Performance Drivers · Finding 07 of 16

Is it cheaper to upskill existing sales reps or hire new ones?

Finding

Upskilling. On a 50-rep team at £500K quota per rep, lifting 20 mid-tier reps from the 55–65 capability band to 65– 75 moves their attainment from 23% to 47% and delivers £2.4M in additional attained revenue.

The data

Measure

Lift capability

Hire to fill the gap

Capability

20 mid-tier reps
55–65 → 65–75

12 new hires

Attainment change

23% → 47%

~40% year-one attainment

Revenue outcome

+£2.4M

Cost

Development investment

£1.2M+ year one

Time to impact

Current cycle

6–9 month ramp

What it means for revenue leaders

A 10-point capability lift in the middle tier can deliver the revenue equivalent of 12 new hires without the ramp time, the attrition exposure or the management overhead. The question is not whether to invest in the revenue org — it is where the faster return sits.

How this was measured

Illustrative scenario built on observed attainment rates by capability tier from the Index dataset. Attainment figures (23% and 47%) are actual observed rates for the 55–65 and 65–75 capability bands.

Source: Global Sales Capability Index 2026 (Uhubs). Based on 500,000+ dual-scored sales capability assessments across 45 countries and 30+ role types, 2020–2026. Published April 2026.