What to Look for in a Sales Recruiter (If You’re Serious About Scaling)
You’re ready to scale. The product’s proven, you’re generating demand… but your sales team can’t keep up.
So you turn to a recruiter. But here’s the problem: most recruiters can fill your roles, but not necessarily fuel your growth. They actually don’t know makes sales teams tick.
If you want to build a high-performing sales team that lasts and have true sales hiring success, you need more than a CV-matcher. You need a partner.
In this post, we’ll break down exactly what to look for in a sales recruiter, especially if you’re serious about scaling in the tech sales or SaaS space.
Why Traditional Recruiters Miss the Mark in Sales
Many recruitment agencies claim to be generalists, able to hire across different functions and sectors. But, sales is a different beast.
Traditional recruiters often:
- Lack an understanding of how sales teams and SDRs function on a day-to-day basis
- Don’t see the nuanced differences in sales processes – especially in tech sales and Saas sales
- Prioritise speed over a great cultural fit and long-term success
- Don’t offer the training to bring new salespeople up to speed
This often results in mismatched hires, long ramp-up time and high levels of attrition. And in sales, every poor hiring decision doesn’t just cost money, it costs momentum.
Recruitment is a lengthy process, especially without the right support. In Q1 of 2025, 50% of employers believe that a lengthy hiring process has been among the top challenges they’ve faced. So it’s natural to want to hand this task over to a specialist. But, what should you be looking for?
5 Things to Look for in a Sales Recruiter – If You’re Scaling
Not all sales recruiters are created equal. So, if you want to build out a sales team that can grow with your business and keep the momentum going, here are some things to look for:
Sales-Specific Expertise
Does your recruiter know what makes a great SDR or sales leader? Do they know the personality-types that thrive in a sales environment? Do they understand how your tech or software is sold?
A strong sales, sales-specific recruiter should:
- Know the difference between roles, like outbound SDR and full-cycle AE
- Understand your sales process (for example, the length of your sales cycle)
- Be able to identify key skills like coachability, efficiently
In short, if they can’t talk sales and understand sales themselves, they can’t recruit for sales. Choosing a specialist sales recruitment agency also means faster access to the right SDR talent. We constantly have our finger on the pulse of the graduate and mid-senior sales market and can reach candidates that aren’t applying on job boards.
Proven Track Record in Revenue Roles
A recruitment business is only as good as the people they have placed. So, ask them who they’ve placed and what impact those hires have had. This can come in the form of:
- Testimonials & case studies from sales leaders
- Data on candidate retention
- Clients similar to your size, sector and growth stage
Focus on Long-Term Fit, Not Just Speed
Any recruiter worth their salt can fill a vacancy, but are they filling it with intention? Good sales recruiters will
- Challenge unrealistic briefs and ask questions during the briefing process
- Dig into the onboarding process
- Match on attitude and learning agility, not just experience on paper
They Develop and Support Candidates – Not Just Place Them
Sales isn’t just about the SDRs and BDMs you hire, it’s about who they have the potential to become. Great sales recruiters:
- Prep candidates thoroughly for your process
- Offer feedback and interview coaching
- Understand the value of post-placement training – like our award-winning Prime Sales Academy
A Partnership Mentality
Scaling doesn’t happen overnight. You need a recruiter that acts as an extension of your team. This means:
- Staying in the loop post-placement
- Sharing their insights
- Investing in your long-term hiring success through excellent account management
What makes a specialist sales recruitment agency different from a general recruiter?
A specialist sales recruitment agency focuses exclusively on sales roles, so they understand the nuances of sales culture, buyer journeys, and ramp-up challenges. They bring deeper insight into what makes a successful sales hire, helping you avoid costly mismatches and boosting sales hiring success.
How We Do It at Prime
At Prime, we’ve placed more than 13,000 people into sales roles across sectors like tech sales, SaaS sales and more, and 90% of them pass probation. That’s not by accident.
We specialise in sales – It’s all we do. Whether it’s bringing graduates into entry-level roles or helping top sales talent to make their next move. Our focus is on placing the best of the UK’s graduates into high-growth environments.
We don’t just send CVs, we provide every shortlisted Prime candidate with a free session of our award-winning training. So, when they reach your first stage interview, you know they at least have a base level of sales knowledge.
We also offer support post-placement. Our Prime Sales Academy is there to help you speed up ramp-up times, get better results from your team and see better retention over time.
Our clients trust us because we prioritise:
- Cultural fit and attitude
- Sales readiness
- Long-term retention – 90% of our candidates pass their probation period, even after placing more than 13K people over the years
So, when you work with This is Prime, you’re getting new hires that not only excel and become top performers, but also stick around.
Want to hear what our sales recruitment clients have to say?
“We’ve worked with Prime for 2 and a half years, and in that time, they’ve placed many of our top performers – including a candidate who was promoted to Business Development Manager within just 8 months” – Leading Fleet Management Solutions Firm
“One of our Prime hires has since earned two promotions and generated nearly £1M in fees this year! They not only understand our industry but also our company culture. As a result, their hires integrate seamlessly into our team. They are highly patient, consistently responsive, and always ready to adapt to our needs” – Specialist Funding Consultancy Firm
Hiring for Growth? Here’s Your Checklist:
Before you engage a sales recruiter, ask yourself:
- Do they understand sales roles inside out?
- Are they looking beyond the CV for a true fit?
- Can they prove their impact beyond placement?
- Will they actually partner with you, or just fill a brief?
Need to Build a Sales Team That Sticks?
As a specialist sales recruitment agency, we’ve helped over 200 businesses build revenue-generating sales teams from scratch, and we can do the same for you.
So, if you’re looking to hire a sales recruiter who gets SDR hiring, get in touch!
Contact the Prime team via our Client Contact Form, drop us an email, or call us at 0161 672 5550
