Sciolytix Sales Hiring Index Down Sharply in January Reflecting Seasonal Influences 

New York, NY., Jan 4, 2023 – The Sciolytix Sales Hiring Index (SSHI) fell from 95.5 in December 2022 to 73.2 in January 2023. The SSHI measures relative demand for full-time sales talent in the US over the last 30 days through new sales job postings on Zip Recruiter, Indeed, LinkedIn and Glassdoor. 

The decrease of 22.3 points is the largest drop in the SSHI since it began in July 2022. It suggests demand for salespeople softened over the past 30 days. The broad-based SSHI fell 27.7 points to 64.1, while the B2B-SSHI fell 10.0 points to 96.9. 

The data highlights the seasonal nature of sales hiring as organizations staff-up in the fall and then throttle sales hiring back during the holiday season and early New Year. This is especially pronounced in the retail industry.

6 Month Hiring Trends

Over the past six months, the broad-based sales hiring index increased 1.4 points from August through November and then fell in December before sharply dropping in January. B2B sales hiring index increased by 6.9 points from August to December, then fell 10.0 points in January. 

In a recent article, Mega-Companies Messed Up America’s Job Market. They’re Doing it Again, the Wall Street Journal reports that headlines about big layoffs don’t mean the job market is melting. Still, they point out excessive hiring by America’s big companies during the pandemic.

According to WSJ, part of what has made America’s job market so tight is that big, publicly traded companies hired like crazy after the pandemic struck. Now that many are slamming into reverse, it seems like a wave of unemployment is underway. For the people affected, job losses are horrible. But when it comes to the job market, rather than thinking of these layoffs as a sign that things are falling apart, they might indicate that it could come into better balance.

According to Dario Priolo, Sciolytix Chief Marketing Officer and creator of the SSHI, “It’s easy to get caught up in the hype and overreact, but business and sales leaders must carefully consider their market and needs before hiring or firing salespeople.”  

About Sciolytix

Sciolytix is a software company revolutionizing how organizations hire, onboard, and develop their employees. Our solutions use immersive learning and predictive analytics to align people with performance outcomes. Now you can validate applicants’ skills and minimize the risk of bringing on the wrong talent. Reduce ramp time through personalized learning powered by artificial intelligence. And use virtual simulations to instill best practices that stick. 
To learn more, visit www.sciolytix.com.