BD, Marketing and Communications Market Insights Q3 2017

Published on 17^th July 2017

Following a sluggish start to 2017 there was a positive upturn in hiring for BD, Marketing and Communications professionals across the second quarter of the year. 
The numbers of jobs across our professional services clients mirrored almost exactly the numbers of jobs we saw this time last year, so despite there being a great deal of uncertainty in the market, this hasn’t affected the appetite of firms to hire staff in their BD, Marketing & Communications functions. 
One noticeable change is the increased level of scrutiny many firms are putting on potential hires.  In many cases, this has led to lengthier recruitment processes and more specific expectations being placed on previous experience and skills.  As a result, many vacancies are taking longer to fill than normal.

Skills in Demand 

There has been increased demand in the legal sector to secure Business Development professionals with both legal experience and experience in the sector and/or practice area for which they are recruiting.  Consequently, firms have been battling it out for talent among a much smaller pool of people and some job seekers have managed to secure large salary increases as a result of this. 

In accountancy, we have seen continued demand for sales talent and we would expect this to continue. One of the major differences we have observed over the last quarter has been the increase in more client care roles which previously only existed in the legal sector. 

Within consultancy, firms are generally more open to hiring individuals that do not have prior consultancy experience, however they are expected to have the relevant practice and sector experience. 

We have seen a continued increase in content and thought leadership roles at both the strategic level and operational levels. With increased competition in the market, it is clear that strong positioning and perception has been key for firms, hence the need to recruit in this area.
Assistant and executive level roles are frequently becoming available across professional services. At this level, firms are generally more flexible and open to hiring people from out of sector who have transferable skills with prior client-facing BD roles.

We have also seen an increased demand in regional opportunities particularly in Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester, meaning greater choice for individuals that are not necessarily looking for typical London roles.

Predictions for the Coming Quarter

We generally expect the market to slow a little over the third quarter.  With key decision makers being less available, many firms use this period to take stock and critically review what roles they require before the end of the year.  

With the frequent changes occurring in professional services due to various factors such as M&A activity and the large amount of movement at Director level, we expect there to be a decent amount of attrition in firms. 
The current candidate shortage is likely to remain, so firms will inadvertently have to work harder to secure and to retain the strongest talent. 

BD, Marketing & Communications Salaries Q3 2017*

* Notes on salary table

1. Titles and levels vary from organisation to organisation.
2. The salary ranges given are only approximate guides. For tailored salary advice, please contact us directly.
3. 12-month base salaries are assumed.
4. All other benefits and bonuses are in addition to these figures.
5. Bonus ranges can vary significantly from company to company and will be influenced by market conditions, business and individual performances.