High performers are looking for more than perks; you need to understand their wants and priorities.
If you’re struggling to get high performers to take your calls, you’re not alone. In 2025, the hiring market is more competitive than ever, and the selling points that worked just a few years ago are no longer enough.
Most of the time, hiring managers lead with “culture,” “training,” or vague claims about opportunity. But here’s the truth: top-tier candidates aren’t desperate for a job. They’re evaluating your opportunity with the same scrutiny you use to evaluate them.
What are the top candidates in Vienna really looking for? Let’s walk through the hierarchy of what matters most for recruitment in 2025:
1. Product-Market Fit (PMF), Accounts Executive (AE) Success, and Quota Realism. This is the non-negotiable. Candidates want proof that your company has momentum; that it has growth in revenue, customer base, and great product adoption. The first thing they would usually ask is: “Can I win here?” That’s answered by how well your product fits the market.
The next question is: “How are your current reps doing?” If your top performers are missing or, worse, failing to meet quota, that tells a candidate two things. First, your quotas are realistic, and second, success is possible. No one wants to walk into a broken system.
“Candidates don’t just want to hear about perks; they want evidence of growth, momentum, and support.”
2. Lead generation support. Are reps getting strong inbound leads, or is it all outbound hustle? In 2025, lead generation support has become one of the most crucial factors in a candidate’s evaluation process, especially in sales roles.
While top dealers are known for their ability to hunt and close deals independently, even the best performers understand the value of a strong marketing engine behind them. If you have a marketing engine that delivers marketing qualified leads (MQLs) or a sales process that warms up prospects, that’s a huge advantage.
3. Existing customers and warm accounts. Can a rep step into some existing business or warm leads? That’s not laziness, but rather more of a strategy. It helps them get hired faster, understand your product in action, and generate early wins that build confidence and commissions.
4. Culture, training, and team support. These actually matter in helping to close deals later in the process, but they’re not what really attracts most of the top candidates. Early on, candidates are likely more focused on whether this move makes sense financially and professionally.
So if you’re struggling to get candidates to respond, the problem isn’t your role. It’s most likely about how you’re presenting it to your candidates. Candidates don’t just want to hear about perks; they want evidence of growth, momentum, and support.
I can help you restructure your pitch and position your company as the ideal place for top reps to thrive. Reach out to me at 703-955-4452, or email me at info@cmicareers.com, and let’s help you land more first conversations with the top candidates you actually want to hire.