Where Sales and Marketing Hiring Investment Held in H1 2026
posted 01 Jul 26
While some businesses pulled back on commercial hiring in H1 2026, investment continued in the roles most directly tied to revenue generation and growth.
The picture from our conversations was consistent: where businesses had pipeline confidence, they hired. Where they lacked it, they paused. The gap between those two groups is already visible heading into H2.
Where Hiring Investment Continued
The clearest signal from H1 was the volume of senior commercial hiring activity.
VP of Sales placements reached their highest level in any six-month period we have tracked. Companies with confidence in their commercial direction invested at the top of the market rather than waiting for conditions to improve. These were strategic decisions to strengthen commercial leadership ahead of H2 growth plans.
Technical Sales was the other defining area of sustained demand. Roles combining product knowledge with solution selling capability remained consistently active across North America and Europe throughout H1. Employers continued investing because the commercial case was clear: the right Technical Sales hire generates revenue, even where other hiring budgets were reduced.
The one notable pause came from a business undergoing a global HQ budget review ahead of a planned sale. Sales hiring was frozen pending the outcome but was expected to resume once the process concluded. The business still needed to generate revenue in the lead-up to the sale. One freeze. Everything else moved.
Candidate Behaviour and Hiring Challenges
Senior commercial candidates in H1 were thoughtful and selective. They were open to a move but only when the opportunity represented a genuine step forward, both professionally and financially.
The most common motivations for moving were career progression, greater strategic influence, stronger leadership teams, and limited growth opportunities. Company stability, culture, and long-term direction also featured more prominently than in previous years, with candidates becoming increasingly selective about where they moved.
What made candidates say no was equally telling. Compensation that did not meet expectations, concerns about perceived risk, a lack of confidence in the hiring company's growth plans, and counteroffers from current employers were the most frequent reasons strong candidates declined opportunities.
Senior candidates were generally very thoughtful in H1 and only willing to move when there was a clear step forward professionally and financially.
The hardest role to fill in the current market is the junior Sales Engineer. The combination of technical qualification requirements and proven sales experience in a candidate-short environment creates a profile most businesses underestimate when setting compensation.Â
Skills That Drove DemandÂ
The demand patterns from H1 show what employers value most in commercial hires.Â
Technical Sales capability, the ability to understand a complex product and translate it into a compelling commercial conversation, was the highest-volume skill in demand across the period. Companies investing here were not just filling vacancies. They were building the commercial infrastructure needed to compete in increasingly technical sales environments.Â
At VP level and above, the skills that attracted the most interest were those that extended beyond pure revenue ownership. Employers wanted commercial leaders who could influence strategy, develop teams, and operate credibly at board level. The most sought-after VP candidates combined a strong track record of building commercial functions with clear strategic vision.Â
Leadership capability and cross-functional influence were consistently cited by hiring managers as the differentiating factors between candidates who progressed and those who did not.Â
H2 Outlook
Commercial hiring conditions in H2 are expected to remain active, particularly at the senior and specialist end of the market.Â
The increase in hiring volume reflects genuine confidence in commercial investment, and our conversations heading into Q3 support continued demand.
The businesses best positioned for H2 are those that move quickly, communicate a clear growth story, and offer packages that reflect where the market has moved. Those that come to market slowly or with below-market compensation will face the same challenges seen in H1.
It is always a good time to hire whether you are scaling operations, want to generate more revenue, or upgrading your existing team. People drive growth.
For a closer look at where commercial hiring was most active in H1 and what it means for H2 planning, download the Henderson Scott Sales & Marketing H1 2026 Hiring Intelligence Snapshot. If you are planning commercial hires in H2 and want to understand what the talent landscape looks like for your specific requirements, get in touch with the Henderson Scott Sales & Marketing team.Â
