’s largest professional network. Technology-sector recruiters are searching heavily for the terms “Sales” and “Account Management”, showing that the market for technical sales talent is one of the hottest in the US. LinkedIn recruiter activity and member data can be used to determine supply and demand for technical salespeople. A higher demand index means that the average professional in a region is receiving more contact from recruiters than peers in other regions.

Which skills are in short supply?Recruiter activity can also highlight which skills are in high demand. For technical salespeople, our data shows that expertise with skills like analytics, ERP, digital media and SaaS is highly sought after on LinkedIn. Professionals with these skills are up to 3x more likely to be contacted by a recruiter. Therefore, expect to spend more time �lling positions that require these skills.

Where should you look for talent?• Hidden Gems: These mid-sized markets have relatively lower demand, meaning hiring is likely to be easier• High-Demand: These are the largest markets, where overall demand is also highest and hiring may be dif�cult• Saturated: These small to mid-sized markets also have very high demand, meaning hiring is likely to be dif�cult

DEM

AN

D

HIGH-DEMAND

HIDDEN GEMS

SATURATED

SUPPLY

Large, high-demand regions

San Francisco Bay

New York City

Washington D.C.Chicago

Boston

Dallas/Fort Worth

Los Angeles Orange County, CA

AustinPhoenix, AZ

Minneapolis/St. Paul

Denver

AtlantaSeattle

Philadelphia

Houston

Large, low-demand regions “Hidden Gems”

Number of talent pool members in each region

Dem

and

bas

ed o

n re

crui

ter

acti

vity

on

Link

edIn

Supply (# Professionals)

Region Quadrant

Technical Salespeople September 2012

2,000 50,0005,000 10,000 20,000

Dem

and

Ind

ex

20

10

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

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What do technical salespeople consider when evaluating a job?Percentage who believe each attribute is important when considering a job opportunity

How can you reach out to this critical talent pool?Reach this critical talent by leveraging the assets you already have on LinkedIn. Beyond that, posting your technical sales positions on LinkedIn allows our matching algorithms to put those jobs in front of relevant candidates – active or passive.

Want to learn more about how your company is already connected to this talent pool and how you can best leverage these assets to reach this important talent pool for job opportunities? talent.linkedin.com

1. Employees’ NetworksEngage with the talent already connected to your employeesNearly 15M LinkedIn members – including your employees – are connected to this talent pool

2. Company FollowersPost relevant information about your company and industryMembers are nearly 3x more likely to apply for jobs at companies they follow

3. Company/Career PageGive candidates a picture of what it’s like to work for your companyShowcase your employment brand with focused, targeted content

4. Targeted AdvertisingDynamically deliver your message to members that �t your opportunity - on and off LinkedInDrive traf�c to your career page and jobs, or reach out to passive candidates directly

CHALLENGING WORK

A COMPANY WITH A LONG-TERMSTRATEGIC VISION

SHORT COMMUTE

AN ORGANIZATION THAT PRODUCESINNOVATIVE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

STRONG CAREER PATH

JOB SECURITY

GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE

EXCELLENT COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Technical SalespeopleUS Average

20%

30%

28%

5%

29%

29%

20%

13%

12%

28%

51%

64%

40%

37%

55%

70%

Survey Methodology: In July-August 2012, LinkedIn conducted online interviews among 4,897 members who reside in the United States.