Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of hosting a conversation that sparked a lot of head-nods (and probably a few internal sighs of relief): our webinar, Navigating Salaries and WFH in 2025. If you missed it, don’t worry—you can still catch the full session on our Resources page.

The focus? What it really takes to attract and retain top-performing sales reps in 2025. And here’s the truth: it’s not just about money anymore.

This article recaps the biggest takeaways from the webinar and shares what hiring managers, sales leaders, and founders must consider if they want to stay competitive in today’s sales hiring landscape.

Sales Isn’t Just About Selling Anymore

In recruitment, especially for high-performance sales roles, we often talk about “hiring hunters.” But today’s top sales talent is hunting too—for employers who can offer not just great earning potential, but transparency, flexibility, growth, and trust.

If your offer doesn’t meet those expectations? You’ll lose great candidates. It’s that simple.

At Uplift, we work closely with companies who are serious about getting this right. And based on the data presented in our webinar by SEEK, Sales Calibre, and our own team, here’s what you need to know.

What Top Sales Talent Wants in 2025

1. Transparent Salary & Commission

Candidates are no longer interested in vague promises of six-figure OTEs unless you can show them how it’s actually achieved. They want clear breakdowns of:

• Base salary

• Commission structure

• Ramp periods

• Average performance stats from existing team members

In short: if you’re not willing to be transparent, they’ll assume you’re hiding something.

Sales Calibre’s Scott Dunphy-Brown put it best:

“You can’t expect people to get excited about potential earnings if the path to get there is murky. Show them the roadmap.”

We go deeper into this in our article on hiring top sales talent, where we explore how to distinguish between revenue generators and average performers.

2. WFH & Flexibility: The New Dealbreaker

53% of workers now expect to work from home at least two days per week. In sales roles, flexibility isn’t about laziness—it’s about autonomy.

Top reps thrive when trusted. They prospect better, handle admin with more focus, and close deals just as well (if not better) from a home office than a loud open-plan one.

If your competitors offer hybrid and you don’t? You’ve already lost the talent war.

For a broader perspective on flexibility and future hiring shifts, have a look at our post on recruitment trends for 2025.

3. Career Progression & Growth

Today’s sales reps aren’t just chasing commission—they’re chasing growth. They want to know:

• “What’s next if I succeed here?”

• “Do you invest in your people?”

• “Will I have a leader who helps me level up?”

Companies with clear development plans (even simple ones!) are winning the race for retention.

Why Transparency Is Non-Negotiable

Trust is everything. And nothing breaks trust faster than dodgy commission structures or ambiguous OTEs.

We’ve seen it all: roles advertised at $180K OTE where half the team hasn’t hit quota in 12 months. Commission clawbacks that weren’t explained until the contract stage. Candidates backing out of offers because the real earnings didn’t match the pitch.

To avoid this:

• Be honest about how many reps hit target

• Disclose your commission model early

• Explain how success is supported (e.g., onboarding, tools, lead sources)

Candidates respect transparency—even if your OTE isn’t the highest on the market. If they know what they’re walking into, they’re far more likely to sign on and stay.

Flexibility: From “Nice to Have” to “Non-Negotiable”

Let’s bust the myth: sales reps don’t need to be in-office five days a week to perform.

In fact, many prefer the home office for deep work—prospecting, updating CRMs, writing proposals. Sure, face time matters, but flexibility signals something bigger: trust.

The SEEK data backs this up:

• 53% prefer 2+ days WFH

• Roles advertising WFH options attract significantly more applicants

• 25% value additional leave or time in lieu as part of total comp

The winning formula for 2025?
Hybrid-first, with clear expectations and coaching to support it.

Leadership Still Matters (More Than Ever)

It’s easy to get caught up in salary benchmarks and flexibility policies—but none of it matters if your leadership can’t retain talent.

Great sales leadership in 2025 looks like:

• Coaching, not micromanagement

• One-on-one time that adds value

• Clear, achievable KPIs (not vanity metrics)

• Encouragement to fail, learn, and grow

• Celebrating wins and reinforcing progress

As Scott from Sales Calibre shared:

“Most salespeople leave managers, not companies. But they stay for leaders who invest in them.”

In remote or hybrid environments, this becomes even more important. Your reps can’t just lean over and ask a question. You need proactive structures in place to simulate that support.

What You Can Do Now

Whether you’re hiring your first sales rep or scaling a full team, here are some practical steps you can take today:

• Review your salary transparency—are you confident your OTE offer is clearly explained?

• Audit your commission structure—could a new hire understand it without a 5-page explainer?

• Reassess your flexibility policy—are you truly competitive for WFH and hybrid expectations?

• Talk to your current reps—what’s keeping them engaged, or tempting them to look elsewhere?

• Upskill your managers—ensure they’re coaching, not just checking KPIs

We cover how to build a sustainable hiring strategy in our article on recruitment goals for 2025.

Bonus: The Latest Sales Salary Benchmarks (Australia)

During the webinar, SEEK shared updated salary insights for sales roles:

• Sales & BD Manager: $90K–$110K base

• Account Manager: $85K–$105K base

• Sales Representative: $70K–$90K base

These figures reflect real salaries posted on SEEK within the past 90 days. If you’re significantly under these numbers, you’re likely missing out on quality applicants from the get-go.

You can access our full Sales Salary Guide + Webinar Recap PDF on the Uplift Recruitment Resources Page.

Final Thoughts

Hiring great sales talent in 2025 doesn’t come down to flashy job ads or inflated OTE figures. It comes down to:

• Clarity

• Consistency

• Culture

• Coaching

Get these right, and you’ll not only attract top reps—you’ll keep them.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us live for the webinar. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to watch the full replay and download the free resources here.

Let’s build better sales teams—together.

Simon Spalding
Director – Uplift Recruitment
Helping businesses attract, hire, and retain high-performing sales talent