Why Firms Struggle to Hire Sales Execs in Germany
Sales Hiring in Germany – Why is Germany is the toughest country to find great Sales Execs?
When SaaS firms hire in Germany, they discover: –
- For Sales hiring in Germany, the characters of German Sales Execs are often the opposite of Americans or even Brits
- Many SaaS firms look for “American style” Sales Reps in Germany, (but, they can’t find them!)
- American-style selling tactics don’t work in Germany – German business culture is so different to USA
- It is slower paced, trust takes longer to be created – Successful German Sales Execs aren’t pushy or aggressive
- Many German Sales Execs have scientific or an IT Degree – Domain knowledge is very important as it builds credibility
- Germans are more team-orientated and less individualistic
If you want to find and hire the best German Sales Execs, it’s essential to understand the business culture and people. Germany has many stories of failed US and European start-up and scale-ups. Not making the correct hiring decision in the beginning, can have an impact later on. German Sales candidates also ask different types of interview questions to the Hiring Manager and Recruiters.
Sales hiring can be challenging in Germany due to a unique business culture that values long-term relationships and caution. Germans prioritize quality over quantity, which means they often seek experienced and highly educated sales professionals. Additionally, the complex regulatory environment and language proficiency requirements can make finding suitable candidates difficult.
Furthermore, Germany’s strong and extensive labour laws and robust social safety nets, and trade-union, work councils, create a risk-averse hiring process, leading to rigorous candidate evaluations.
Ben Watkins
P.S.: It’s taken me 22 years and I’m still learning!
Further reading:
How to Hire the Best SaaS Leaders / Sales Execs in Europe