Get Ahead of Your Marketing, Creative & Digital Staffing Needs

In 2012, Aquent commissioned a survey of 580 marketing, creative, and digital hiring managers to uncover flexible workforce trends in their departments. The survey illuminated several key trends and lessons learned in using a flexible workforce

> Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of successful marketing and creative organizations > Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing > Many hiring managers react to, instead of plan for, additional staffing needs > Managers continue to shoulder a large workload > Proactive workforce management practices pay off

Ultimately, the survey data highlighted that a reactive approach to staffing and recruiting a contingent workforce can affect both the manager’s stress level and the team’s overall ability to reach business goals. However, there are steps managers can take to be more proactive in their recruiting and hiring approach. In this webcast, Aquent’s Kelly Boykin explore these three steps for becoming a more proactive marketing, creative, and digital hiring manager.

Get Ahead of YourMarketing, Creative & Digital

Staffing Needs

Kelly BoykinVice President, Managing DirectorA Q U E N T

Flexible WorkforceTrends

marketing creative digital

emerging platforms & channels

Flexible WorkforceSolutions

5 key findings in survey

5 key findings in survey

1. Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

5 key findings in survey

1. Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

2. Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing

5 key findings in survey

1. Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

2. Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing

3. Hiring managers react to - instead of plan for - staffing needs

5 key findings in survey

1. Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

2. Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing

3. Hiring managers react to - instead of plan for - staffing needs

4. Managers continue to shoulder a large workload

5 key findings in survey

1. Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

2. Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing

3. Hiring managers react to - instead of plan for - staffing needs

4. Managers continue to shoulder a large workload

5. Proactive workforce management practices pay off

5 key findings in survey

1. Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

2. Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing

3. Hiring managers react to - instead of plan for - staffing needs

4. Managers continue to shoulder a large workload

5. Proactive workforce management practices pay off

KeyFinding#1

Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

in houseemployees

external workforce

Flexible workforce solutions are a critical part of success

in houseemployees

external workforce

KeyFinding# 2

Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing

Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing

external workforcesolutions

72%

Gaps in capacity and technical expertise drive outsourcing

external workforcesolutions

KeyFinding#3

Hiring managers react to instead of plan for staffing needs

Hiring managers react to – instead of plan for – staffing needs

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

reactive

proactive

not active

deadlines

Harness the power of the flexible workforce

KeyFinding#4

Managers continue to shoulder a large workload

Managers continue to shoulder a large workload

stressful extremely stressful0

10

20

30

40

50

manager’s hours per

week

Managers stress at work lack resources work >51 hours

Poll

Question

KeyFinding

#5

Proactive workforce management practices pay off

Proactive workforce management pays off

proactiveexcellentskills match

reactivenot active

47%

Reactiveapproach affects stress levels

team’s ability to reach business goals

3 Steps for proactive management

Anticipate

RecruitEvaluate

Anticipate

Anticipate platforms tools strategies content

Anticipatehow your annualplan can change

mobile appdevelopment

Anticipatehow your annualplan can change

mobile appdevelopment

KeyQuestionsto ask

Anticipate how your annual plan can change

What new technologies or communications vehicles might

require you to augment your existing team’s skill set?

Anticipate how yourannual plan can change

Poll

Question

What do you know about your customers and competition that might require you to get a new

product to market faster?

Anticipate how yourannual plan can change

Are there any new legal mandates forthcoming that might

require you to change your product strategy and

messaging?

Anticipate how yourannual plan can change

What are your recurring big-ticket projects? Do they overlap?

Anticipate how yourannual plan can change

What percentage of the work completed last year was

unexpected?

What percentage of the unexpected work did you

outsource?

Anticipate how yourannual plan can change

Anticipate

Evaluate

Anticipate developing new skills & knowledge of new technology

Evaluate your current team’s performance and skills

decouple project

tacticalstrategic

KeyQuestionsto ask

Evaluate your current team’s performance and skills

How consistent are your team’s job descriptions with the actual

day-to-day work?

Evaluate your current team’s performance and skills

Poll

Question

How much time do they spend working on things that are outside of their skill sets?

Evaluate your current team’s performance and skills

Are you asking some of your team members to do production

work in addition to the highly strategic and original creation?

Evaluate your current team’s performance and skills

Do you have simpler, tactical work that could be handed off

to newer team members or external resources to free up

your core team?

Evaluate your current team’s performance and skills

Are there specific technical skills that you need your team to develop or that you need to

acquire from outside?

Evaluate your current team’s performance and skills

Anticipate

RecruitEvaluate

Know when a great candidate is available

Source great candidates

Maintain relationships

Know who’s available & when

KeyQuestionsto ask

Always recruiteven if you don’t have an open position

Who was the best source of candidates for your most

recent opening?

Always recruit even if you don’t have an open position

Did you feel like you received a significant number of qualified candidates?

Always recruit even if you don’t have an open position

When you consider the skills gap of your team, did you see those skills in the candidates?

Always recruit even if you don’t have an open position

Did you feel your HR department was fully involved

in the recruiting process?

Always recruit even if you don’t have an open position

How many resumes did you receive for your most recent

opening?

How many people did you interview for a single opening?

Always recruit even if you don’t have an open position

Anticipate

Anticipate

Evaluate

Anticipate

RecruitEvaluate

Flexible workforce solutions

Get Ahead of YourMarketing, Creative & Digital

Staffing Needs

Kelly BoykinVice President, Managing DirectorA Q U E N T