Marketing & Ad Executives expect to hire in Q2 2011.

Marketing and advertising executives anticipate increased hiring activity in the second quarter of 2011, according to The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals. Twelve percent of executives interviewed said they plan to add full-time staff in the next three months, and 3 percent expect reductions in personnel. The resulting net 9 percent increase in hiring activity is up 5 points from the first-quarter forecast.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing interactive, design and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 500 telephone interviews — approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand

Social media expertise is in greatest demand, with 19 percent of marketing and advertising executives planning to add staff in this area. This was followed by media services (16 percent) and account services and brand/product management (tied at 14 percent). Thirty-nine percent of executives surveyed said it’s challenging for their firms to find skilled professionals, and 36 percent of respondents indicated they are concerned about losing top marketing or advertising performers to other job opportunities in the next year.

“Many firms have increased their digital marketing budgets in response to growing consumer demand for content and in an effort to build customer relationships,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. “Employers seek experienced professionals to develop engaging social media campaigns, as well as online video and advertising.”

Perspectives on Business Growth

Marketing and advertising executives’ confidence in their ability to attract new business, while still strong, dipped slightly from last quarter: 84 percent of those interviewed said they were somewhat or very confident in their firms’ prospects for growth in the second quarter, down 9 points from three months ago.

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For more information at http://www.creativegroup.com