Recruitment woes for marketers are likely to continue as hiring intention remains low.

After reaching a four-year low in April, employment prospects for marketers continue to stagnate as brands show hesitancy to hire, according to exclusive IPA Bellwether data for Marketing Week.    

More than a fifth (22.8%) of marketing leaders expect to make cuts to their marketing teams in the next three months. This figure remains consistent with the last quarter’s forecast.  

Just 17.5% expect to add more marketers to their teams in the next quarter. The majority (59.6%) of leaders anticipate no change in their staffing levels.  

‘Round peg, round hole’: Recruiters on the ‘indecision’ impacting the marketing job search

Overall, this results in a net figure of –5.3%, placing marketing hiring intent in the negative for the third time in four years, consistent with last quarter’s figure of –5.3%.

The pessimism felt by brands regarding their financial outlook shows no signs of abating, as payroll costs continue to cause issues, according to the IPA.  

Brands are either adopting a wait-and-see style approach ahead of the Autumn Budget, or negatively adjusting their workforce capacity, the research suggests.  

Marketing recruitment intention continues to ‘deteriorate’  

Speaking to marketers about recruitment, many are facing persistent challenges: ghosting, lengthy interview processes, indecision and struggling to cut through with recruiters and hiring managers.   

Recruiters explained to Marketing Week earlier this year how indecision was plaguing hiring teams and blocking hires taking place. 

“If someone has a niggle, they don’t take a chance anymore. They are just like: ‘No, we’re not going to risk it’,” founder at marketing recruitment company GrowthKind, Rowan Fisk, told Marketing Week.