Market update video: The demand for generalist vs specialist skills post lockdown

The marketing function is one that has, like many others, had to adapt quickly throughout the global pandemic. More than ever, marketers have needed to connect with and understand their customers to ensure the right message has been shared at the right time, strengthening, and building both existing and new relationships.

At Michael Page Marketing, we work closely with businesses across the UK searching for skilled professionals and individuals seeking new opportunities. As marketing teams are now looking forward and assessing how functions must evolve in line with the changing market, it is important to stay up-to-date with how this will impact the recruitment landscape. Watch our new market update video with Matthew Scarfe, Manager at Michael Page as he reveals the latest hiring trends in the marketing sector.

This update covers some of the key trends in the sector, including the skill sets expected to be more in demand moving forward, and how both employers and professionals can navigate the market post lockdown.

You can view the full video outlining these trends by clicking above.

The changing shape of marketing teams: Specialist and generalist skills

Throughout the global pandemic and UK lockdown, businesses that have an e-commerce element have typically held up well, with some even posting growth. Regardless of whether they were pure-play businesses before or were forced to invest more in e-commerce to make their operations more resilient, success has been very much dependent on how robust services and products are.

Naturally, we have seen a rise in demand for more digital skill sets. This is particularly true for specialists. On the online retail side, this has meant an increased need for PPC specialists, e-commerce specialists, SEO, and social media.

Generalists are also still very much in demand. These professionals have adaptable skill sets and can utilise their campaign and project management skills to adjust to both the current market and then adjust to the market coming out of the lockdown. 

High-volume applications: The effects on recruitment

At present, we are operating in a recruitment market whereby, for any advertised role, there is a much higher volume of applications than what is typically received. There are a lot of candidates applying to a lot of roles. However, this is unfortunately not favourable to professionals or employers as although there is a lot of applications, not enough feature the skills needed.

What are the impacts of this on employers looking for talent and professionals looking for roles? 

Employers

When searching for new talent in the current market, it is important to know that there will be a lot of applications which are just not suitable for the role considering the skills and qualifications required. When trying to find the best-suited person for the role, or the best shortlist to interview, there is a real challenge for businesses to identify quality applications amongst the noise in the market.

A clear job description, which is appealing to and accessible by top talent with the right skills, is crucial. 

Professionals 

At this time of uncertainty, if you are currently looking for a new role in the market, it is understandable that you may need to find a job quickly. However, the most effective way to spend your time is to focus on producing quality applications rather than submitting large numbers of applications.

Be sure you are reading the job description carefully, ensuring that it applies to your skill set. In any job search, feedback is valuable. This is how you find out whether you were a good fit for the role and better understand the quality of the application. In a market where roles are receiving hundreds of unsuitable applications, it becomes difficult for businesses to share useful feedback to those suitable candidates that were unsuccessful. 

Whether you are looking for talent or exploring your options, your recruitment partner will be able to keep you in the loop with how the market is changing and support you in navigating this new recruitment landscape. If you would like to discuss the market insights we can provide in more detail, please get in touch. 

Alternatively, explore our Page Insights capabilities and request a bespoke report.

Matthew Scarfe 
Manager, Michael Page Marketing