A good Salesforce recruiter can make all the difference to your job search.
With in-depth knowledge of the platform, strong relationships with Salesforce partners and customers, and first-hand experience in the ever-changing job market, these specialist hiring experts are a great asset to have at your disposal when you’re looking to take your Salesforce career to the next level.
If you’re a Salesforce professional, you’ve probably crossed paths with specialist Salesforce recruiters at some point on your career journey. You’ll also know that not every recruiter that purports to be a Salesforce expert has the chops to back up their claims.
So how do you sort the real Salesforce hiring connoisseurs—the ones who can give you invaluable advice and connect you with great opportunities—from the charlatans trying to piggyback on a lucrative job market?
As the real deal in Salesforce recruitment, we can help you tell the difference. Let’s take a look at some red flags to be aware of on your Salesforce career journey.
The Salesforce jobs market in 2025
There’s a lot of opportunity to be seized in the Salesforce jobs market today.
Although fresher admins may see more competition for entry level roles, the overall talent shortage continues. Demand is particularly high for professionals with a few years of practice under their belts, or niche experience in apps like CPQ, Revenue Cloud, OmniStudio, and Industries solutions such as Health, and Financial Services.
While the skyrocketing salaries we saw post-pandemic have cooled slightly, the wages on offer for Salesforce professionals remain high, especially for those with more specialized skills. Those in more senior technical positions, such as Architects, Lead Developers, and Consultants, can still recieve multiple offers in today’s market.
With a lot of companies facing tight budgets and operating more cautiously, many are using contract-to-hire offers to mitigate risk. It’s also important to note that, despite the majority of Salesforce roles remaining remote-friendly, hybrid roles are becoming more common. Enterprise-level companies especially are pushing for more time on-site, with two-to-three days in the office now a regular ask.
Why work with a specialist Salesforce recruiter?
Using a specialist Salesforce recruiter—rather than working with generalist tech recruiter or shouldering your job search alone—can give you a major advantage.
In-depth knowledge of the ecosystem
For one, they truly understand the Salesforce ecosystem. They know the differences between roles and appreciate the specific skills and experience that distinguishes an Admin from a Developer from an Architect. They know about certifications and their value, and they know which skills are most in demand from hiring managers at any given time.
Exclusive access to jobs
With this knowledge at their disposal, they can more accurately assess your fit and suggest roles you might not have considered. And, since they have good relationships with businesses that use Salesforce, they often have exclusive access to jobs that you won’t find publicly advertised or on offer with other recruiters.
Help with negotiation
A good Salesforce recruiter will also be very familiar with current market rates, and will handle salary negotiation on your behalf to make sure you get the best possible rates—without the need for you to do any research or have any awkward conversations.
Support with interview prep
A Salesforce recruiter will know exactly what their client wants, and since they actually understand the technical ins and outs of Salesforce, they can help you get ahead of the curve with interview preparation. Their experience hiring for Salesforce job roles means they’ll know what kind of questions candidates get asked when going up for specific Salesforce roles.
Thanks to their relationship with the client, they can also tip you off with the exact technical topics the hiring manager cares about, so you can start preparing to talk about your biggest Flow automation project.
Better matches in less time
Working with a knowledgeable recruiter means they filter out poor fits or low-ball offers for you, so you don’t have to waste time whittling down your options. Plus, many companies prioritize recruiter-submitted candidates over direct applicants, so you’ll get the wheels turning faster.
Career-long support
Building a good relationship with a Salesforce recruiter can pay off throughout your career, because you’ll know exactly there to turn when you’re ready to make your next move. Having an advocate who’ll stay in touch and reach out about future opportunities, advise on certifications, and tell you what skills are likely to boost your earning potential will make leveling up your career a breeze at any stage.
5 red flags to look for when using a Salesforce recruiter
If you’ve got Salesforce recruiters sliding into your inbox, you need to know which is worth investing your time and trust in if you want to get the best results from your job hunt. Here’s how to save yourself time and stress by spotting bogus Salesforce hiring pros.
🚩 They don’t understand Salesforce
If a recruiter can’t explain the difference between common roles, like Admin and Developer or CPQ Specialist and Sales Cloud Consultant, they don’t have the know-how to match you to the right role or understand the value of your skills when it comes to salary negotiation.
Without this in-depth knowledge of how Salesforce works, its various apps, and the skills needed to perform specific roles, you may find that they ask you to apply for roles that don’t match your skillset or totally undersell you to potential employers.
