The market has shifted. The opportunity is still there. We can help you find it.<\/p>\n
The latest KPMG and REC Report on Jobs confirms what many hiring managers and job seekers are already feeling: permanent placements have now fallen since October 2022, the longest unbroken decline on record. Uncertainty around the economy, rising employer costs, and the weight of new employment legislation are all making businesses more cautious about committing to permanent headcount.<\/p>\n
But here is the thing. The need for skilled marketing, digital and communications professionals has not gone away. Organisations still have campaigns to run, brands to build, and audiences to reach. What we are seeing is how they are choosing to hire, and that shift creates real opportunity for both employers and candidates who know how to navigate it.<\/p>\n
The headline data tells one part of the story: permanent hiring is down, candidate availability is up, and vacancies overall have fallen. But look more closely at the marketing and digital sector and the picture is more nuanced.<\/p>\n
Demand for specialist marketing talent, particularly in performance, CRM, brand, and AI-driven roles, has stayed resilient even as general hiring has slowed. Organisations are investing in marketing because they need to grow their way through uncertainty. What they are scrutinising is how they structure that investment: more fixed-term, more project-based, more flexible.<\/p>\n
Alongside the permanent slowdown, temporary and contract hiring has risen at its strongest rate in over three years. For marketing teams, this is a practical response to real business conditions bring in the right expertise for a defined need, move quickly, and retain flexibility.<\/p>\n
The organisations we work with are not pausing on marketing talent. They are being smarter about how they bring it in.<\/em><\/p>\n If you are trying to build your marketing or communications team in the current environment, the biggest risk is not moving too fast, it is moving too slowly. The candidate pool is strong right now, and the specialist talent that EMR has access to is not sitting around waiting indefinitely.<\/p>\n A few things that are working well for our clients right now:<\/p>\n A slower permanent market is frustrating if you are looking for your next role. But marketing and digital professionals are among the most employable people in the UK jobs market right now, and the right approach can make a significant difference to how quickly you land.<\/p>\n EMR has been placing marketing, digital and communications professionals for over 30 years. We have built our business through every cycle this market has thrown at it, you name it, recessions, covid lock down, political tornado\u2019s which have caused sudden, highly destructive chaotic events that collaterally damage employment. We are resilient, and our networks on both sides of the hiring equation are as strong as they have ever been.<\/p>\n For employers, that means access to a deep pool of specialist talent, permanent, contract, and interim that is not available on a job board. For candidates, it means real relationships with the hiring managers and organisations that matter in your sector.<\/p>\n
\nFor employers and hiring managers<\/h3>\n
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\nFor job seekers<\/h3>\n
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\nHow EMR can help<\/h3>\n