Be Aspired: Employee Engagement Survey 2011/2012 The Ba le for Talent: Recrui ng and Retaining the Best in a Compe ve Market
1. The Good News More Together only when all par es are truly commi ed do you get the best result Marcomms professionals are confident about the future of their sector and about their own career prospects. But before industry leaders start celebra ng they should bear in mind that this confidence amongst people about their own worth means that the ba le for talent in the marcomms sector is ge ng tougher than ever. Paul Farrer - September 2011 Employee mo va on is high for the me being Engagement amongst media and marke ng companies is currently very strong, our survey found, with nearly three quarters (70%) feeling mo vated to give their best to their company and almost two thirds (63%) steeling proud to work with their companies. Amongst those planning to stay not surprisingly engagement levels are even higher. Paul Farrer established Aspire Global Network in 1992. He s responsible for developing the company s vision of being a global network of leading specialist recruitment companies as well as building rela onships with key clients. Under his leadership the company now comprises more than 80 people working across six dis nct recruitment brands opera ng on three con nents. Each brand consists of specialist teams servicing specific market sectors or disciplines across the media, marcomms landscape. The world economy might be in crisis with Britain experiencing historically low growth but professionals working in the media, communica ons and marke ng sector are confident about their job prospects and the future of their companies. 80 % of staff in marcomms 1 believe that their companies are either improving or stable, despite the current economic situa on. These findings come from a survey conducted by Ipsos MORI for Aspire Global Network, one of the country s leading recruitment consultants whose clients include the BBC, Omnicom and 02 Media, amongst others. But the research has serious implica ons for the managers of media and marke ng companies. In fact, their staff are so confident about the industry, that: Nearly a third are looking to move company 3 in 5 believe that they could easily find a job with another company Over a third believe they will move companies in the next two years And nearly three quarters of those who believe they will have moved are ac vely looking for new jobs 1 Who are registered as candidates with Aspire Global Network Even in a difficult economy, in order to retain exis ng high quality staff and to recruit new talent, managers and company leaders must constantly review their HR policies and work harder than ever to stay ahead of the compe on. The aim of our survey is to discover what drives reten on and why talented people stay in their jobs within the media and marke ng sector. Most desirable company to work for: Google. Others include the BBC, the Guardian, Penguin and Apple. Google has a reputa on as a leader in new technology, a profitable and con nually growing business domina ng its sector. Business leader that most people would like to have as a boss: Sir Richard Branson. Branson is a renowned businessman and incredibly entrepreneurial and crea ve individual. How would you emulate the success of Google and Branson? Marcomms business leaders cannot be complacent here, though. The last four years have seen changes which have directly impacted on staff with many having had to do more for less and any good will can easily be lost. 70% of staff are mo vated to give their best to their company. 2 Be Aspired: Employee Engagement Survey. 2011/2012 Be Aspired: Employee Engagement Survey. 2011/2012 3
2. The Challenges Many staff are ready to walk The employment deal has irrevocably changed, there is no longer a percep on of job security, employees have faced cut backs to training budgets, pay freezes and even pay reduc ons. At the same me they have been asked to step up and do more with fewer resources. Looking to the future margins may well be hit further, with clients demanding more for their fees and more of the going lean required. The numbers of employees already thinking about leaving are a stark reminder that we need to look a er the workforce. Almost 1 in 3 employees are ac vely trying to move organisa on, and 37% though not ac vely looking would consider another offer that is 2 in 3 of all staff who may move jobs in the next year. Younger staff in par cular are significantly more likely to be thinking of leaving their company. Nearly a quarter (24%) strongly disagreed with the statement I see myself working for the company for the foreseeable future. More than half of those asked (59%) said that they could easily find a job in another company. Even if they re physically s ll in your office their minds could be elsewhere Not only are a rela vely high propor on of our respondents ready to move but when we look at those who think they will be working elsewhere in two years, these people are not giving their all to their exis ng employers. In the UK 46% agree with the sen ment I am mo vated to give my best to my company. 1 in 3 employees are trying to move organisa on with a further 37% being open to offers Your people may be working flat out - but that doesn t mean their capabili es are being fully used. 4 Be Aspired: Employee Engagement Survey. 2011/2012 Be Aspired: Employee Engagement Survey. 2011/2012 5
