The UK jobs market has been in overdrive since the start of 2021. Digital specialisms continue to be one of the busiest areas, and Paid Media, one of the most in-demand verticals. With this in mind Antony answers the question he has been asked most frequently this quarter.
“Why is it such a struggle to hire for Paid Media roles…?”
PPC Execs, Paid Search Analysts, Paid Media Account Managers…you may be amongst many who have found themselves with very few applicants through traditional hiring channels. All Paid channels are bursting with new vacancies, yet the talent to fill them seems to be hard to find – why?
Firstly, we need to consider the average profile for someone who would be hired into these roles – typically 1-3 years’ experience within Digital, often initially hired as a graduate on an internship/boot-camp style scheme.
The pandemic initially caused a steep fall in new hires this time last year meaning that it’s been much harder for young workers to make their first steps into Digital roles. Once this is coupled with the enhanced difficulty in training new hires remotely, the natural decision is to hire someone who needs less attention on their development.
When business conditions improved, and agencies started to hire again the obvious choice was to hire those with a couple of years’ experience under their belts to circumnavigate training and development difficulties. Add in Brexit and a contingent of European workers returning to their home countries over the last year and we have a perfect recipe for an acute skills shortage.
So, what can be done?
Streamline your recruitment process – Do you need that extra stage? What can you change to make sure that you reach a decision-making position more quickly? Long hiring processes mean candidates are lost to competitors before you can secure them.
Candidate experience – Company culture and the way organisations treat their employees (and treated them during Covid) matter more than ever. Ensure that your recruitment agents and your hiring managers let candidates know why they should work for you – outside of the usual salary, bonus etc. Remote – Quite simply, this is the biggest way to expand your talent pool and increase the chances of securing the skillset needed. We’re seeing our clients come up with innovative ways of making this work for candidates, whilst still maintaining culture and social aspects. Ask us about this!
Hire above or below – Whilst there has been a real squeeze on the market for those with 2-3 years’ experience, there is an argument to be made for more competitive hires at different levels of seniority. With phased returning to the office, now could be the time to reinvest in training fresh and eager talent by engaging with a demographic who are on the lookout for their first Digital roles. Equally, there may be more value in a more senior hire where salaries aren’t so inflated and benefiting from a de facto discount and experience boost.
Finally – of course, you can reach out to a specialist recruiter who can provide insights and solutions to the issues you’re facing. Get in touch to find out about how Beagle can help.
