Some good news at last for job seekers: Only 20% of direct and digital marketing organizations have hiring freezes in place, according to the latest quarterly employment report from Bernhart Associates Executive Search. That’s a huge drop from 45% just six months ago.
What’s more, among the 454 organizations surveyed, only 3% are planning to implement layoffs, the lowest level in three years. And 43% expect to add staff during the second quarter of this year.
If you are seeking employment, make sure your online profiles are up to date. Forty-one percent of respondents said they will use social networks “in moderate amounts” when filling positions, and just 14% won’t use online social media at all when hiring.
And you might want to focus your search on agencies and supplier companies first. “Agencies have all but eliminated their hiring freezes, and only one agency responding to our most recent survey said they’re expecting layoffs during the next three months,” Jerry Bernhart, principal of Bernhart Associates, said in a statement. “Hiring on the services side also remains strong, with about half of respondents telling us they plan to hire during the current quarter. By comparison, 38% of marketers said they intend to add to staff.”
