Commission transparency is becoming standard in UK sales adverts

Pay transparency has moved faster in sales than in most functions, driven by candidate expectation rather than regulation. Adverts that state base, on-target earnings and accelerators attract fewer but far better-matched applicants.

Employers still advertising uncapped commission without detail see higher drop-out between first interview and offer, as candidates discover the mechanics late.

For sales hiring, the honest reading is that a strong CV predicts very little. What correlates with performance is evidence of a repeatable process, a credible account of ramp in the last role, and territory design that makes the number achievable. We would rather present four sellers with verified ramp stories than twenty with impressive logos.

Across the UK, we are seeing employers run smaller, more deliberate searches: fewer roles open at once, tighter shortlists, and more willingness to train for the last twenty per cent of a specification.

If you are hiring in sales right now, the practical takeaway is to shorten your process and be explicit about what is genuinely non-negotiable. Fewer, better matched candidates almost always beat a longer list — and in a market moving this quickly, speed of decision is itself a competitive advantage.