One in five (20 per cent) marketing and creative professionals are looking for new jobs because of both increased job security and the UK’s economic growth, according to new research published by Reed.
Almost three quarters of creative professionals (71 per cent) haven’t received a pay rise in the last 12 months, with 64 per cent receiving no training and 72 per cent not receiving any form of staff entertainment. Additionally, 23 per cent admitted they have not received a pay rise in the past five years.
As a result, while the UK’s marketing and creative workforce is stable with nearly nine out of ten (89 per cent) workers feeling secure or very secure in their roles, a third (29 per cent) of employers are worried about losing talented individuals from their organisation.
Marketing and creative organisations appear to be turning towards alternative methods of reward than established measures such as pay rises. Flexible working (29 per cent), internal promotion (27 per cent) and training (36 per cent) are all used more frequently than traditional incentives as a way to retaining or attracting talent.
Despite the biggest opportunities for businesses in this industry being digital, 63 per cent of marketing and creative companies are still not offering training to employees.
The report highlighted a shortage of skills, more than a third (29 per cent) of creative professionals surveyed said they have a skills gap in their organisation, with 63 per cent saying this gap is having a negative impact on their business.
Catherine Maskell, head of marketing at Reed, said: “It’s great that workers in marketing and creative agencies are feeling secure in their current roles – it’s just another clear indicator that the economy is improving. What this also reveals, however, is that with security comes confidence, which in turn encourages people to think about their next move, so employers need to be able to respond to this quickly to stop talent jumping ship.
“Recently described as ‘a powerhouse within the UK economy’, these are transformational times for the marketing and creative sector, and those employers and candidates who are willing to embrace change will enjoy the rewards.”