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10K Advisors Releases Third Annual Salesforce Talent Ecosystem Report

2020 Research Shows Significant Slowing of Growth in Salesforce Talent Supply and Demand, but Progress in Gender Diversity and a Positive Outlook for Independent Salesforce Consultants

Louisville, KY – Nov 11, 2020 – Today, 10K released its third annual Salesforce Talent Ecosystem Report, analyzing the trends and statistics that are impacting a growing number of people around the world who provide or need Salesforce-related skills. 

While this year found a substantial decrease in talent supply growth compared to 2019’s 151% increase, global demand for Salesforce Developers increased significantly at 23%. 2020 also revealed gender diversity in the Salesforce talent ecosystem continues to improve with almost all roles and regions showing an increase in female profiles.  

This year’s report also includes a special spotlight on the experiences of independent Salesforce consultants in 2020, based on a survey of 115 respondents across North America, Europe, and Asia. Our findings show they are some of the most experienced Salesforce experts available, and the majority of them not only plan to remain independent but also plan to also grow their business – even amidst the current environment.  

“While we expected demand for Salesforce talent to drop due to the pandemic and the global economic environment, we were surprised at how much it declined given Salesforce’s business continues to grow at such a rapid pace and the increase in digital transformation initiatives,” said Nick Hamm, CEO of 10K. “There were a number of bright spots within the data though, including continued high demand for Salesforce developers and the incremental progress we’re seeing in gender diversity. We still have a long way to go in this area, especially when it comes to the pay disparity we saw in our survey of independent consultants, but the efforts of Salesforce and others in the ecosystem do seem to be having an impact.”

Key Findings from the Report

Global supply of Salesforce talent grew 29% in 2020, but growth was down substantially from the 151% increase we saw in 2019.

The supply of Salesforce Technical Architects saw the highest growth across all roles, growing 29% YoY. However, they are still only 1% of overall talent supply.

Overall demand for Salesforce talent was down 7% YoY across all roles and regions, but most significantly among Salesforce Administrators and in North America. 

Global demand for Salesforce developers increased significantly at 23%, while Technical Architects saw a 41% decrease in demand — a recipe for increasing technical debt in the coming years.

Gender diversity in the Salesforce talent ecosystem continues to improve with almost all roles and regions showing an increase in female profiles. In terms of regional progress, India leads the pack with 3 roles showing a double-digit increase in the ratio of female profiles.

Pay disparity remains an issue among independent consultants. While 28% of male survey respondents reported charging rates of more than $150/hour, only 4% of females reported the same.

While overall talent supply growth slows, the number of consulting partners on AppExchange grew by nearly 30%, eclipsing 1600. Nearly half of all partners have 5 or fewer certified experts.

Independent Salesforce consultants are a seasoned group — nearly 60% of independents surveyed had 7 or more years of Salesforce experience, with 25% reporting 11 or more years of experience.

More than 50% of independent Salesforce consultants said their long-term goal was to grow their own business, proof that it’s more than just a side hustle.

Only 2% of respondents think Salesforce does a very good job supporting and recognizing independent consultants.

More details on these trends and report methodology can be found by downloading the full report here

Resources

Read Nick Hamm’s blog for more commentary on 2020’s findings 

Follow 10K on LinkedIn for future articles diving into these findings

Join the conversation on Twitter (#10KTalentReport)

About 10K 

10K provides Salesforce customers and partners with on-demand access to proven Salesforce talent. Whether you are looking for extra capacity for internal teams, specialized skills that have been vetted by Salesforce MVPs, or complete program oversight, 10K’s community of 400+ architects, developers, analysts, admins, and platform specialists can help. 10K’s unique model is flexible, transparent, easy to manage, and delivers results without the headaches and over-promises companies often experience with traditional technology consultancies. For more information, visit us at www.10kview.com.

 

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