Study: Aussie Firms Plan To Increase Digital-Savvy Marketers By 43%

Employers are increasingly seeking marketers with skills in digital expertise, with 43 per cent intending to boost their permanent marketing staff levels, according to the latest Hays Salary Guide across ANZ.

As technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, employers are looking for marketers to leade and guide on new trends, with research findings revealing a strong understanding of digital is an essential skill for career success.

Campaign analysts and market insights analysts are another area of focus as employers look to hire marketers who understand data, can drive more sophisticated customer profiling, carry out impact measurement and ultimately lead to more precise and accurate decision-making.

Furthermore, the increase of mar-tech projects has seen the recruitment focus shift to strategy execution.

Content specialists are now also highly sought after to work alongside marketing analysts and digital channel managers to deliver increasingly complex campaign requirements and in the assessment of performance and progress.

Good news for creatives, too, as content managers, content writers and communications executives with content writing and video production skills are in growing demand. This is due to the fact content is increasingly used to strategically qualify and nurture leads and drive acquisition. Employers look for people with exceptional writing skills along with technical nous.

Demand for content writers and producers with an understanding of UX for online channels remains at the forefront to ensure that content is authentic, useful and the most appropriate format for audience and purpose.

Hybrid marketing managers, senior marketing managers and digital marketing managers with a blended generalist and digital skillset are also in high demand, especially those skilled in creating and implementing strategies, using data to make evidence-based decisions, possessing strong SEO and SEM skills, leading a team and have proven ROI from strategy.

A sole traditional skillset is no longer viable in today’s market.

The exception is in digital, where employers look for digital experts in a social media, SEM, SEO and data analytics. Candidates must be able to map the customer journey and then tailor marketing campaigns accordingly.

Salary trends

According to FY 2019/20 Hays Salary Guide, more marketing professionals will receive a pay rise this year than last, but it will be a less significant increase than they hoped for.

Around 90 per cent of employers will increase their marketing staff salaries in their next review, up from 87 per cent who did so in their last review.

However, the value of these increases will fall. Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) intend to raise salaries at the lower level of three per cent or less, up from 57 per cent who did so in their last review. At the other end of the scale, just four per cent of employers, down from nine per cent, intend to grant pay increases of more than six per cent.

The supply of campaign analysts and market insights analysts fails to meet demand. As a result, salaries are becoming very competitive in this area. Salaries have also increased for professionals who specialise in data science, analytics or content.

Meanwhile, creative content specialists with exceptional writing skills and technical nous are receiving an increase.

Other jobs and skills in demand

Marketing automation skills are also in growing demand, however mid to senior-level experts are in short supply. The talent required to operate and optimise these platforms are no longer exclusively sort from mid-large organisations, but across all industries and all industry sizes.

Marketing and CRM professionals with experience using automated AI customer relationship management platforms are in growing demand too. Like all industries, artificial intelligence and cloud computing are having an impact on marketing with routine, repetitive tasks automated.

In addition to such efficiency improvements, targeting and personalisation enhancements can also be achieved. Together, this is leading to increasing demand for experienced professionals.

Loyalty marketing/CRM specialists and customer centric digital marketers are growing in demand. So too are campaign marketing managers, marketing executives and assistant brand managers. Some demand exists for crisis managers or senior media professionals with reputational management experience to respond swiftly and engage with senior stakeholders when required

There is also some demand for internal communications professionals, while bid and tender writers and managers are in short supply and high demand.

E-commerce coordinators focused on content remain in growing demand. In the public sector, graphic & digital designers are needed for temporary roles as government agencies aim to improve engagement with the public by enhancing their websites and digital applications.

Similarly, there has been an increase in demand for senior graphic designers with relevant industry experience.

Communications officers and managers will be sought in the government sector in response to turnover, project needs and the requirement to educate people about key government policies. Candidates with an understanding of content management systems and wcag accessibility requirements are also wanted.

Strategic communications advisors are needed by not-for-profits in response to an increase in communication needs as well as a desire to produce engaging content. Media advisors and officers will remain in demand in growing organisations to respond to media enquiries and identify media opportunities.

An active infrastructure market is fuelling demand for community engagement officers both in the public and private sectors. Marketing officers with a generalist background are needed for temporary roles. As restructures occur, these candidates are required to fill temporary skill gaps in a team. Event coordinators will be sought in the government sector as part of community engagement strategies. Finally, commercially-focused fundraising candidates will remain in demand in the not-for-profit sector.