
Companies are struggling to fill lucrative sales jobs, according to a recent report. Why?
by Frank Kalman
February 4, 2015
Companies are struggling to fill sales jobs, according to a Feb. 4 report in The Wall Street Journal.
As Journal careers and workplace reporter Lauren Weber writes, "employers spent an average of 41 days trying to fill technical sales jobs, compared with an average of 33 days for all jobs for the 12-month period ending in September 2014, according to Burning Glass, a labor-market analysis firm that worked with Harvard Business School on the report."
The finding is interesting, considering sales representatives who sell scientific and technical products earned a median annual wage of $74,970.
So why are these jobs so hard to fill?
Part of the reason, The Journal reports, has to do with the competitive nature of the tech sales hiring scene, but another reason is that young workers appear disinterested in working in sales thanks to its risky and cut-throat reputation.
Weber writes:
"The youngest generation of workers, having lived through the financial crisis and recession, is more risk-averse, say sales executives, adding that young prospects are reluctant to enter a hard-charging work environment where success often boils down to a number."
Read more here.
What do you think? Why are sales jobs so hard to fill?