Top talent is in demand across the region, and marketing roles are no exception. If companies want to prove that they are an employer of choice, it’s critical they create and maintain an employee experience that prioritizes flexibility and professional development. And as CMOs, I believe it’s important to demonstrate that you are finding ways to help employees nurture their creativity and continually develop their skillsets for the future of work.
A tussle for marketing talent is underway as CMOs across the world reveal that losing employees to competitors and being unable to find quality talent has been one of their biggest workforce challenges in the past six months, according to new data from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network.
It’s a jobseeker’s market. This is coming at a time when job seekers in the UAE are currently in a stronger position to negotiate salaries and terms as competition for roles continue to fall on LinkedIn:
- Job postings have increased significantly compared to one year ago, but job-seeking activity has dropped compared to last year – a drop of 45.3% in the UAE.
Numbers:
- CMOs around the world have stated that they are receiving fewer applications for open roles, and finding good talent poses to be one of their biggest threats – 50% of CMOs in the UAE and 36% in EMEA (Europe, Middle East Africa)
- Over 32% in the UAE have said it has been challenging to find qualified talent
- 45% of UAE CMOs also said the candidates are put off by their work policies as organizations fail to keep up with the future of work
- To help plug the recruitment gap, CMOs are looking overseas to expand their talent pools and find the talent they need – 41% in the UAE and one-third in EMEA
- They also believe that offering hybrid working is key to attracting the best talent – 64% in the UAE and 42% in EMEA
With the battle for talent with digital skills intensifying, marketers know the importance of having a strong employer brand to stand out from the competition.
- Digitally transforming the business to support a new world of work is important to 82% of respondents in the UAE and 79% in the EMEA region.
- Nearly three-quarters (73% in EMEA and 77% in the UAE) say that investing in their employer brand is an important priority over the next six months.
Data from LinkedIn reveals the top 10 marketing job titles in the UAE over the past year:
- Marketing Manager
- Marketing executive
- Digital Marketing Manager
- Marketing Specialist
- Digital Marketing Executive
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- Social Media Marketing Specialist
- Brand Manager
- Visual Merchandiser
- Category Manager
The top 10 marketing skills in demand in the UAE over the past year are:
- Analytical Skills
- Digital Marketing
- Ad Serving
- Analytics
- Events
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- E-Commerce
- Product Marketing
- Web Analytics
- Business-To-Business (B2B)
Study
The study included 285 CMOs from organisations across Europe, Middle East Africa with 1,000+ employees highlighted challenges marketing leaders are currently facing. Within the UAE, 22 CMOs from leading organizations were surveyed.
