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SALARIES; Measuring Up; Research International / Marketing Magazine Salary Survey. The current...

By Medcalf, Graham
Publication: Marketing Magazine
Date: Wednesday, December 1 2004

Statistics can be deceptive. A cursory glance at the figures in the latest Research International/Marketing Magazine salary survey may reveal business as usual. Think again. Industry experts point to a fundamental shift in the market. Tony Walsh, a senior consultant specialising in sales and marketing

for Momentum Consulting Group, says the past six months have seen a massive shift in recruiting for many positions. This is particularly true for marketing roles.

Companies are under substantial pressure to find good candidates. It's taking longer to fill certain roles and recruiters are having to think more laterally about matching candidates' skills to clients' needs.

Walsh's comments are no doubt coloured by his focus on the Wellington market where a shortage of good marketing candidates has been exacerbated by the flight of companies and personnel to Auckland and across the Tasman. He reasons that his Auckland counterparts may not share his concerns.

That's not the case. Auckland-based Swann Group director Geoff Shaw and a raft of others confirm the problem is ubiquitous. Nationwide, the talent shortage is biting.

"Counter-offers are far more common and generally higher than we would have previously experienced."

Pohlen Kean business unit manager Ruth Clavis agrees, noting that recruitment consultancies such as hers are having to be more creative about how they source candidates.

This year's Research International/Marketing Magazine salary survey investigates salaries and benefits attached to seven specific job functions.

It reveals current salaries up between 5% and 8% for various titles from marketing assistant to marketing director.

More importantly, the shortage of strong contenders for many jobs is changing the attitudes of both employers and employees.

"Some people are wanting more flexibility whether it be in the hours they work or trading for additional days off," says Shaw.

Nevill sees more focus on work/life balance. Employers are realising they have to think beyond traditional pay packages.

It is interesting that 26% of respondents to the salary survey (male 32%, female 22%) indicated that 'more free time' was their primary career goal compared to 23% who saw 'more money' as the main objective.

Sheffield's rewards practice manager Sherry Maier says that while she is not seeing much change in dollar terms, she certainly notes people looking for a combination of a reasonable pay package and a flexible working environment.

Balance is the key.

Maier - a specialist in remuneration consultancy - says today's candidates want to know who they will be working for and meet everyone in the team before they sign on the dotted line.

They want to spend time in the offices and pick up the feel of the culture, the environment and its ambience.

"A lot of employers are relying on cultural benefits - the bowl of fruit on the table, flowers at the reception desk: low-ticket items that make the environment pleasant.

"You'll see the big ticket items [the cars, the super] continuing to decline, except for at the top level. But you're going to see what I call little lifestyle benefits."

Regardless of the shortage of quality candidates, employers are not lowering their standards. In fact the opposite is true.

According to Nevill, employers used to be happy to nab someone in the top 10% of talent.

Now they are more likely to look for someone in the top 5%.

Unwilling to lose their good people, companies are putting more effort into retaining them.

Some incumbents will stay for more pay. The end result is less talent in the recruitment pool.

"Second best might have been fine five years ago," says Nevill, "but businesses are becoming increasingly competitive. If you've got to work smarter you are going to need smarter people."

Maier agrees. "Recruiters will tell you that at this stage it is largely a candidate's market but we still have some very fussy employers determined to get exactly the set of skills they want."

There is an irony here, as 40% of managing directors or deputy MDs in our salary survey have no tertiary qualifications. This contrasts with a mere 16% for all survey respondents.

Clavis believes that some organisations are prepared to be more lateral and broad in the brief - recruiting perhaps on attitude or even personality and teaching specific technical skills as appropriate.

Others prefer to keep looking.

Clavis notes that while larger corporates may be able to throw more resources into staff training, a company with a marketing team of two clearly runs a greater risk if they bring in a person who needs to be upskilled.

Why the shortage of suitable candidates? Shaw has a theory. He points out that in the past, fmcg companies had the good graduate development programmes. Today's world is fundamentally different.

"New Zealand teams are [now] smaller. Companies have brought in one or two marketing graduates instead of five or six.

"So those in the traditional training grounds are hanging on to their people better and aren't necessarily providing fodder for the rest of the industry.

"The New Zealand approach is, if you can run something with three people could you run it with one?

"In Australia, if they've got five people they think 'why not make it 10 and have a department?'"

Shaw sees the emergence of the contractor as the solution to both the employer's need to cut costs and employee's desire for a better work/life balance.

A lot of capable people who in the past had filled senior brand management roles are now opting to work on contract.

They get more money, fewer hours and the assurance that they can either switch off from work or charge for the extra time.

Many contractors complete an intense three-month project then take a couple of weeks' respite.

The more effective companies understand that business is speeding up but their teams are leaner and working harder. So they will employ a contractor.

Our 2004 salary survey shows a continuing feminisation of the marketing discipline. The glass ceiling continues to be pushed from the bottom up and for the first time there are more female marketing managers (57%) than males.

Last year it was 50:50 and three years ago males dominated the position (57%). All categories below marketing manager are predominantly female but the top tiers of marketing director/gm marketing and deputy md/md retain their male bias.

Has feminisation sped up the trend towards more flexible hours and work/life balance?

Not according to Nevill or Walsh. Both cite examples of senior women and men alike going after more balance in their lives.

So what can marketers expect in the future?

* Pressure on salaries leading to counter-offers to retain key people.

* Employers insisting on the best skill sets regardless of the lack of good candidates.

* Employees taking a more flexible approach to work in an attempt at a better work/life balance.

* A move to benefits that can be cashed up over time.

* An increase in low-ticket lifestyle benefits.

* Growth in performance-related remuneration.

* A growing realisation by employers that values and environment are important.

* A growing discussion around longer holidays as a perk.

* An increasing number of contractors within marketing.

Now is a great time to be in marketing. Those who have a full raft of skills are in a wonderful bargaining position.

Gender barriers have largely disappeared and age is becoming less of a discriminatory factor with candidates in their 40s remaining true contenders.

Add to that the realisation by employers that the work/life balance requirements of staff also have value for the company and the whole marketing environment becomes a great deal more positive.

The challenge for employers is to retain good talent and train future stars. The challenge for employees is to upskill to meet the requirements of a highly competitive market.

* Many thanks to the Mercure Grand Puka Park Resort, Pauanui Beach, for this year's incentive. Turn to Stop Press to see who's won.

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