Hiring Plans Offer Hope for B-to-B Marketers
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by Chief Marketer Staff
Despite some signs of a cautious rebound in the general economy, many marketing execs have yet to re-boot hiring efforts. Still, if there is a ray of hope emitting from any part of the profession, it’s B-to-B.
A July survey from Bernhart Associates Executive Search found that among marketers in general:
- 39% of survey respondents said they would add to staff during the third quarter of 2010, down from 43% in the second quarter of 2010.
- 23% had a hiring freeze, up slightly from 20% the previous quarter.
- 6% reported their companies were planning layoffs, compared with 3% in the second quarter.
Why B-to-B Hiring Might Be Up
However, the numbers were slightly better in B-to-B than B-to-C. Why? Jerry Bernhart, principal, Bernhart Associates, had a few theories:
- B-to-B marketers may feel more of a need to work in advance of a comeback cycle than their B-to-C counterparts. The reason here is timing: B-to-B firms have to get more marketing programs in motion because business buyers have longer sales cycles.
- The monetary thresholds for the B-to-B marketing programs can be lower, because B-to-B is often now more reliant on online advertising as opposed to print or TV. And that means it’s also easier for B-to-B firms to bring in younger
