Sales leaders: we see these three mistakes in sales vacancies every week.

Key Points:

  • Many sales vacancies fail to attract the right candidates because they are written for internal purposes rather than external appeal.

  • Key mistakes include not listing salary, over-specifying requirements, and using generic vacancy texts that do not match the role.

  • To improve candidate attraction, vacancies should be transparent about salary, avoid unnecessary requirements, and be formatted appropriately for the role.

At Katapult, we review sales vacancies every single week. From early-stage SaaS startups to scaleups with full sales orgs in place.

Most of them fail for the same reason. They are written to look professional internally, not to attract and convert the right sales candidates externally.

Salespeople are buyers. Your vacancy is the product. In the video down below we explain the top 3 mistakes made, backed by research. 

The Most Common Mistakes in Sales Vacancies

1. If you do not list salary, most candidates will not apply

This is the fastest way to kill inbound.

Roughly 70% of relevant candidates will not apply when compensation is missing. Not because they are difficult, but because they are experienced.

Strong salespeople understand their market value. When salary is not listed, they assume one of three things:

  • The role is under market

  • The company is not aligned internally

  • The number will be negotiated down later

None of those signals attract high-quality sales talent.

If you want volume, list a range. If you want relevance, list a realistic one.

2. Over-specifying requirements filters out the wrong people

Many sales vacancies read like a wish list. Years of experience. Industry background. Tooling. Perfect language skills. Proven track record in a very narrow context.

This does not increase quality. It reduces it. It disproportionately impacts female candidates.

Research from McKinsey shows that women typically apply only when they meet close to 100% of the listed requirements, while men apply at around 60 to 70%.

Every unnecessary requirement shrinks your funnel and introduces bias you probably did not intend.

If a requirement is not critical for success in the first six months, it does not belong in the vacancy.

3. Your vacancy needs to match the role, not your employer brand deck

Generic titles and long-form vacancy texts do not perform.

If you are hiring BDRs or SDRs, write short, sharp content. Make it skimmable. Write like a human. Do not be afraid to use emoticons if it fits the audience.

If you are hiring a CCO or VP-level role, do the opposite. Senior candidates expect clarity, substance, and restraint. No fluff. No gimmicks.

The mistake is treating all roles the same.

Sales candidates scroll fast. Your vacancy either earns attention immediately or it is ignored.

The takeaway

  • A vacancy is not an internal document. It is a conversion asset.

  • If your sales role is not attracting the right candidates, the market is rarely the problem. The copy usually is.

  • Transparent salary. Fewer fake requirements. Formatting that matches the role.

That is how you improve inbound before you spend a euro on sourcing.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions about top mistakes in sales vacancies

Why is it important to list salary in a sales vacancy?

Not listing salary can deter roughly 70% of relevant candidates from applying, as they may assume the role is under market, the company is misaligned, or that the salary will be negotiated down.

How does over-specifying requirements affect candidate applications?

Over-specifying requirements can filter out qualified candidates, particularly impacting female applicants who typically apply only if they meet close to 100% of the listed requirements.

What should be considered when writing a vacancy for different sales roles?

Vacancies should match the role; for BDRs or SDRs, content should be short and skimmable, while for senior roles like CCO or VP, clarity and substance are essential without fluff.