5 days in the office for sales teams - good or bad?
Recent articles highlighted the drive to bring staff back to the office 5 days a week, with law firms and Financial Services paying a premium to attract talent back to the office 5 Days a week.
At Santa Monica Talent we are noticing the trend of “5 days a week in the office” is most pronounced in sales teams for our digital clients and the technology marketplace, with more companies asking sales staff to come back to the office full time.
But why specifically sales teams? 🧑
In March ‘24, the number of jobs in the UK listed as fully remote fell compared to March ‘23, pulling back on the remote and flexible work peaks seen in the pandemic. Also, flexible jobs only made up 16.5% of total vacancies on the job boards in Feb 2024, with working mothers likely being the main losers if hybrid roles start to disappear.
5 Days a week in the office 🧑💻
Within the tech industry it's mostly the sales function asked to come into to create a high energy team culture. Which makes sense - sales managers still put emphasis on this type of working environment to get the most from their team. Plus, if your sales function has a lot of junior employees, there is a need to nurture and train them which is more difficult remotely.
There is also a perception that being in the office gives sales teams quicker and better access to necessary information from marketing and product, peer-to-peer learning is improved, and meetings and stand-ups run more smoothly.
However, hybrid or remote sales teams do save on operational costs and it improves their own work satisfaction. Performance is also largely based on managerial and company culture rather than working location.
But how does Sales talent feel about this?
Reversing what has become the new ‘normal’ presents some challenges. From our conversations, around 75% of candidates will not even apply for jobs that do not offer some hybrid working.
➡️ 25% - Want fully remote work (Typically those who’ve moved away from London, or have family commitments)
➡️ 50% - Want flexibility, ideally 3 days in the office with 2 days remote work (Typically more experienced people who are confident they can hit targets)
➡️ 25% - Happy to be in the office 5 days week (Typically more junior staff)
For employers, this means potentially missing out on the lion’s share of the available talent pool.
Is there a solution?
Isn’t it fair to say that most sales roles have an element of deep/quiet work that could be suited to a home environment? For example, research, admin and email marketing.
Therefore, is there room to find a balance between office and remote, home-based work?
Or would employers be prepared to pay a higher salary to get the top 10% of talent back in the office 5 days a week, like how the Law firms are paying a premium to attract staff back to the office? This would compensate for the increased travel (£5000 per year in London) and daily food costs.
We have noticed 3 different options being offered across all industries and functions, not just software sales.
Increased base salary for 5 days a week in the office - Like law firms
Day rate part time roles, 2 or 3 days only - Mostly Marketing and HR
10% to 25% Less on the base for hybrid, saving the employee on travel costs and allowing staff to move further out of the main cities (More common in the US, less so in the UK at this stage)
Working location can be a factor in attracting talent, but they also need to fit your company ethos and culture. Finding that balance is key for setting the foundations for a high-performing sales function.
Get in touch to discuss your sales talent plans.
You can DM Ellis on LinkedIn or email ell@santamonica.digital for a confidential discussion.