3. Conclusions and advice for industry leaders Making a splash or just treading water? Having interes ng work and being able to use their skills are key to driving be er reten on. Yet, almost half of those asked, (46%) believe that they don t currently use their skills to their full poten al. Career development is another important reason to stay in a job but only 31% feel they have a clear career path. Combine these low scores on career and skill u lisa on with the belief they can easily find a similar role, and they could well leave for a job that does afford them these. The result of cost control ac vi es can be a lack of promo on opportuni es and training. While companies have been focusing on surviving the economic crisis, some may have taken their eye off the psychological contract whereby employees are allowed to fulfil their poten al and develop. Our research might be surprising given current concerns about jobs. It will certainly make for challenging reading for leaders of marcomms companies in this tough economic climate. However, there are solu ons. Interes ng work. The most important driver for employee reten on with their organisa on is having interes ng work, it makes them want to say with their current employer. Providing interes ng work, is important is ensuring employees want to stay. Confidence that their employer has their interests at heart. The second strongest driver for reten on is the belief that My company is generally interested in the well being of its employees. An emo onal engagement and a feeling of being valued are essen al. Skills and talents. Clearly related to interes ng work, is the opportunity to use skills and talents. Career development. One of the major reasons for leaving a company is a feeling among talented people that there is no scope for career development internally. Employees need to see a clear career path and the opportunity for progression. Its back to basics if employees need to do more with less, they need to see what is in it for them. No longer is it big bonuses, pay rises, expensive training courses, employees are now looking to be able to use their skills, do interes ng work and build their careers. Managers need to take the me out to talk to their talented people and to plan a clear career path for them to follow. Learning from the leaders. It s now up to the leaders of other companies to ask themselves what the most desirable employers have that they too should have. Constant innova on, working at the forefront of their industries, managing their brand image effec vely and simply being the best at what they do are clearly part of their appeal to the respondents in our survey. Recrui ng the best. To a ract more and be er staff managers have to look at their employer branding. What is their company s image in the employment market place? How do talented professionals view it? Managers have to look at their employer branding. Are your current employees ac ng as brand ambassadors in the fast moving, ever changing marcomms talent market? Only a third (31%) repor ng that they have a clear career path with my company. 6 Be Aspired: Employee Engagement Survey. 2011/2012 Be Aspired: Employee Engagement Survey. 2011/2012 7
The Aspire Global Network The Aspire Global Network was established in 1992 by Paul Farrer. The company now comprises more than 80 people working across six dis nct recruitment brands opera ng on three con nents. Turnover was 11.8m in 2010. Our brands demonstrate thought leadership quali es and specialist teams servicing specific market sectors or disciplines across the media, marcomms landscape. Paul is an elected Execu ve Commi ee Member for APSCo and a Fellow of the Recruitment & Employment Confedera on. The Aspire Global Network Brands p - (UK based) Established in 1992, p have more than 60 people organised into specialist teams to provide targeted media recruitment services for employers seeking help with Media, Digital, Content & Communica ons, Events Recruitment. rpcushing - (UK based) Established in 2000 rpcushing is organised into four specialist areas: Market Research Agency, Client Side Insight, analysis & Informa on and Field, Panel & Opera ons Periscope - (UK based) Periscope is a leading interna onal crea ve recruitment consultancy covering design, branding, adver sing, digital, integrated, account handling, strategy and planning. Freelance and permanent. The Graduate Recruitment Company ICUR - (Sydney based) ICUR are specialist in Media Recruitment Aspire Global Network Asia - (Singapore based) AGN Asia are specialists in planning & buying, research & analysis, and crea ve recruitment. The Ipsos MORI/Aspire Global Network research methodology The results are based on un-weighted data from 1647 candidates registered with the Aspire Global Network in the UK (1545) and Australia (102). The data was collected by Ipsos MORI between July 6 and July 31 2011 via an online ques onnaire sent to Aspire candidates. DISCLAIMER: Aspire Global Network ( Aspire ) provides this data for informa on purposes only. Aspire seeks to meet the highest standard of quality informa on and every a empt has been made to present up to date and accurate informa on. However, Aspire cannot be held responsible for the misuse or misinterpreta on of any informa on and offers no warranty to its accuracy or completeness. Aspire accepts no liability for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of reliance on this informa on. www.aspireglobalnetwork.com