Hays Quarterly report reveals digital marketing, state sales managers + senior buyers in demand across Australian sales and marketing industry

The report also highlights employers' preference for candidates with like-for-like experience.

Says Peter Noblet, senior regional director of Hays Sales & Marketing: "Employers are looking for candidates with like-for-like experience, including in the same industry and on the same systems.
 
"More strategic in their hires, employers are also taking their time when they recruit to ensure that each placement is the right person for the job. As a result, the recruitment process has lengthened.
 
"We advise candidates to sharpen their existing skills and industry experience to enhance their value.
 
"Employers meanwhile need to be aware that candidate shortages still exist in many areas. Many organisations have invested in retention strategies to keep their best people, so there's still a shortage of high quality candidates for certain roles, particularly those that require excellent leadership skills or very specific experience."
 
According to the Hays Sales & Marketing Quarterly Report, such candidates include:
 
Sales:

• Employers are looking for sales professionals with a proven history of winning new business to drive business growth and improve market share. This is fuelling high demand for experienced business development managers, sales representatives and sales executives.

• Demand also exists for state sales managers and national sales managers to overcome or implement change, improve structures and processes, build team morale and drive team results.

• Account managers are sought to manage and retain current accounts, improve existing relationships and bring in new accounts.

• The FMCG industry is also recruiting territory managers, who are in short supply, as well as category managers and consumer insights professionals in response to the competitive retail market and subsequent focus on understanding consumer behaviour in order to influence the sale. These roles are becoming more important.

• Restructures and a focus in organisations towards becoming more strategic have created demand for GM sales professionals.

Marketing:

• There is high demand for marketing managers to increase company profile and marketing communications (Marcomms) managers capable of performing both strategic and hands-on functions.

• A recent trend has been the increase in hybrid entry-level roles, such as marketing assistants/graphic designers or online content/communications professionals as businesses act to save costs by creating a dual support role in-house. It is most common to see roles that require a combination of graphics, marketing assistant, social media and online skills.

• Communications coordinators are also sought at the entry level. Employers look for candidates capable of performing both administrative and coordination tasks. Marketing coordinators are sought in response to turnover, promotion or expansion at this level.

• At the next level up, marketing officers/executives/advisors are sought. These mid-level marketing roles are involved in a small amount of development but core duties focus on the implementation of marketing strategies and campaigns.

• Digital marketing is a focus and many businesses are looking for digital specialists to join their team. Campaign managers, both online and offline, are also sought.

• Within the public sector, web publishers and graphic designers are needed for website or intranet updates, while EL 1 communications strategists are sought for short-term projects. Communications managers, media managers, media relations and media officers are also sought as government changes and reforms take place. 

• Consultancies are looking for proposals coordinators, often with experience developing proposals for government.