SaaS Company Hiring Trends 2026: Many Companies Achieved Last Year's Goals; Demand for "CMO & Manager Candidates" to Increase in 2026

MM Research Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku, Tokyo; CEO: Haruhiro Hagiwara), a marketing company supporting the digital shift in sales and marketing, announced the results of its "2026: SaaS Company Recruitment Activities" intention survey targeting HR and recruitment personnel at SaaS companies. The survey revealed that while SaaS company recruitment activities continue at a high level, there is a "broadening" in recruitment areas and required skills.

Key findings from this survey indicate that SaaS companies are not only maintaining high hiring momentum but are also expanding their recruitment scope to include management positions and are increasingly seeking candidates with analytical skills and the ability to utilize generative AI.

＜Survey Background＞

The previous year's hiring trend survey showed that over 80% of SaaS companies responded that they would "actively recruit in 2025," highlighting a strong hiring appetite, particularly for inside sales positions.

With the expansion of the SaaS market, the "hiring fever" in the SaaS industry remains at a high level.

Survey on Intentions Regarding "2025 SaaS Company Recruitment Activities": https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000071.000051914.html

In 2026, will SaaS companies continue to accelerate their hiring efforts, and what specific skill sets will be required for the next generation of sales professionals?

To address these questions, MM Research Inc., which operates 'Marucari NEXT CAREER' (https://next.mar-cari.jp/), conducted the "2026: SaaS Company Recruitment Activities" intention survey targeting HR and recruitment personnel at SaaS companies.

＜Survey Results Summary＞

・Over 70% achieved or exceeded 2025 hiring targets, indicating strong performance.

・In 2026, recruitment targets will expand from individual contributors to management levels.

・Required skills are shifting towards "analytical and problem-finding abilities," with growing expectations for "generative AI utilization."

Survey Overview: "2026: SaaS Company Recruitment Activities" Intention Survey

【Survey Period】February 25 (Wed) - February 26 (Thu), 2026

【Survey Method】Internet survey conducted by PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press)

【Number of Respondents】1,005 people

【Survey Target】Monitors who responded that they work in HR or recruitment at SaaS companies at the time of the survey.

【Survey Provider】MM Research Inc. (https://www.mmsouken.co.jp/)

【Monitor Provider】Sakurisa

The full survey results can be viewed here:

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Basic Information of Companies Where Responding HR Personnel Belong

First, we share the employee count and overview of SaaS products provided by the companies where the HR personnel who cooperated with this survey belong.

＜Basic Information Summary＞

・"201 or more employees" accounted for 41.8% of the total, and "51-150 employees" accounted for 39.2%.

・"Vertical SaaS" accounted for 73.5% (over 70%) of the SaaS products provided.

・Regarding support for SaaS products, "Human Resources/Labor" was the most common at 34.5%, followed by "Marketing/Sales" (18.5%) and "Finance/Accounting/Bookkeeping" (17.5%).

・The industry most specialized in by vertical SaaS was "Manufacturing/Logistics" at 30.3%.

Based on this preliminary information, let's take a closer look at the latest survey results, comparing them with the results of last year's "2025 SaaS Company Recruitment Activities" intention survey (https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000071.000051914.html).

SaaS Industry Hiring Trends for 2026? Trend Towards Strengthening Systems for Management Roles Leading the Organization

First, let's look at the hiring achievement status for 2025 overall.

Were your hiring targets for 2025 achieved?

"Successfully hired more personnel than the target (19.8%)"

"Achieved hiring targets (54.5%)"

"Did not achieve hiring targets (22.3%)"

"No hiring targets (3.4%)"

Combining "Successfully hired more personnel than the target" and "Achieved hiring targets," over 70% of companies achieved or exceeded their hiring targets, indicating that recruitment activities in the SaaS industry as a whole have been performing well.

