Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Emblaze have partnered to bring the Inside Sales community research in 2021.

In the third installment, we've surveyed leading companies to examine the talent mix at inside sales teams. The survey of C-suite-level business leaders at Fortune 500 companies reveals that inside sales talent has become an increasingly critical resource—and that organizations must devote more attention to recruiting and retention.

Download the infograph above! 

Quick Findings: 

1. The competitive market for top inside sales talent has been exacerbated by an increased demand for virtual sales due to COVID-19. 
2. For both entry-level and senior roles, companies are most likely to recruit from within. The main sources of talent are customer-facing groups in the organization.
3. Companies may be able to improve their recruiting results by tailoring their search criteria to specific roles.
4. Companies may be limiting their talent pipeline by requiring a college degree for entry-level hires.
5. Inside sales teams have more churn than field sales teams do, but higher compensation and better career planning can improve retention.
6. Less than half of firms have explicit diversity and inclusion targets. Instead, most use broad programs as a key means of attracting and retaining talent.