Software-as-a-service, or SaaS, is an industry on the rise here in Australia and across the globe, with spending on SaaS in Australia increasing exponentially. Just last year, it was expected that $4.6 billion would be spent on cloud services , with the “overwhelming majority of it being splashed on software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings.”

According to Computer World, spending on SaaS in Australia went up 24.4 per cent in 2018, reaching $2,597 million. And where there is increased spending, there is a market ripe for startups and expansion, which can be seen through the 44 new Australian based SaaS startups to list on Crunchbase in the past 2.5 years, and that’s only the ones who have listed.

Australia is lucky to be home for many amazing SaaS businesses. Take Atlassian, for example, the homegrown hero that is often mentioned when discussing the growing SaaS scene. But they’re not the only one to be making waves at home and abroad, we have the likes of MYOB, Yellowfin BI, Deputy, Data Republic and many more, not to mention all of the international brands setting up their APAC HQ in the land down under.

With a booming industry always comes the fight for new staff, as the growth, particularly in Australia, is too rapid when compared to the availability of candidates. This is a big challenge for SaaS companies, especially those coming into the market with no brand credibility to win them favour in a competitive bid for the top talent.

IT Sales professionals are in limited supply, and SaaS organisations wanting to attract the best people need to pull out the big guns to stand out from the rest.

So, what do the best IT Sales people want?

1. Edgy tech
IT Sales people are in it for the love of the tech, and it will be the technology that often acts as a tipping point to getting them over the line. Of course, not all tech can be uber cool and edgy, but the application matters and how you sell the offering does, too. Whether the tech is edgy or not, getting the pitch right to make it an attractive sell is essential to getting the best IT Sales staff behind you.

2. The perks
IT Sales people are just like everyone else in the tech industry in Australia – a little spoilt when it comes to perks. If your company doesn’t have the brand credibility to attract top talent from the brand alone, then perks are going to be important. It’s worth highlighting that perks don’t have to, and often shouldn’t, mean spending big bucks on lavish team retreats and events. The most tempting perks are those that reflect the people you want to attract – training budgets, extra time off to pursue upskilling, and generous bonuses when they make significant sales.

To break it down to its basics, IT Sales people want to feel excited about the product they are selling, and they want to feel appreciated and celebrated by the company when they do good work. The challenge for SaaS companies attracting new staff is to communicate this throughout their recruitment process – from the job ad, through the interview and into the employment – so that word can quickly spread and new staff will come beating down the doors.

Launch Recruitment knows IT Sales people , and we spend our days talking to the “unavailable” who may just become available for the right role. If you’re in need of a unicorn, Launch Recruitment can introduce you. Give us a call today.