Market insights and trends
While the summer months are a quieter time for many, and a moment for much-needed holidays, it will remain particularly busy here at Suzie Walker Executive Search. In fact, a recent study of CMOs found that external hires increased from 37% in 2020 to 45% in 2021, and we can vouch for a further increase in 2022.
Positive outlook
While we appreciate the economic uncertainty ahead, we feel positive that the market for senior leadership roles will continue to thrive. The skills shortage means that it remains extraordinarily competitive for senior leaders, particularly for marketing and digital roles. As we reported in the past, it’s clear from the roles coming through that it’s no longer enough for a CMO or Marketing Director, for example, to just oversee their teams – it’s now crucial for those leaders to be digitally-strong and with the ability to strategically and creatively ‘disrupt’ in their sectors. We recommend investing in training with respected providers, in order to futureproof your teams.
Increased assessments
In our last ‘Market insights and trends’ post, we reported the increased demand for emotional intelligence and soft skills in senior leaders to support an evolving company culture. This demand has seen a rise in the number of role opportunities requiring psychometric testing and assessments. We can support you to arrange assessments, but our consultants can also offer a wealth of knowledge and experience to help you when deciding whether candidates are the right fit for your organisation. Competition remains high, so we will do everything we can to ensure a smooth and swift recruitment process, securing the very best talent.
Interim trend
We also continue to see an increased demand for interim roles, with many organisations looking for short-term candidates for specific purposes. This could be to develop a strategy while recruiting for a permanent CMO, who can then hit the ground running. It could be to ensure steady cover due to parental leave or illness. Or it could be to overhaul systems and processes – a specialism in itself – so that, while recruiting for a permanent hire, significant improvements are taking place behind the scenes. We offer an integrated approach for interim and permanent placements, also recruiting for the permanent role, to ensure a seamless handover at the end of the interim contract. For further information about our interim support, visit our Interim page.
We hope this information is useful for securing the talent you need. If you’re looking to hire for interim or permanent senior leadership roles, or if you’re a ready to make your next career move, get in touch to see how we can help you or connect with us/send a message on LinkedIn.
With warmest regards,
the Suzie Walker Executive Search team
Suzie Walker Executive Search is a firm of specialist headhunters with an expert team recruiting interim and permanent senior leaders for marketing and digital roles in consumer-facing FTSE 350 and private equity-backed companies. Find out how we can support you by connecting with a Consultant below.
