Why are SaaS sales people moving roles?

Ask anyone what makes people look for a new job, and chances are they're going to say salary.

But that's not the only factor.

Every time we speak to a candidate, we always ask them what motivates them to make a move. Our clients find this information useful when they're talent planning, as it can help frame their thoughts for both attraction and retention. Often these are two sides of the same coin, with the common thread being that understanding of what your talent pool care about. 

We've now aggregated that data (from people who gave us their consent!) to bring you an overview of exactly what candidates in the digital transformation space are looking for in a new role.*

Career growth

By far and away the biggest factor outside of salary is career growth. We've also included professional development here, as the two often go hand in hand. This is likely driven by a desire to move away from career stagnation, to gain a bigger role scope, or simply to develop new skills for the future.

If you're looking to hire then we'd recommend making it really clear what progression looks like in your organisation. This can take the form of publicised career stories, clear career ladders, and centring progression and development in your communications. If prospective candidates don't see an opportunity to grow, they may look elsewhere first.

If you're wanting to retain then regular conversations with your people about their career growth is key. Again, clarity over career ladders and promotion frameworks instil confidence that you both care about, and are willing to support, their growth. Tailored, personal development plans are also a great option as they allow you to really hone in on specific areas of development - great for them, and great for you.

Brand and reputation

Something that we find crops up particularly often in the digital transformation space is the desire to work for a company with a strong brand, great products, and - crucially - perceived stability. Ultimately, your reputation precedes you! We find that this is a bigger consideration for sales candidates than most others due to the direct impact this can have on their ability to succeed and earn good money. 

If you're looking to hire then this is where your standing in the market and the word-of-mouth from others will do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. People love specifics, so emphasising things like awards, case studies, reviews, and growth metrics can help prospective candidates scan for credibility signals quickly.

If you're wanting to retain it's a bit trickier to use this. Ultimately, if you're competing against the pull of other brands, then our best advice is to make sure you're somewhere someone wouldn't want to leave in every other capacity. Think a strong benefits package, a positive culture, clear progression. Basically everything else we've mentioned in this blog.

Company mission

A natural follow on from brand and reputation, the mission of a company is often important to candidates because of the connection it makes between their work and a bigger purpose. Plus, it's the foundations for company strategy, acting as a compass for things like product direction, customer focus, and priorities. 

This becomes increasingly important as the newer generations enter the workforce. 'Values alignment' is something we're hearing more and more from candidates, and this is backed up by a Net Positive survey from a couple of years ago that found nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials would take a pay cut to work for a company that truly shares their values.

If you're looking to hire then the key is to be clear from the get-go about what your mission is. Clarity in this area creates desire in candidates who really buy into what you're doing. 

If you're wanting to retain then make sure your mission is at the heart of everything you do. Having a mission but not living by it is a sure-fire way to create a disconnect in your team, whereas having a strong thread through all of your operations can create an emotional connection and deep sense of loyalty as you all work behind a common goal.

Don't just take our word for it on this one. As Michael Dowthwaite said in our 2025 Skills Report, 'compensation is obviously important, but I think a candidate's decision is usually made once we talk them through our mission'.

Work-life balance

Conversations around work-life balance have cropped up in various forms over the years, and is the most nuanced of all the factors we've talked about in this blog. This will, naturally, mean different things to different people. But, at the core of this topic is a desire for work to be something that facilitates them having the life they're looking for. 

We can't tell you explicitly what this might look like to the candidates you're wanting to attract to your business, but this often revolves around flexibility with hours, the ability to work remotely, and a culture that allows for the complexities of being a human.

If you're looking to hire make sure that information about this is included in your job adverts. Great benefits packages that have a genuine impact on people's work and home-life are incredibly appealing, and we know from experience that candidates will comment on ones that are better than the norm. It's a foolproof way to stand out. 

If you're wanting to retain then consider what flexibility you can offer and build it into your policies. There's no one-size-fits-all here, but a great place to start is to ask your people what's important to them (perhaps in something like an employee engagement survey) and work from there. 

Want more where this came from?

There's plenty more information about what's motivating candidates and what skills are most in demand in the industry right now in our 2025 Skills Report - you can download your free copy here. 

And if you're looking to grow your team and need to find the best candidates, not just the best available ones, we can help. Feel free to reach out on firstname.lastname@fmctalent.com

*Please note that this run-down does not include information related to lay-offs and job security, which are affecting job markets globally.