What employers need to know about salaries and skills in marketing

At Michael Page Marketing and Digital, we work closely with clients to help them tap into the best talent on the market so they can deliver on their full potential in 2023. This involves assessing the shape of the current talent market, understanding what high-calibre marketers are looking for from employers, and ultimately becoming a true employer of choice.

Salaries and remuneration are an essential part of this. In a candidate-short market with elevated hiring activity, employers can’t afford to ‘low-ball’ the talented marketers they want to attract – the competition is too great.  

That’s why our 2023 Guide to Salaries and Hiring Strategy in Marketing and Digital gives employers the insights they need to hire successfully, from the latest salary data and market trends to advice on enhancing your employer value proposition (EVP). 

Access your 2023 Marketing and Digital Salary Guide

Here, we’ll be previewing some of the key insights within the guide, including the most popular roles, levels of demand, and strategies to engage top marketing talent. 

How much demand is there for marketing talent?

The turbulence of the last few years has highlighted the importance of an effective marketing function. The pandemic required businesses to shift their brand positioning and accelerate the digitalisation processes which had already been underway for years. Accordingly, we have seen huge demand for marketing and digital professionals. 

Our research shows that over the last three months, over 107,000 marketing and digital roles have been advertised across the UK, with nearly 24,000 companies advertising.

It’s also important to note that, while demand is high across the board, some areas are more competitive than others and will be more challenging to hire in. Our data shows that the following roles are currently most popular among employers and marketing teams:

1. Head of Performance Marketing/Performance Marketing Manager
2. Marketplace Manager
3. Digital Marketing Manger
4. Head of eCommerce/eCommerce Manager
5. Head of CRM/CRM Manager
6. Brand Manager
7. Communications Manager
8. Head of Internal Communications/Internal Communications Manager
9. Marketing Director
10. Content Lead

The most in-demand marketing skills in 2023

Now that you know which roles are seeing the highest levels of interest from competitors, the next step is to know which specific skillsets are commanding a premium right now. This will enable you to manage your hiring budgets better and anticipate where you may need to work harder to outbid other employers.

Our in-house experts have identified the following skillsets as especially desirable in the current market:

• Communication
• Stakeholder management
• A commercial mindset
• Budgeting
• Analysis of large-scale data sets
• P&L responsibilities
• Leadership and/or people development experience

Of course, marketing is a fast-moving area, which is why our team has also identified three emerging skills which are growing fastest in importance:

1. Experience in marketplace management
2. Employer branding experience
3. Software proficiencies

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Enticing top tier marketing professionals in 2023 

While businesses need marketers to compete in this increasingly challenging landscape, supply is not currently meeting demand. A range of factors, from a shrunken post-pandemic workforce to rising salary expectations, has made it harder than ever for employers to hire top marketing professionals.

Luckily, an optimised talent acquisition strategy can be very impactful. Sarah Johnson, Senior Manager at Michael Page Marketing, commented:  

“There are many things that employers can do to attract top talent in today’s competitive, candidate-driven market. Writing a high-quality job description, creating an in-depth candidate pack, offering competitive benefits like healthcare, flexible holidays and pension contributions, as well as running an efficient recruitment process, will all enable your business to win top talent. It’s also effective to promote your internal training and development plans throughout the hiring journey.”

Getting your hiring timelines right

One consideration which is often overlooked – but can be make-or-break – is your hiring timelines. More specifically, how fast you move. We consult closely with clients on the need to move quickly, because have seen how frequently slow hiring processes can hinder a company’s chances of hiring the best marketers. 

So, why is it so important to hire at pace? 

The marketing talent pool has shrunk notably. Changes in legislation have reduced the number of candidates moving into the UK, and many candidates are also hesitant to move due to macroeconomic uncertainty. 

With so many employers vying for a finite group of professionals, candidates are often in multiple processes at the same time. Decisiveness, flexibility, and a speedy process are therefore your best chance at securing those in-demand star performers. 

The businesses who are most successful when it comes to hiring are those with engaging and succinct hiring processes with minimal time between stages.

How to hire in a rocky economy 

Marketers work closely with a variety of stakeholders and tend to be well attuned to both the wider commercial landscape, and growth prospects for different businesses in different sectors. 

For that reason, even a competitive salary and strong benefits package may not be enough in an uncertain economic environment – it’s also vital to highlight the stability and security you can offer, especially for marketers at the leadership level. During the interview process, be prepared to talk at length about the company’s future plans, the strength of its position on the market, and the bright future of its marketing department in particular. 

How can Michael Page Marketing and Digital help?

At Michael Page Marketing and Digital, we provide our clients with a range of talent solutions, from market analysis with the latest industry data, to building your EVP and mapping out your hiring timelines. 

Sourcing top candidates from entry level to the leadership level and across a massive range of specialisms and sectors, we are ready to help you bring your next marketing star onboard. 

Contact us today