воскресенье, 26 февраля 2012 г.

SECTOR ANALYSIS: Sales & marketing.

The boom in the UK's internet economy has led to strong demand for people with digital skills - and an ability to keep up with technology

The UK economy is growing at a quicker pace than expected, which has created a demand for a 'hunter' rather than 'farmer' mentality in sales teams across the country. The UK's internet economy has also sparked huge demand for social media digital marketeers. The challenge for marketing agencies is to keep up with the pace of such fast-moving technology which has resulted in organisations looking to develop digital marketing talent from within.

A recent report from Google claimed the UK internet economy is worth #100bn annually and is growing at 10% a year, directly employing 250,000 people.

One of the reasons for such growth is due to the growing numbers of business looking to engage with customers through social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

"Digital, digital and digital skills are in demand," says Darren Minshall, people director at full service marketing agency McCann Manchester.

Richard Bloom, associate director at media and creative firm Purple Consultancy, told Recruiter that while marketing agencies have conducted social media work for their clients for a while, social media has become a real buzz word since January. "Demand is across all areas but there is massive demand for social media people, whether it be a social media account manager who sells ideas to clients or a social media strategist or planner; the briefs are relentless."

But demand spreads across the digital gamut, a spokesperson for marketing recruitment firm Major Players told Recruiter, with candidates with proven skills in social media, SEO, paid search, website development and content, user experience and online strategy continuing to outstrip client demand.

The UK's latest GDP figures reveal the economy had expanded by 0.8% in Q3, above economists' predictions of 0.4%. One reason for such growth is a concerted effort among UK firms to hunt for new business rather than maintain the business they already have, says Dominic Quirke, director at sales staffing specialist Advancing People.

"Business development people are in demand in sales. The demand has tailed off for customer relationship managers (CRM) and account managers. Clients want people who can develop business from scratch. They need a different type of animal."

While sales departments know the kinds of skills required to develop business, finding the right digital marketing candidates is challenging as the sector is constantly evolving, says Frances Illingworth, global recruitment director at marketing communications agency WPP.

"Technology is moving fast and it is a struggle for us to ensure that our employees and potential employees are current. Many individuals with these skills seek to set up their own businesses, rather than join large companies such as WPP. Training is important, but so is the requirement on the individual themselves to be aware of emerging technologies and new media opportunities."

Ultimately, if the talent of the future doesn't exist, employers need to develop it themselves, says Minshall. "During this time the exact role and need is defining itself so sometimes patience is required. In our case, if you cannot find the right person then you develop your internal talent. We have developed a robust talent plan that incorporates clear succession routes for talent. We are also developing a clear employer brand and positioning ourselves as a destination employer."

Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Комментариев нет:

Отправить комментарий