With my Q1 report highlighting a strong start to the year ( https://signaturecm.co.uk/2024/02/15/fmcg-job-landscape-q1-2/ ) , I’m pleased to say that this has continued, for us at least. However, this positive movement is slightly more nuanced than simple market growth, and there are key consideration candidates must make if they’re thinking about a job move.

Firstly, the majority of movement we have seen so far has been in Sales roles. Although the gap has been narrowing with the levels of marketing jobs, there is still a clear indication that businesses are focusing their efforts on commercial growth. For those marketing candidates who are disappointed by this news, I would suggest that this is at least encouraging.

The first thing businesses will usually invest in when the economy starts to show signs of improvement is their sales team as they look for topline growth to fund their strategic plans. This means there is always a lag with the growth in marketing opportunities, but with the two functions so closely linked, it is usually never far behind.

That said, I predict there to be a lot more movement in marketing teams over the second half of the year, moving into 2025, however, this movement isn’t just being pulled by the desire for strategic commercial growth, but also being pushed by the fact that many marketing teams are stretched to their max!

Unfortunately, many businesses still see marketing as a nice-to-have, which is why it often suffers from cuts during a downturn. Unfortunately, there’s usually often a lag with reinvestment as things start to pick-up again and this puts pressure on teams. We’re hearing this over and over again which means there are many marketing professionals who are open to opportunities if the right one comes along.

Whether businesses can pivot and increase headcount in their teams before it takes its toll is another question, but for some, the damage is done and they’re likely to move regardless.

One final note from the job market… businesses are still catching up with the increasing demands of candidates and compromise is still important to match candidates that suit their career aspirations. My advice is to not be so fixated on the renumeration element of a role and think about the wider development opportunities, because there’s no doubt that the balance of power is starting to redress slightly, so it’s important that if you want to keep your career on a smooth upward trajectory, the full scope of opportunities need to be considered.

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