Staff Additions Planned by 34% of Ad/Marketing Execs: Study

Are agencies preparing for growth?

A new survey has found that 34% of ad and marketing execs said they plan to hire in the next 12 months.

Among this group, 52% planned staff additions in the areas of Web design or production. Fifty-percent will hire creatives and art directors and 48% will bring in interactive and account services employees. Another 55% said there would be no change in staffing levels, according to a study from The Creative Group, a staffing service, and conducted by an independent research firm.

“Many firms are particularly interested in expanding their digital presence. This is an area in which a number of companies continued to invest even in the downturn, and as the economy improves, they will want to build their capabilities further,” said Megan Slabinski, executive director of The Creative Group, in a release.

There is a word of caution, however. The hiring may reflect brining people in on a project basis to avoid layoffs, as opposed to hiring full-time staffers.
“Supplementing the core team with freelance professionals allows companies to more easily adjust staffing levels as conditions change,” Slabinski said.