Senior marketing professionals believe the industry is not doing enough to attract the right talent yet most admit that their own companies do little to actually keep hold of the best staff they already have.
So says a new study carried out among the 400 judges who presided over this year’s DMA Awards, with over half (55%) saying the sector must do more to woo the finest minds.
Most agree that the industry can offer those who choose a career in marketing a unique opportunity to be “creative” (72%), “curious about customers” (66%) and to embrace “smart data” (65%).
They can also “develop multiple skillsets” (68%), “be creative every day” (67%) and have a “strong focus on innovation” (59%).
Almost all (99%) marketers surveyed believe that recognising and rewarding talent is important for the industry to keep hold of staff (what bright ideas the other 1% had is not known).
Those surveyed also felt this should take a variety of forms and cover a range of areas, including “creativity” (77%), “diversity and inclusivity” (72%), “leadership” (71%) and “being a role model” (66%).
However, just half (51%) of those surveyed said their organisations currently have any form of internal opportunities or initiatives in place to reward the talent they already have.
DMA Talent general manager Kate Burnett said: “Attracting and retaining talent is clearly one of the most important issues affecting the data and marketing industry.
“Our industry offers a range of unique opportunities and skills for talent to develop throughout their careers but businesses must do more to retain their loyalty through incentives like rewards of initiatives that recognise their abilities.
“This is all part of a wider issue where the data and marketing industry must start to showcase its best features to attract and retain the best talent.
“To help raise awareness to students and young professionals, we work closely with educators, businesses, charities and the public sector to ensure we are able to attract enthusiastic individuals, who have a real desire to thrive in one of the many diverse roles that the industry has to offer.”
Earlier this year, the DMA backed a new scheme designed to attract more neurodiverse people into the marketing industry with the launch of an employment guide for businesses, which includes best-practice advice and case studies.
DMA Talent: Autism Employer Guide has been compiled using insights gleaned from the NHS, brands, employers and autistic employees who work in creative, data and marketing roles.
The organisation claims that neurodiverse people, especially those on the autism spectrum, can often thrive with problem solving tasks, data analysis, and projects that require high attention to detail.
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