Compared to the previous year's survey results (total of "Achieved + Exceeded": 68.2%), the percentage of companies that achieved their targets increased, while the percentage of companies that "did not achieve" decreased (from 26.4% to 22.3%).

This suggests that not only is the hiring enthusiasm in SaaS companies maintained at a high level in 2025, but companies are also steadily improving their "talent acquisition capabilities."

What is the hiring achievement status by SaaS field (product attribute)?

The full survey results can be viewed here:

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Now, what kind of talent are companies planning to secure for mid-career sales and marketing positions in 2026?

When asked about "plans for mid-career sales and marketing recruitment activities in 2026," the most common response was "Actively planning to hire for member, leader, and manager levels (53.6%)." This was followed by "Actively planning to hire for member positions (26.4%)" and "Actively planning to hire for leader and manager positions (16.8%)."

Last year, "Actively planning to hire for member positions" was the most common response at over 40%. However, this year, the proportion of companies "actively planning to hire for a wide range from member to manager levels" has increased to over half.

This change suggests that SaaS companies are entering an organizational expansion phase, with a focus on not only the execution-level members but also on enhancing the systems and differentiating roles for leaders and managers who drive the organization.

Which specific job types and domains will receive the most hiring focus? What is the hiring policy for inexperienced candidates?

The full survey results can be viewed here:

View Details

Evolution of Skills Required for Next-Generation Sales: "Analytical Ability" Emerges, and Generative AI Becomes a Partner to Enhance Sales "Quality"

What specific skills are sought after for sales positions?

When asked about "the ideal candidate profile currently sought for sales positions," the most common response was "Strong communication skills (31.8%)." This was followed by "Strong analytical skills (30.2%)," "Strong problem-finding skills (26.4%)," and "Generative AI utilization skills (25.3%)."

Compared to the previous survey, "Strong listening skills," which ranked second, has dropped in ranking. Meanwhile, the importance of cognitive skills such as "strong analytical skills" and "strong problem-finding skills" has increased, in addition to traditional communication skills.

Notably, "strong problem-finding skills" increased by 6% from the previous survey, indicating an expectation for cognitive skills that can define issues from data and propose solutions.

Furthermore, "Generative AI utilization skills," which was added this time, garnered about 30% of the support, showing a growing need for individuals who can leverage technology in addition to interpersonal skills.

How specifically are generative AI skills expected to be applied?

Finally, when asked "What specific 'generative AI utilization skills' are expected for sales positions?", the most common response was "Content generation (emails, proposals, scripts, etc.) (61.4%)." This was followed by "Improving operational efficiency (information gathering, task automation, etc.) (53.5%)," and "Supporting personalization of customer communication (45.3%)."

Expectations extend beyond mere speed improvement to include "support for personalization," enabling optimal communication tailored to each customer.

This suggests a demand for professionals who can enhance the "quality" of sales by utilizing generative AI, not just increase speed.

Conclusion: 2026 SaaS Hiring Demands "Thinking x Technology" Professionals

This survey reveals that SaaS company hiring activities are maintaining the strong momentum from the previous year, with a broadening scope in recruitment areas and desired candidate profiles.

The scope of recruitment is expanding beyond individual contributors to management levels, evolving towards hiring that considers the overall growth of the organization.

In terms of required skills, the importance of "thinking x technology" is increasing, encompassing traditional strengths like communication skills, along with analytical and problem-finding abilities, and the advancement of business operations through generative AI utilization.

In light of these changes, professionals who possess both sales and marketing perspectives, and can maximize customer value by leveraging data and technology, will be increasingly sought after to thrive in the SaaS industry.

For Support with Job Transitions to SaaS Companies, Use "Marucari NEXT CAREER"

MM Research Inc., which conducted the "2026: SaaS Company Recruitment Activities" intention survey, operates the SaaS sales-specialized recruitment agency 'Marucari NEXT CAREER' (https://next.mar-cari.jp/).

What is "Marucari NEXT CAREER"?