Hiring in Creative and Marketing Fields to Be Strong in Q1 2012

Hiring in the creative and marketing fields is expected to remain strong in the first quarter of 2012, according to “The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals.”

  • 18 percent of executives interviewed said they plan to add full-time staff in the next three months.
  • 4 percent forecast reductions in personnel.
  • 76 percent expect to make no changes to their current staffing levels.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing interactive, design and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 500 telephone interviews—approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Key Findings

The net 14 percent of executives planning to hire in the first quarter of 2012 is up 10 points from the same time period last year and down six points from the previous quarter.

  • 45 percent of respondents said it’s challenging to find skilled creative professionals today, down 12 points from three months ago.
  • 89 percent of marketing and advertising executives are confident in their companies’ growth prospects for the first quarter, unchanged from fourth-quarter 2011 projections.
  •  Account services, brand/product management, and public relations are the specialties in greatest demand, according to respondents.

“Many companies are looking to refresh their branding to reflect new product and service offerings, as well as take their marketing campaigns to the next level in the year ahead,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. “Businesses also may have more budget dollars to invest with advertising and public relations agencies, driving demand for account services and PR professionals.”

When marketing and advertising executives were asked: “In which of the following areas do you expect to hire in the first quarter of 2012?,” their answers were as follows:

Perspectives on Business Growth

Marketing and advertising executives’ confidence in their ability to attract new business remained steady from last quarter: 89 percent of those interviewed said they were somewhat or very confident in their firms’ prospects for growth in the first quarter, unchanged from three months ago.

LINKS

The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals

The Robert Half Professional Employment Report

About The Creative Group

RELATED POST

Creative Group 2012 Salary Guide Shows Gains for Creatives