Marketers looking at switching jobs to pursue hybrid working

Six in ten Scottish marketing professionals are looking to change jobs so they can pursue a mix of working from home and in the office post-pandemic, according to new research.

According to the research conducted by recruitment firm Hays alongside the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), half the marketers questioned said they were considering career changes in the next year as a direct result of coronavirus.

Some 61 per cent said they planned to make changes to their working practices and find a new role that is more of a mix of hybrid working, while just under a fifth said they planned to find a new job based completely remotely.

More than four in ten cited their intention to make changes to their skills and prioritise upskilling in their current profession, and 22 per cent said they planned to alter their career paths entirely and find a role with a greater purpose.

Marketers 'have realised that a blended approach to work and home life can work for them'. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

CIM Scotland chair Ellie Murphy said marketers, like others, have realised that a blended approach to work and home life can work for them. “We expect to see a mix of home and office-based working continuing: there’s no substitute for being face to face with your team for creative ideas generation and development, and many continue to see the benefit of having on-site time,” she added.

The research also found that three quarters of those surveyed said their workplace would not return to the way it was before the Covid-19 pandemic, and 45 per cent reported believing that their existing office space was not fit for purpose and would need reconfiguring.

Additionally, about two thirds of marketing employers said they plan to hire in 2021, providing immediate opportunities for the 38 per cent of respondents who want to move roles as quickly as possible.

Chris Daly, CEO at the Chartered Institute of Marketing, says marketers 'are looking to new beginnings'. Picture: contributed.

CIM CEO Chris Daly said: “Marketers will still face challenges in 2021, budgets are still in decline and the landscape for some sectors remains uncertain, but this research shows that marketers are eager to evolve and create changes that help them to succeed.”

Clare Kemsley, MD of Hays Marketing, said it is crucial that employers appreciate how the pandemic has changed job-seekers’ priorities, and update their hiring strategy. “Doing this will help them draw in the talent they need to put their organisation on the road to recovery.”

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