Marketing Careers in the South-West: Expert Insights from Jessica Dando, Hays’ Marketing Recruitment Specialist for Wales the South-West
The marketing job market is constantly evolving, shaped by economic trends, employer expectations, and shifts in talent demands. To uncover key trends, we spoke with Jessica Dando, Business Manager and Marketing & Communications Recruitment Specialist at Hays Specialist Recruitment, who oversees talent strategy across Wales and the South-West.
In this candid Q&A, Jessica shares valuable insights on how current economic conditions are affecting hiring, which skills are most in demand right now, and actionable advice for marketers in the job market. Her insights offer a roadmap to success in an increasingly competitive field.
Q: How has the UK employment market been affected by recent economic conditions?
A: The UK has seen a great deal of uncertainty in the employment market in recent times. The economic climate has led to employers adopting a more cautious approach to hiring. Hays carries out regular and extensive research into the market and our findings indicates that long-term confidence in the economic environment remains low among employees and has decreased for employers since last year.
Q: What are the challenges businesses are facing with recruitment and how is this impacting the recruitment process?
A: The most significant external challenge is the continued rising costs for businesses. The Autumn budget introduced several changes that will further impact the balance sheet, including an increase in Employers’ NI contributions and the hikes in the National Minimum and Living Wage. This is straining budgets and prompting some employers to cut back on their original hiring plans for the year ahead.
Our research found that the biggest internal hurdles that organisations expect to encounter in 2025 are the recruitment and retention of good quality talent. Employers who do not offer competitive salaries, attractive benefits packages, along with strong hybrid or flexible working policies, will struggle to attract and retain quality candidates in today’s market. Employees’ expectations have shifted over the last five years from the pre-covid days, and companies enforcing strict return-to-office policies risk losing out in the long term.
Q: Have we seen any shifts in hiring trends for marketing professionals in the South-West?
A: Over the past 12-18 months, there has been a lull in activity, particularly as the country awaited with bated breath on the outcome of the general election last summer. Since the autumn, we have seen an increase in contract opportunities, though the permanent market remains slow. The Public Sector tends to be more resilient in tough market conditions. While some hiring plans have been curtailed due to post-COVID budget pressures, most of the larger organisations within Civil Service, NHS and some of the larger charities, have continued to hire.
Q: What skills within the Marketing & Communications field are employers looking for most in today’s market?
A: Employers are looking for great writers and storytellers with strong stakeholder relationship skills. Additionally, there is an increasing need for these professionals to possess great technical abilities and knowledge of a range of digital platforms and tools, such as CMS, or getting the most out of employers CRM systems. Those who can demonstrate both a creative and technical skillset, will find themselves in a strong position against the rest of the crowd. Media Relations professionals are also in reasonable demand, and Events have finally started making a comeback. We have also seen an increase in demand for Product Marketing professionals. In a region where there are less highly- experienced Product Marketers available in the market, this could offer opportunity for generalist marketers to diversify their experience.
Q: Which industries are driving the most marketing recruitment now?
A: Within Commerce & Industry, the most recruitment activity has been found within Professional Services, predominantly Finance and Legal firms of a larger scale. These organisations can boast large Marketing & Communications teams that provide the full range of services across the creative and technical to their internal customers. We have also observed a trend of some organisations relocating their corporate services out of London and into cities such as Bristol, where salaries are of course lower, but where great quality skillsets can also be found.
Q: What advice do you have for professionals seeking new roles in the current market?
A: For anyone currently in the market looking for their next role, I would keep an open mind and a good degree of flexibility as to what you may consider for your next challenge. While there may be fewer opportunities in the current climate, there are hidden gems, particularly in the contract market that could offer something towards your longer career plans.
For more information on current employment trends, you can check out Hays 2025 Spring Update, via the following link https://www.hays.co.uk/salary-guide/digital-guide