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Our Latest Jobs
3 days ago
Oxfordshire
Digital Graphic Designer
Digital Designer £30,000 - £40,000 Oxfordshire Pitch are exclusively partnered with a unique E-Commerce company based in Banbury who are looking to add a new Digital Designer to their team. Due to their product portfolio, they were very popular during lockdown and now require additional creative support for their digital platforms. The company was established nearly 20 years ago by a small group of friends who created innovative products for their unique category. They have recently moved into a brand new office space where they are looking to continue the growth of their business even further. The business currently employs just over 50 people. Working as part of the creative and marketing team, you will be responsible for the following: Working alongside the marketing and creative team to develop and maintain the company’s brand identity across all key platforms. Producing beautiful clean interactive & clickable UX/UI prototypes that can be coded by the internal developers. Working with them to continuously improve the customer journey. Creating and manipulating digital media for a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media and blogs. Occasionally developing designs for print media. Confidently adding value to the team through bringing new ideas to the business and championing those through to fruition when possible. The ideal candidate for this role will have proven experience in a digitally focused creative role. You do not have to have coding or development experience, but an understanding of creating designs that can translate into workable prototypes is necessary. Ideally you will have come from an E-Commerce background. The business offer some options for flexible working, but with their new office space and pets in their onsite garden, most employees will prefer to work in the office! AA123
3 days ago
Birmingham
Digital Designer
Digital Designer £30,000 - £35,000 Birmingham Pitch are supporting a Midlands based media planning and buying agency that’s looking for a skilled Digital Designer to join their expanding creative team.This well established media agency is a real gem! Part of a wider group, the Midlands team works on a host of high profile clients across a variety of consumer sectors delivering online and offline media campaigns that achieve exceptional results. The business has a great culture, with lots of opportunity to progress and develop, a great work/life balance and a really supportive and inspiring team. You will be: Responsible for the overall design of all digital channels for both clients and the agency itself. Provide innovative designs for social media, websites, e-newsletters and emails including graphics, digital advertising, motion graphics and animations. Be able to provide solutions and designs that meet unique brand guidelines. Working closely with the development and studio team. Strong communication skills are key to this role. To be considered for this role you must have experience working in a digital design focused role within an agency or in-house team. You will be confident in your creative skills and have experience creating a variety of digital assets. This is an urgent hire for the business so if you are interested, please apply with your CV and portfolio today! Please note that applications without portfolios may not be considered. This role offers flexible working options, but does require commuting into Birmingham on a weekly basis, so please keep that in mind when applying. BB123
3 days ago
Mansfield
Communications Officer - 2 month FTC
Great opportunity! Pitch is working with a Mansfield based business who are looking for a Communications Executive to join the team on a 2 month FTC. Working fully remotely, you could be based much further afield but some local knowledge is always beneficial. Working as part of the communications team you will be responsible for the internal communications of the business. Researching on a current project taking place in the business, producing regular team updates, and working with line managers to engage employees.To be considered you will need experience in managing internal relationships and writing for different audiences across multiple platforms. Experience with preparing presentations, planning events, webinars and training is also beneficial.A great opportunity to be part of a lovely team during a busy period. \ Apply today for immediate consideration.AA123
3 days ago
Worcestershire
Strategic Planner
Strategic Planner Worcestershire £45,000 - £50,000 We are working with a truly exceptional integrated communications agency based in Worcestershire, supporting them in finding a brilliant new Strategist to join their team. This agency is a real midlands gem, with a client base brimming with high profile household brands, they offer a fully integrated solution that spans all marketing channels and they’re looking for an experienced Strategic Planner to join their expanding team. This leading agency employs over 250 people across a range of specialist divisions, with teams of talented creative individuals who work collaboratively to create and deliver award winning integrated campaigns for their big brand client base across print, digital, events, video, social etc… whatever a client needs, they have it covered. They offer the opportunity to work on leading brands within B2B, B2C, charity and the public sector - in the main big budget campaigns, but they treat every client with equal importance whether that’s a charity looking for a hard hitting campaign in a small budget, or a national retailer looking to put big spend behind consumer engagement. As well as the opportunity to work on brilliant clients and campaigns this business also offers many additional benefits. They have a great culture that comes right from the top and resonates all the way through the business, every employee is valued and respected and they offer some great benefits including a flexible approach to working, a focus on a strong work life balance, 9-5 standard hours, 24 days holiday, subsidised restaurant, onsite parking and investment into personal training and development. The role will sit within our Campaign Team reporting to Head of Campaign Services. It sits amongst our Research and Insight Executives and Copywriters and will be there to bridge the gap between Campaign and the creatives. We would need this person to have a strategic mindset using planning to shape and guide the creative output, working very closely with our Creative directors feeding into creative briefings. This new role will see you bridging the gap between creative and client services, you’ll be: Driving multi channel campaign strategy for a range of high profile clients. Working really closely with clients and internal teams to educate strategy based on insight and research. A key part of the creative process, working with the creative team, keeping them in track and on brief. Create and present ideas strategic plans internally and to clients. Lead and support with new business pitches. This business is looking for a Strategic Planner who: Has a strong agency background within a strategy led role. Is a real strategic thinker, with an insight led and creative approach. Is great with clients and internal teams alike Loves working on new business pitch strategy and with existing clients. If you think you could the superstar Strategic Planner this agency is looking for please get in touch to hear more about this brilliant opportunity! AA123
