An inability to offer a competitive salary or alluring compensation package was cited as one of the greatest hurdles marketing companies face when hiring qualified candidates, according to a survey of advertising and marketing executives published by staffing and recruiting agency The Creative Group.

Hiring Process

Accepting another job offer or counter offer was the most common reason prospective employees turn down a job at creative agencies, cited by more than a third — 35 percent — of advertising and marketing executives polled. Lower-than-expected compensation and benefits was also a leading factor, cited by 27 percent of executives, and limited opportunities for career growth or advancement was listed at 17 percent. Limited employee perks and an assumption that prospective employees wouldn’t make a good fit with the job description or corporate culture were other reasons qualified applicants often turn down jobs.

Advertising and marketing executives said generating interest from qualified candidates was the hardest part of the hiring process, cited by 31 percent of respondents. Another 28 percent said developing compensation packages and negotiating salaries was their greatest challenge. Reviewing application materials, devising job descriptions and asking the right interview questions were cited as other common hiring hurdles.

Taken together, the study suggests that offering competitive compensation is critical for sealing the deal with qualified applicants in the advertising and marketing fields today.

“Recruiting and retaining top creative talent is a growing challenge for companies," Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group, told O'Dwyer's. "Employers that aren’t paying competitively risk losing candidates and valued staff to other offers. In addition to higher salaries and signing bonuses, more companies are offering perks like flextime, remote work options and generous paid time off to woo workers in a tight job market.”

A separate, recently released Salary Guide from The Creative Group showed that starting compensation for creative professionals is expected to increase by nearly four percent next year.

The Creative Group survey was conducted in May by research firm SSRS. It included responses from 400 U.S. advertising and marketing executives. The Creative Group is a division of professional staffing service Robert Half.