Digital and direct marketing hiring is on track to rebound in early 2010: 46% of hiring managers plan to add staff in the first quarter, up from 30% who said the same in the fourth quarter 2009, according to a Bernhart Associates survey.

In addition, the number of companies that report hiring freezes for the first quarter fell to 26%, from 45% who reported the same in the last quarter, Bernhart said.

Below, key findings from the First Quarter 2010 Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Report.

Only 7% of companies are planning marketing layoffs (incremental cutbacks) this quarter. Interestingly, not one agency or supplier surveyed expects further layoffs, and 37% plan to add to headcount.

Among employers who imposed pay cuts last year, 37% plan to either partially or fully reinstate those reductions in 2010. Only 20% say pay cuts will remain in effect for this year, and 43% are unsure of when salaries will be restored to previous levels.

"About half of the client-side marketers who participated in our first-quarter survey said they still have a hiring freeze," said Jerry Bernhart, principal of Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC. "Hiring on the supplier side, by contrast, is on a fast track with more than 60% telling us they plan to add to head count this quarter. We haven't seen numbers in that range for more than two years."

Hiring in the B2C marketing sector––which suffered deeper job cuts last year than B2B––is now outpacing hiring in B2B: 50% of B2C marketers say they have positions to fill this quarter, compared with 46% of B2B marketers who say the same.

As to what specific positions will be in greatest demand during the current quarter, analytics dominate the list––both online and offline––followed by Internet marketing, sales, creative, technology, and campaign management.

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Marketing Hiring to Rebound in Early 2010

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