Andrea's August Update - Sales, Marketing and Events Recruitment

About the author: Andrea Pell leads Handle’s Marketing, Sales and Events division and has spent almost 20 years recruiting across events and exhibitions, business information, creative brands, SaaS businesses and agencies.

Here’s what I’m currently seeing across Sales, Marketing and Events recruitment

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a continued shift in the conversations I’m having with hiring managers and business leaders. They’re no longer asking, “Should we recruit?” Instead, they’re asking, “Who do we need, when should we hire them and how do we find the right people?”

That doesn’t mean the market has suddenly bounced back to 2022 levels! Hiring is still measured (+6% YTD), budgets are being carefully considered, and every vacancy has to demonstrate real value (I have a blog that shares my thoughts in more detail).

The key for me is that businesses are planning ahead again, investing where it matters and taking a more strategic approach to building their teams and focused on growth.

That focus on growth is reflected in the roles businesses are prioritising. Marketing remains one of the busiest areas, with demand spanning Marketing Executives, Marketing Managers and Heads of Marketing, with a focus on candidates that can strengthen brands, build customer engagement and generate new opportunities.

At the same time commercial teams are investing in sales, partnerships and account management to win business and grow existing relationships, while Events teams are recruiting Producers, Coordinators and Operations professionals to support expanding programmes and bring new projects to life. We’re also seeing continued demand for specialist expertise that can directly improve acquisition, retention and revenue.

Looking at the roles we’ve recruited across Sales, Marketing and Events in recent months, that shift is clear. 52% of hires have been permanent, 48% temporary or fixed-term contracts. That balance tells an interesting story. Businesses are still investing in permanent talent where they have confidence in their long-term plans, while temporary and fixed-term recruitment continues to provide the flexibility to deliver projects, respond to changing workloads and access specialist skills when they’re needed most.

If you’d like to compare notes on what you’re seeing in your own market, or you’re starting to think about future hiring or would like some complimentary salary benchmarking, I’d be happy to have a conversation.