Press Releases

• User experience is top area for hiring
• 79 per cent of employers report difficulty recruiting creative talent
• 41 per cent of firms lack adequate digital skills

TORONTO, June 11, 2019 /CNW/ - Recruiting in the creative and marketing fields is expected to intensify in Canada during the remainder of the year, new research from staffing firm The Creative Group shows. According to the latest State of Creative Hiring data, 66 per cent of Canadian advertising and marketing hiring decision makers anticipate expanding their teams in the second half of 2019, up from 61 per cent six months ago. In addition, 56 per cent of employers plan to increase the number of freelancers they use, an eight-point jump from the first half of the year.

User experience is now the top area for recruiting among survey respondents. Advertising and marketing hiring managers also reported a continued strong need for professionals with expertise in web and mobile development, visual design, user research and creative development.

"Customer experience continues to be an evolving focus for organizations, and many are expanding creative and marketing teams to meet these shifting demands," said Deborah Bottineau, District Director for The Creative Group. "Finding and hiring skilled talent quickly enough to keep up with rising business needs, however, remains one of the biggest challenges for employers."

Staffing Challenges and Strategies
A majority of advertising and marketing hiring decision makers (79 per cent) said it's somewhat or very challenging to identify the creative talent they seek. And when it comes to recruiting professionals with digital expertise, the job is just as tough: 76 per cent reported difficulty finding and retaining these individuals. This may be one reason 41 per cent of employers reported being understaffed in digital areas.

In order to make better hires, many creative managers are keen on partnering with their peers on the technology team. Nearly all survey respondents (95 per cent) said it would be helpful to work with IT hiring decision makers when recruiting full-time professionals to support digital marketing initiatives, and 23 per cent said they always do.

"We're seeing greater overlap between creative and IT departments as natural partners for idea development and problem solving," Bottineau added. "Managers from across the organization who work together to identify joint hiring opportunities will establish stronger teams, and a more competitive business overall."

About the Research
The online survey was developed by The Creative Group and conducted by a leading independent research firm. It is based on responses from more than 200 advertising and marketing hiring decision makers who work full time at agencies with 20 or more employees or companies with 100 or more employees in Canada.

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group (TCG) specializes in connecting creative, digital, marketing, advertising and public relations talent with the best companies on a project, contract-to-hire and full-time basis. For more information, including job hunting services and candidate portfolios, visit roberthalf.ca/creativegroup and roberthalf.ca/blog.

SOURCE The Creative Group