3 days ago
Staffordshire
Senior Account Manager / Account Director
Senior Account Manager / Account Director Staffordshire £35,00 - £40,000 Pitch is working in partnership with a lovely Staffordshire based agency that’s looking for a superstar Senior Account Manager or Account Director to join its brilliant team. This agency is a real gem, a team of around twenty five people across a variety of specialisms they do some really great work for clients and have a completely multi-channel approach. The team is long standing and tight knit, they work collaboratively together and their culture is really key – they work hard but they have fun, they have a supportive and autonomous approach and every employee is valued. Within this Senior Account Manager / Account Director role you would be: Managing relationships with clients across a variety of B2B and consumer sectors. Understanding the needs and requirements of your clients, helping to come up with campaign ideas and strategies. Working in partnership with the Digital Account Manager who will support with the delivery of digital campaigns. Project managing delivery of a broad range of marketing campaigns from rebrands and design work to social media and PR. This agency is looking for: An experienced client manager, able to manage stakeholders at all levels. A super organised project manager, able to understand client requirements, write creative briefs and oversee the delivery of campaigns. A team player, someone who is highly collaborative, honest and friendly. This fantastic opportunity won’t be around for long so please get in touch if you’d like to hear more! AA123
3 days ago
Birmingham
Freelance Account Executive
Freelance Account Executive ASAP 2 months £93.82 Birmingham An in-house marketing department are looking to bolster their team with the support of an Account Executive. Supporting the team, you will be coordinating the delivery of various integrated marketing campaigns. Responsibilities: + Prepare quotes, writing briefs & detailing schedules. + Ensure the smooth running of integrated campaign delivery. + Liaise & manage third party suppliers to ensure projects are delivered on-time. + Maintain documentation & administration of project details. + Engage with internal stakeholders such as the studio team to ensure all work is checked for quality assurance. + Ensure all work is allocated the right resource & booked in with the studio team. + Support clients & creatives with any queries and ensure work is delivered inline with the client’s brief. Requirements: + Experience working in account management or relevant experience. + A proven high-standard of verbal & written communication skills. + Experience working within a busy environment managing tasks simultaneously and meeting strict deadlines. + Hold excellent communication skills. The client is currently working towards a phased return to their offices in Birmingham, to which you need be available to work a mix of office & home working. This booking is to start ASAP for 2 months and you would need to be paid through an umbrella company. BB123
3 days ago
Birmingham
Freelance Designer (M.W)
Freelance Designer ASAP 3 months £139.18 per day Birmingham Pitch are supporting an educational establishment who are looking for a freelance designer to support on a 3 month project. Supporting this client you will be responsible for producing engaging designs & content for multiple channels, including media. Requirements: + A degree-level or equivalent work experience in multi-media production including but not limited to Design, Digital, film & photography. + Proven skills in Graphic design, including some motion & animation work would be extremely advantageous. + Experience working within brand identity. + Knowledge of website UI & usability, HTML, CSS & Dreamweaver. + Experience using CMS to publish web content. + A good understanding of accessibility regulations. The client is looking for you to start ASAP on a 3 month booking and due to their establishment, you would be required to be paid via an umbrella company. Currently they are introducing a phased return to working from the office and therefore you would need to be comfortable to work onsite & remotely. Please get in touch with your portfolio and let's discuss. BB123
4 days ago
Cheadle
Digital Account Manager
Pitch are recruiting on behalf of a fantastic, Greater Manchester based agency who specialise in delivering digital marketing solutions for a range of great brands. They are looking to appoint a Digital Account Manager - a truly fantastic opportunity for a highly motivated, organised, digital- savvy candidate that has experience of managing successful digital projects. This role will involve servicing a wide range of clients and typical projects will include; web/app design & development, social media, content management and plenty more.Reporting to the Digital Director, the successful Digital Account Manager will be expected to: Support and collaborate with designers and developers to produce digital collateral which support the campaigns. Coordinate with internal and external resources to execute digital projects. Update senior stakeholders with timelines, progress and costing. Managing multiple projects at any given time. Have involvement with clients’ strategy. In order to be considered for this role, we are looking for the following experience: A minimum of 2 years agency experience, as a Digital Account manager. Knowledge of different digital channels and ideally experience within an agency environment. If you are interested, please apply as soon as possible, this role will not be on the market long. BB123
Our Latest Opinions
3 days ago
By Julia Williams
Graduate salaries: What's changed?
