The Creative Group released their “Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals” today which reveals the latest data on hiring trends. According to the data, twenty-one per cent of executives interviewed are saying they will add full-time staff in the next three months, and 6 per cent forecast reductions in personnel. Most respondents, 68 per cent, expect to make no changes to their current staffing levels.
Other key findings:
- The net 15 per cent of executives planning to hire in the first quarter of 2012 is up two points from the same time period last year and down 11 points from the previous quarter
- Fifty-four per cent of respondents said it’s challenging to find skilled creative professionals today, down five points from three months ago
- Eighty-two per cent of marketing and advertising executives are confident in their companies’ growth prospects for the first quarter
- Web design/production, public relations and social media are the specialties in greatest demand, according to executives interviewed
Executives were also asked which areas they expect to see the most growth which included web design/production ranked first, with 29 per cent of the response, followed by public relations and social media, each with 23 per cent. Fifty-four per cent of respondents said it’s challenging for their firms to find skilled creative professionals.
Marketing and advertising executives were also asked, “In which of the following areas do you expect to hire in the first quarter of 2012?” Their responses are in the chart above.
They have also put together a chart which shows some of the challenges that executive face in finding talent, click on the image to enlarge. [singlepic id=911 w=320 h=240 float=center]