🚩They’re pushy or unprofessional
A recruiter that doesn’t know Salesforce isn’t going to know a good candidate like you when they see one, so they’re more likely to mess you around. They might pressure you to accept an offer quickly without letting you think about it (and before they’re exposed as a chancer).
They’re also more likely to ghost you or fail to follow up; possibly because they’re just collecting resumes, or maybe because they don’t actually understand how to qualify your skills against the role.
Remember, good recruiters respect your time—especially in a fast-changing market like Salesforce—so be wary of people who schedule calls last-minute or don’t show up when they say they will.
🚩They’re cagey about the role’s key details
A good Salesforce recruiter will know all about the role, the business that’s hiring for it, the technologies involved, and the technical goals that the client wants to achieve by bringing you on board.
Shady recruiters will not only avoid answering questions about the hiring manager and salary range, but they’ll also be unlikely to provide details about why the organization is hiring for a Salesforce pro, what projects that person will be working on, and what their future plans are for their Salesforce instance.
And because they don’t have the required level of understanding to explain these things to you, they’ll be unhelpfully vague or kick the can down the road and say that the client will clarify later—leaving you in the dark about whether you’re even suitable for the job.
🚩They don’t have a strong Salesforce network
If a recruiter says they’re in deep with the Salesforce ecosystem, but only shares public job postings with you, then they’re probably fibbing about their level of engagement in the Salesforce jobs market.
Anyone can forward a public job posting, but a good Salesforce recruiter will have connections at Salesforce partners or top consulting firms, and will be able to connect you with exclusive job roles that they’ve been directly entrusted to fill.
🚩 They have a bad reputation
If you suspect a Salesforce recruiter isn’t quite the expert they say they are, look for feedback from your peers in the Salesforce space. LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Reddit, and Salesforce community feedback boards like the Trailblazer Community forums are good places to start.
Good recruiters have testimonials and long-term relationships with candidates; if you’re finding complaints about them being dishonest or unresponsive, it’s probably best to cut them off.
🚩They make questionable requests
Any recruiter who asks for money to work with you or put you forward for a role is a crook; no legitimate recruiter will ever ask you to pay for their services, as they’re paid by the hiring company.
Similarly, if they ask you to falsify your experience or lie about certifications in any way, that’s a hard pass.
5 questions to find a help root out a bad Salesforce recruiter
Is that ‘Salesforce recruiter’ really equipped to help you land the right role? Here are five key questions you can ask to test a recruiter’s Salesforce expertise.
A strong recruiter will answer these confidently and ask you smart follow-ups. If they stumble, they’re likely just resume-forwarders.
- “What’s the most in-demand Salesforce certification for this role, and why?”
This question lets you know whether they track market trends. Their answer should reflect the fact that certification demand varies by role, and they should be able to namedrop specific certifications for specific roles; Platform Developer II for Developers, for example, or CPQ Specialist for Consultants.
- “How would you position my experience with [specific skill, e.g., LWC, CPQ, Nonprofit Cloud] to your client?”
This question shows you whether they understand your skill set and if they can strategically sell your strengths. What you don’t want to hear is a generic like, “You’re a great fit!” without any technical specifics.
- “What’s the salary range for this role based on my background and location?”
As a candidate, you need to know that the recruiter is aware of current Salesforce compensation benchmarks, understands your individual value, and has the knowledge to back up their position in salary negotiations. Ideally, they’ll be able to provide a reasonable range for your role and your location that also factors in certs and experience. For example, “$120K–$150K for a Solution Architect in NYC”.
- “Can you tell me about the hiring manager’s Salesforce tech stack or project roadmap?”
If a recruiter is really working closely with the client, and isn’t just piggybacking on a publicly available job description, they’ll have access to insider details about the client’s requirements and goals. They should be able to tell you about specific clouds they use, integrations they might be looking into (like MuleSoft), or upcoming migrations—and how you would fit into those plans.
- “What’s one piece of advice you’d give me as a Salesforce candidate in this market?”
A smart Salesforce recruiter will have their finger on the pulse, and know what’s in demand in the market right now. They should be able to offer you tailored tips like, “Highlight your Flow expertise—it’s huge right now” or “Get your OmniStudio cert if you’re targeting consultancies.”
Level up your career with the best Salesforce recruiters in the industry
Mason Frank International is the undisputed global leader in Salesforce recruitment. Whether you’re looking for perm or contract roles, we have the in-depth expertise, relationships, and experience needed to get you where you want to be in your Salesforce career.
With more than 300 expert recruiters dedicated solely to Salesforce roles, and a five-star Trustpilot rating, you won’t find a better partner to support you throughout your professional journey.
