Report Shows Q4 Hiring Plans of Marketing and Ad Execs

Seventeen percent of marketing and advertising executives plan to add full-time staff in the next three months, according to The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals. Four percent forecast reductions in personnel. The resulting net 13 percent of executives who anticipate hiring is up two points from the third-quarter forecast. Much of the growth is on the agency side, with a net 34 percent of these advertising executives planning to add full-time employees.

The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals 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. Executives are asked whether their companies plan to increase or decrease the number of full-time advertising and marketing personnel on their staff during the coming quarter. The survey is conducted by an independent research firm and developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing interactive, design and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis.

Key Findings

The net 13 percent of executives planning to hire in the fourth quarter is up two points from the third-quarter 2012 forecast. A net 34 percent of advertising executives expect to add full-time staff, compared to a net 12 percent of marketing executives.

Forty-four percent of respondents said it’s challenging to find skilled creative professionals today, down seven points from the previous quarter.

Account services, web design/production, mobile applications development and brand/product management are the specialties in greatest demand, according to marketing and advertising executives.

Eighty-six percent of respondents report they are confident in their companies’ growth prospects for the fourth quarter, down three points from the third-quarter projections.

“Advertising agencies are increasingly busy as companies turn to them for help developing digital marketing campaigns and other branding initiatives,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. “Since many of these shops are operating with lean crews, they are filling open roles and creating new ones to access specialized skills and keep pace with growing business demands.”

Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand

When executives were asked in which areas they plan to add staff in the fourth quarter, account services ranked first with 22 percent of the response, followed by web design/production, mobile applications development and brand/product management (each with 14 percent).

Forty-four percent of respondents said it’s challenging for their firms to find skilled creative professionals, down seven points from the third-quarter forecast.

Marketing and advertising executives were asked, “In which of the following areas do you expect to hire in the fourth quarter of 2012?” Their responses:

  • Account services: 22%
  • Web design/production: 14%
  • Mobile app development: 14%
  • Brand/product development: 14%
  • Media services: 13%
  • Social media: 13%
  • Interactive media: 12%
  • Print design/production: 11%
  • Public relations: 11%
  • Marketing research: 10%
  • Creative/art direction: 10%
  • Copywriting: 8%

Perspectives on Business Growth

Marketing and advertising executives’ business confidence dipped slightly from last quarter. Eighty-six percent of those interviewed said they are somewhat or very confident in their firms’ prospects for growth in the fourth quarter, down three points from three months ago.

About the Hiring Index

The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals 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 within the United States. The interviews were conducted by an independent research firm.

Information from the study is featured in the Robert Half Professional Employment Report, which was launched in 2010 and is the first study of its kind to monitor the hiring environment for professional-level positions exclusively. Based on more than 4,000 telephone interviews with executives throughout the United States, it provides insight on employment trends to help businesses and job seekers prepare for the upcoming quarter. To see how hiring in the creative profession compares to other sectors, please visit roberthalf.us/per.

LINKS

The Creative Group

The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals