Introduction
The Works focuses on permanent and freelance positions at all levels in the corporate, financial, technology and consumer sectors and, due to growing demand, we now also handle internal communications roles. As such, we stay in very close touch with what is happening in the PR recruitment market and the relationships we have developed with consultancy employers enable us to collate the most useful information on salary levels and other important trends in the industry.
2008 started off strongly before the credit crunch took hold in the Autumn which had a significant impact on the number of vacancies, changing the market from candidate-led to client-led.
Salary level increases were minimal compared to the previous year and this trend is set to continue as the period of austerity sets in. There were few surprises between the average salary levels between sectors. At director level, financial PR and corporate communications were the sectors commanding the highest salaries ahead of technology and consumer, with salaries averaging at a fairly even level.
The most noticeable difference between the sectors at account manager level was technology, resulting in higher salaries than corporate communications due to the high demand. Again, consumer lagged behind other sectors at account manager level.
Key influencers for people moving on varied at different levels, although the desire to move in-house was prominent at all levels, as it is perceived by many candidates to provide better work-life balance and the opportunity to focus on one company and its issues. However, now we are seeing more candidates 'sitting tight' and putting their job hunt on hold until the market improves.
Across all sectors, the candidates that can demonstrate new business prowess and digital expertise are the most sought after as agencies look to expand their business and diversify away from traditional PR.
After a tumultuous 2008, the industry has now fully braced itself for a testing period. Recognising the difficulties they face, agencies are adapting fast, looking to offer more integrated services, providing a leaner service and investing in their staff, because when the growth in the industry returns there will be a race to snap up the best talent.