Based on conversations with Six Degrees Executive’s specialist B2B Sales consultants, this article explores what’s driving hiring decisions, from market pressures and talent expectations to client-side behaviours and the changing face of B2B sales.
Caution has been the defining theme across the B2B Sales market in 2025.
However, we’re starting to see green shoots emerge, particularly as businesses begin to plan for growth in 2026. Organisations that are thinking ahead are reassessing team structures, reviewing capability gaps, and building high-performing commercial teams now – so they’re ready to hit the ground running as market momentum returns.
As the market moves from stability to action, businesses are starting to reinvest in the people and processes needed to drive revenue. Many are replacing underperformers, hiring where capability gaps have emerged, or elevating sales leadership to help re-energise performance. This creates an important window of opportunity – not only to secure talent but to reshape roles and team dynamics for the future.
Increased expectations around versatility remain. Sales leaders are being asked to manage accounts and lead teams, often in flatter structures. Candidates with experience across both B2B and B2C, or across multiple channels, are in high demand but increasingly difficult to find.
Client-side, the gap between expectations and market reality continues to show. Briefs often call for a “unicorn” – someone who can hit the ground running, bring a black book, and deliver results immediately – yet these roles are frequently coupled with conservative remuneration, unclear development paths, or slow hiring timelines.
Meanwhile, top-tier candidates are taking a cautious approach. Many are staying in secure roles that offer strong leadership, flexibility, or well-established client relationships. This is contributing to a highly passive, selective market – but it also creates space for businesses willing to move decisively and lead with their EVP.
It’s harder than ever to secure high-performing B2B Sales talent.
Many candidates, particularly at the senior end, are seeking long-term career stability, aligned values, and working conditions that match their lifestyle. Flexibility remains a major driver of decision-making, as does meaningful leadership, clear progression pathways, and feeling genuinely supported in the first six months of a role.
Onboarding and induction are becoming non-negotiables. There’s growing recognition that poor early experiences can derail promising hires, particularly at the junior level, where pressure to perform quickly isn’t always matched by training and enablement.
Importantly, candidates are looking for more than just salary. In a tight market, EVP is a key differentiator, and businesses that invest in coaching, capability development, and purposeful work environments are standing out. While the market is cautious, these changing preferences present a clear opportunity for employers to stand apart and attract great talent by getting the fundamentals right.
Many businesses are still approaching hiring from a position of risk mitigation, seeking safe bets over potential.
This has resulted in longer hiring timelines, a narrower focus on tenure and industry alignment, and a reluctance to consider step-up candidates or those from adjacent sectors. While there are standout professionals on the market, some are being overlooked due to overly rigid briefs or internal delays.
Salary expectations have also shifted. In contrast to FMCG, B2B Sales salaries have come down slightly (5–10%) in some markets, and many businesses are less willing to stretch beyond their original budget unless a candidate is an exceptional match.
That said, there’s a clear distinction between businesses who want to hire and those who need to. The former are typically more open-minded, efficient, and outcome-driven - securing talent faster and with less resistance. The good news is that more clients are starting to shift into this space –opening up roles and aligning hiring processes with market realities to access top talent before competitors do.
Right now, many sales teams are operating in a tactical, delivery-focused rhythm. It’s been a year where protecting pipeline and responding quickly to opportunities has mattered most. But this is beginning to change. Businesses are once again looking for sales professionals who not only execute well, but who can think several steps ahead – shaping long-term strategy while still delivering commercial outcomes in the short term.
Sales leaders are being asked to lead from the front with a hands-on approach – owning outcomes and staying close to key customers. There’s also growing reliance on technology and automation to augment capability. As buyers become more informed and self-directed in their purchasing, sales professionals need to adapt – using AI tools, digital platforms, and on-demand learning to meet customers where they are.
Many teams are still rebuilding the ‘hunter’ skillset, which has been lost in recent years. While this presents a challenge, it also gives businesses a chance to focus on targeted development, onboarding, and candidate support – lifting capability across the function.
B2B sales teams have weathered a conservative year – but the outlook is shifting.
As hiring appetite begins to build, businesses that invest now in hiring, onboarding, and capability uplift will be well-positioned to outpace their competitors as conditions improve.
We’ve also seen a growing number of organisations return to agency recruitment after a period of internal hiring. In many cases, these businesses experienced delays, lost candidates mid-process, or struggled to engage passive talent without strong external networks. In a talent market this cautious, the cost of missing the right candidate can be far greater than the investment in getting it right the first time.
The next six months will be an inflection point. The businesses that act early, lead with purpose, and align their hiring processes with candidate expectations will be the ones with the strongest commercial talent in 2026.