'Recruitment Headaches' in the USA?

The US is a large country.

Far bigger than the UK. Far bigger than most countries in Europe. And with this size comes its own unique recruitment challenges. So, what have been the biggest factors impacting hiring decisions? I'm assuming that by you clicking into this blog that you are at least a bit interested in finding out the answer to this question. And you're in luck! Here are the main factors we've found from our recruitment efforts in the US over the past year.

Different talent planning for different regions

Salary bands can have significant regional variations across the US, which adds a big consideration when it comes to talent planning. For hiring managers making important hiring decisions, it's important to remember that whilst there are cost savings that come as part of recruiting in a 'cheaper' area, this should be weighed against other important factors, including talent availability, competition, and relocation costs.

For roles with niche skillsets, you may also (conversely to overall trends) end up paying more to secure them outside the typically higher-paying skills hubs.

Variable over basic is becoming the go-to choice

In recent years, we've noticed there's less willingness to increase basic salaries. The main reason for this appears to be due to the economic instability we've been seeing around the globe.

This is in direct contrast to what we were seeing in 2022 and 2023, where companies were offering inflated basic salaries to ensure they secured the best people for their teams.

Many companies are leaning towards compensation packages that are significantly heavier on the variable element, allowing top performers who are consistently exceeding their quotas to reap the rewards financially. This approach may not be for everyone, but it's working well for those who thrive under pressure and back themselves to over-achieve consistently.

What about state-to-state variations?

As stated earlier, the US is a big country. State-to-state variations in laws around employment are another key thing to consider when talent planning, or even if you're moving roles yourself.

Some states (California, Maryland, Washington, and New York, to name a few!) now require salaries to be published on all job adverts under new salary transparency laws.

And that's just the beginning. When it comes to making offers to candidates, regional differences in terms of what is typically offered in compensation packages can have a real impact on whether an offer converts or not. Here's an example to put it into context. In states where paid family leave mandates are lower, an enhanced offering may be very appealing to candidates.

That's just a few factors we've found come into play when hiring that are pretty unique to the US. Interested in seeing the up-to-date salary information we've gathered for Sales and Customer Success roles in the SaaS space across the US? Download a copy of our 2025 SaaS Salary Report below, money literally cannot buy this level of insight (and we're giving it away for free!)

https://www.fmctalent.com/article/us-saas-salary-report-2025