The availability of graduate and entry-level roles took a reported 12% dip during 2020, and though the job market is gradually improving, we are seeing more companies looking to take on experienced and senior level talent rather than junior or graduate level employees. However, despite the decline in demand for junior level skills, we’re starting to see a trend in the market for graduates seeking higher salaries than pre-pandemic. What we are seeing Salaries are always variable depending on role and location, making it difficult to provide a broad picture of what we are seeing, however to provide an example … According to our salary survey, between 2019-2020 the typical starting salary for an entry-level Marketing Executive based in the Midlands averaged out at around £18,000 - £20,000. Moving to 2021, we are seeing more graduates expecting to start with a salary ranging from £20,000 - £22,000 or more. Though just a snapshot of the market, this is part of a broader trend which we will likely see more of over the coming months as the 2021 graduates enter the job market. Our thoughts We recognise that salaries change over time in line with various factors like cost of living, inflation and minimum/living wage increases, however many employees over the past 12 months have seen wage freezes as the impact of the pandemic hit. With this there appears to be a lack of congruency between what is happening in the market and some graduate expectations, which may be contributing towards some finding it difficult to source that entry/graduate level role. For instance, requesting a £21,000+ salary when you don’t have any relevant market experience, may be a sticking point with some employers, where they may be more likely to select a graduate willing to accept a lower salary to offset training and development investments. However, this is not to diminish the achievements of graduates and there are some instances where requesting a higher salary may be appropriate, such as; Holding market experience for instance through internships or a placement year. Transferring from a different industry with similar skills. Having more higher level qualifications such as a postgraduate or masters degree and industry relevant qualifications. If you are looking to relocate and require a living wage. If you are a recent graduate, we advise you take your skills and requirements into consideration before requesting a specific salary level, taking into account the long term opportunities and rewards a business may be able to offer. If you are unsure as to what the industry standards look like in different regions of the UK, you can download our salary surveys for free. Image credit: Header: Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
Graduate salaries: What's changed?
The availability of graduate and entry-level roles took a reported 12% dip during 2020, and though the job market is gradually improving, we are seeing more companies looking to take on experienced and senior level talent rather than junior or graduate level employees. However, despite the decline in demand for junior level skills, we’re starting to see a trend in the market for graduates seeking higher salaries than pre-pandemic. What we are seeing Salaries are always variable depending on role and location, making it difficult to provide a broad picture of what we are seeing, however to provide an example … According to our salary survey, between 2019-2020 the typical starting salary for an entry-level Marketing Executive based in the Midlands averaged out at around £18,000 - £20,000. Moving to 2021, we are seeing more graduates expecting to start with a salary ranging from £20,000 - £22,000 or more. Though just a snapshot of the market, this is part of a broader trend which we will likely see more of over the coming months as the 2021 graduates enter the job market. Our thoughts We recognise that salaries change over time in line with various factors like cost of living, inflation and minimum/living wage increases, however many employees over the past 12 months have seen wage freezes as the impact of the pandemic hit. With this there appears to be a lack of congruency between what is happening in the market and some graduate expectations, which may be contributing towards some finding it difficult to source that entry/graduate level role. For instance, requesting a £21,000+ salary when you don’t have any relevant market experience, may be a sticking point with some employers, where they may be more likely to select a graduate willing to accept a lower salary to offset training and development investments. However, this is not to diminish the achievements of graduates and there are some instances where requesting a higher salary may be appropriate, such as; Holding market experience for instance through internships or a placement year. Transferring from a different industry with similar skills. Having more higher level qualifications such as a postgraduate or masters degree and industry relevant qualifications. If you are looking to relocate and require a living wage. If you are a recent graduate, we advise you take your skills and requirements into consideration before requesting a specific salary level, taking into account the long term opportunities and rewards a business may be able to offer. If you are unsure as to what the industry standards look like in different regions of the UK, you can download our salary surveys for free. Image credit: Header: Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
6 days ago
By Rob Markwell
Balancing remote working and the 4 day week
Following Spain’s trial of the 4 day week, the topic of shortening the working week has come back into debate, with many citing the positive impact which increased flexibility is likely to have on productivity, wellbeing and climate change. But what impact will the 4 day week have in light of more remote working being offered by employers? Balancing time, workloads and wellbeing Due to increased workloads and the blurred lines between work and home, many employees are finding they have been working longer hours compared to previous years. Our own research found that 55% of employees are working more than 9 hours a day for a variety of reasons, from heavier workloads to more meetings or simply because they feel they should. However, one of the more concerning statistics highlights that 12% of employees are working longer because they feel they are less effective when working remotely. This raises questions surrounding the viability of introducing a 4 day week alongside working