Net 13 Percent Of Marketing And Advertising Executives Anticipate Hiring In The Fourth Quarter: Greatest Demand for Account Services Professionals

MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Seventeen percent of marketing and advertising executives plan to add full-time staff in the next three months, according to The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals, and 4 percent forecast reductions in personnel. The resulting net 13 percent of executives anticipating hiring is up two points from the third-quarter forecast. Much of the growth is on the agency side, with a net 34 percent of these advertising executives planning to add full-time employees.

The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals is based on more than 500 telephone interviews -- approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees. Executives are asked whether their companies plan to increase or decrease the number of full-time advertising and marketing personnel on their staff during the coming quarter. The survey is conducted by an independent research firm and developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing interactive, design and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis.

Key Findings

• The net 13 percent of executives planning to hire in the fourth quarter is up two points from the third-quarter 2012 forecast. A net 34 percent of advertising executives expect to add full-time staff, compared to a net 12 percent of marketing executives.
• Forty-four percent of respondents said it's challenging to find skilled creative professionals today, down seven points from the previous quarter.
• Account services, web design/production, mobile applications development and brand/product management are the specialties in greatest demand, according to marketing and advertising executives.
• Eighty-six percent of respondents report they are confident in their companies' growth prospects for the fourth quarter, down three points from the third-quarter projections.

"Advertising agencies are increasingly busy as companies turn to them for help developing digital marketing campaigns and other branding initiatives," said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. "Since many of these shops are operating with lean crews, they are filling open roles and creating new ones to access specialized skills and keep pace with growing business demands."

Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand
When executives were asked in which areas they plan to add staff in the fourth quarter, account services ranked first with 22 percent of the response, followed by web design/production, mobile applications development and brand/product management (each with 14 percent). Forty-four percent of respondents said it's challenging for their firms to find skilled creative professionals, down seven points from the third-quarter forecast.

Marketing and advertising executives were asked, "In which of the following areas do you expect to hire in the fourth quarter of 2012?" Their responses:

View the research highlights.

Perspectives on Business Growth
Marketing and advertising executives' business confidence dipped slightly from last quarter. Eighty-six percent of those interviewed said they are somewhat or very confident in their firms' prospects for growth in the fourth quarter, down three points from three months ago.

About the Hiring Index
The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals is based on more than 500 telephone interviews -- approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees within the United States. The interviews were conducted by an independent research firm.

Information from the study is featured in the Robert Half Professional Employment Report, which was launched in 2010 and is the first study of its kind to monitor the hiring environment for professional-level positions exclusively. Based on more than 4,000 telephone interviews with executives throughout the United States, it provides insight on employment trends to help businesses and job seekers prepare for the upcoming quarter. To see how hiring in the creative profession compares to other sectors, please visit roberthalf.us/per.

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group (TCG) specializes in placing a range of highly skilled interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and TCG's award-winning career magazine, can be found at creativegroup.com.

SOURCE The Creative Group