The demand for skilled talent remains high in 2024. To meet their hiring goals, companies must continue finding innovative ways to attract and retain both long-term and short-term talent.Approaches such as offering above-average compensation, promoting opportunities for career advancement and engaging recruiters to help you tap into the pool of passive job seekers are more important than ever. In addition, attracting skilled talent is increasingly about how well a company can provide a healthy work/life balance.Another key to successfully building a team is to understand the current hiring environment and which roles are in highest demand, whether you’re actively recruiting for a role or simply want to keep hold of your current employees. Research from Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report highlights the latest data from surveys of hiring managers and our analysis of thousands of job postings to help you make informed hiring and management decisions.
According to analysis of a proprietary dataset of more than one million U.S. job postings, including 100,000 Robert Half placements, 2023 closed with a rebound in the number of new marketing and creative jobs, especially in the last quarter, bringing the total growth for the year on par with 2022's levels at just over 200,000 jobs. A significant portion of this expansion occurred in the professional and business services sector, contributing over 45,000 jobs in the last six months alone.The latter half of 2023 also brought a significant increase in demand for corporate marketing jobs. Roles such as marketing manager, marketing director and marketing coordinator experienced substantial growth, with job increases of 54%, 42% and 20%, respectively. This rise resulted in over 120,000 jobs in these areas, reflecting a growing recognition of the strategic importance of marketing in business success.In the creative domain, graphic designers and web designers remained in demand, with average unemployment rates for the year staying low at 2.6% and 2.9%, respectively, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Workplace flexibility remained a crucial feature in the field. About a quarter of new creative and marketing jobs in 2023 were hybrid, while another 13% were available as fully remote positions. As more employers require more in-person time, companies that seek top talent should consider offering both adaptable work schedules, including flexible scheduling and hybrid or fully remote arrangements, and competitive perks and benefits. This flexibility caters to the preferences of today's workforce and expands the talent pool for employers, allowing them to tap into a broader range of skills and expertise regardless of location.
Looking forward, are companies hiring talent in the first half of 2024? Robert Half surveys of managers within marketing and creative departments and agencies reveal that yes, recruitment is top of mind for many leaders in the field. Fifty-five percent are hiring for new permanent roles, while an additional 43% say they plan to staff vacated permanent positions. To help augment their permanent teams, 68% of marketing and creative managers plan to increase their use of contract professionals, especially for roles in digital marketing, such as digital marketing managers and SEO specialists, along with crucial marketing positions like brand managers and product marketing managers.
Hiring continues to be difficult for marketing and creative roles, but there may be good news for employers planning to expand their teams. More than half (55%) of marketers and creatives are eyeing a career change, driven mainly by the allure of better compensation, benefits and perks. To attract or retain them, companies must step up their game, offering competitive salaries, flexible work arrangements and clear paths for career advancement.Learn more hiring insights in the full Demand for Skilled Talent report.
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The Demand for Skilled Talent report by Robert Half is an authoritative source providing essential insights into employment trends. This report has offered a deep dive into the U.S. hiring landscape for over a decade, spotlighting challenges and strategies to attract and retain talent. It explores what employees seek in their careers, identifies common recruitment errors and suggests solutions. The report spans finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and human resources, proving crucial for business leaders and managers.
