The pandemic has shifted the job market. In the past year, millions filed for unemployment. In advertising, it is an entirely different new world. When the pandemic first hit, there were layoffs, but they did not last long. To prevent businesses from closing, they needed to turn to advertisers as a way to save them from falling short of the pandemic. Now that people were spending more time than ever at home, companies and brands had to learn to adapt to digital advertising. Social media usage went up, and the brands followed the herds.
A little over a year into the pandemic, the pool of advertising professionals seems to be dwindling, despite unemployment rates in other careers. All across the board, from UX designers to graphic designers, from account managers to public relations professionals, from media planners to copywriters, the candidates have the upper hand.
Agencies are struggling to hire candidates in the hiring process because once they are interested in a candidate and begin interviews, they have multiple jobs offers lined up, waiting to be picked. The candidate pool is eerily similar to the housing market. Eager home buyers go on a house tour when the house has only been listed for a few days. On the day of their house tour, the house already has multiple offers above the asking price.
Candidates are happy because they are high in demand and can choose between multiple offers. On the other hand, Companies and brands looking to hire creative professionals struggle to secure the talent they need. Here are a few ways companies can navigate the shallow candidate pool and secure candidates.
The faster, the better
In most situations, the tortoise will beat the heir. But when companies can’t find talent, it is a race of speed and agility. As a recruiting agency, the biggest issue we are seeing is companies are taking valuable time to think and assess if the candidate is the right fit. Most hiring processes take time to determine if the candidate is the one.
The longer a company takes, the more offer letters this candidate will have to sort through. Companies should not hesitate in the hiring process when the market is tight, and they should implement a more efficient hiring process to make sure candidates are there to stay.
Look into staffing agencies
Recruiters specialize in finding talent for all niche or specific situations. They understand what the market looks like because their entire career is placing candidates with their clients.
Use recruiters to your advantage and have them do the hard digging for you. Instead of sorting through piles of resumes, recruiters will send you the top picks that will not only do the job but fit your overall company culture. They will enhance the speed of the hiring process and help you find the needle in the haystack.
We understand that the creative advertising market is not always easy to navigate, and we are here to help guide you through the uncertainties. We hope that these tips will help maneuver the hiring process in a candidate-driven market.
Clutch is a creative staffing partner. We connect digital, creative, and marketing professionals with companies looking for freelance, temp-to-hire or direct hire resources.
