The world of recruitment has experienced many changes since the beginning of the pandemic, with the majority of organisations’ perspective switching from hiring to cost cutting and an emphasis on retention of existing staff. However, there has since been a boost in confidence when it comes to recruitment in the majority of industries, and with marketing, communications and digital naturally playing a critical role in the growth of organisations, this has increased demand in what was already a competitive market.
The pandemic also prompted a large number of organisations to undergo transformation in their existing marketing strategy, thus focusing investment in marketing departments and staff.
There has been an increase in the requirement for all aspects of marketing within an organization, ranging from the more junior level administrative support roles, to the senior Marketing Managers, ‘Heads Of’ and ‘CMOs.’ The emphasis is now on growth over financial concerns that were previously attributed to the pandemic. This in turn, has led to salaries becoming much more competitive.
Many companies have had to streamline staff as a result of Covid-19, and now they are replenishing these positions, businesses are compromised by their budget to preventing the ability to attract the best talent. A Digital Marketing Executive role in Essex in 2019 would pay £30k per annum. The same role in 2022 now pays upwards of £38k. As a result, now more than ever, candidates are looking to change positions and people looking for new roles is expected to increase even more in the next year.
It can be tempting for candidates to accept a role offering the highest salary; however it is important to remember that the role and the company are also huge factors to be considered when accepting a new position. Salaries, eventually, will plateau, but company culture cannot be compromised with a higher base salary.
My advice to my candidates would be to discuss your potential move with a specialist marketing recruiter. We are here to help with your career planning, future goals, and offer guidance as to where your next step should be. There are vast opportunities within the market, therefore it is important to choose the one that fits your career aspirations, is in line with your work-life balance, not just making your decision on salary alone.
My advice to my clients would be the need to tailor their hiring strategy to be as efficient and decisive as possible. In this market, the top candidates will be snapped up quickly due to the competitive salaries and benefits that are offered, as well as the flexible working opportunities. Candidates in this market are likely to be involved in multiple processes, and thus, able to be influenced by their experience from the first contact through to the offer stage. As salaries continue to rise ,it is necessary when making an offer to be realistic yet competitive.