from home options, where though employees may benefit from taking an additional day off, there is understandable concern about the impact of increasing workloads and the knock on effect this is likely to have on working hours. From our perspective, if remote working were to be maintained and a 30 hour week introduced, it is likely that the issue surrounding longer daily working hours will become more complex as employees struggle to maintain a balance between prioritising workloads and their overall wellbeing. What we have seen Over the past year we have encountered some employers who were willing to offer a 4 day week. But, to help address the above issues they have only offered this flexibility on the condition that the 5th days hours have been made up throughout the week, creating a more compressed working week. Though this can help to solve the potential issues which may arise from remote productivity, encouraging employees to complete their workload during working hours, some may see it to be counter productive to the benefits achieved through a 30 hour week. To be remote Prior to the pandemic, we would have addressed the 4 day week with a different note, hailing its ability to enhance in-office productivity and employee wellbeing alongside candidate attraction and employee retention. However, we need to remember that the dynamics of working have shifted drastically over the past 12 months and whilst a 4 day week may have been beneficial when we were all in office on a daily basis, the introduction of remote working may have had a more significant impact on the feasibility of implementing a 30 hour week than previously considered. Image credit: Header: Photo by Adi Perets from Pexels
Balancing remote working and the 4 day week
Following Spain’s trial of the 4 day week, the topic of shortening the working week has come back into debate, with many citing the positive impact which increased flexibility is likely to have on productivity, wellbeing and climate change. But what impact will the 4 day week have in light of more remote working being offered by employers? Balancing time, workloads and wellbeing Due to increased workloads and the blurred lines between work and home, many employees are finding they have been working longer hours compared to previous years. Our own research found that 55% of employees are working more than 9 hours a day for a variety of reasons, from heavier workloads to more meetings or simply because they feel they should. However, one of the more concerning statistics highlights that 12% of employees are working longer because they feel they are less effective when working remotely. This raises questions surrounding the viability of introducing a 4 day week alongside working from home options, where though employees may benefit from taking an additional day off, there is understandable concern about the impact of increasing workloads and the knock on effect this is likely to have on working hours. From our perspective, if remote working were to be maintained and a 30 hour week introduced, it is likely that the issue surrounding longer daily working hours will become more complex as employees struggle to maintain a balance between prioritising workloads and their overall wellbeing. What we have seen Over the past year we have encountered some employers who were willing to offer a 4 day week. But, to help address the above issues they have only offered this flexibility on the condition that the 5th days hours have been made up throughout the week, creating a more compressed working week. Though this can help to solve the potential issues which may arise from remote productivity, encouraging employees to complete their workload during working hours, some may see it to be counter productive to the benefits achieved through a 30 hour week. To be remote Prior to the pandemic, we would have addressed the 4 day week with a different note, hailing its ability to enhance in-office productivity and employee wellbeing alongside candidate attraction and employee retention. However, we need to remember that the dynamics of working have shifted drastically over the past 12 months and whilst a 4 day week may have been beneficial when we were all in office on a daily basis, the introduction of remote working may have had a more significant impact on the feasibility of implementing a 30 hour week than previously considered. Image credit: Header: Photo by Adi Perets from Pexels
10 days ago
By Ellie Tibbs
Jobs of the future and the digital skills shortage
Many of the jobs we recruit for such has SEO specialists, digital designers and digital marketers to name a few are jobs that didn’t exist ten plus years ago and have only come about due to technological innovation. With 65% of children entering school today likely to be employed in a role that does not exist yet, it is vital that we look ahead and plan for the future. Jobs of the future AI Business development managers and technicians By 2024, the AI industry is expected to be valued at or above $500 billion. It’s going to be big business in the near future for software and app developers in particular, and businesses are going to need people who can pitch it to prospective companies and help produce/fix relevant applications. Augmented reality technicians Developers have always had to think on their feet and keep up to date with the latest trends to stay ahead. Augmented reality is one of the biggest emerging trends amongst marketeers, allowing brands to give consumers unique virtual experiences via phones or headsets. Demand for this skillset is likely to rise in coming years as consumer adoption of VR increases to 44.3% by 2022 - 2023. Data scientists Data scientists are nothing new. However, we expect to see demand for this skillset increase as workplaces undertake digital and technological revolutions, and may become highly prominent people within the marketing and digital agencies of the future, where they will work to enhance performance in key areas like SEO, real-time marketing campaigns and customer engagement. The digital problem Though the world is developing at a faster technological pace than ever with many of these roles on the horizon in the next 5 years, the digital skill shortage remains a prominent threat towards advancement. It was recently reported that fewer than half of UK employers believe young people are leaving education with advanced digital skills, which may pose a threat to their profitability long-term. Though further education can and should be provided in schools to increase knowledge and accessibility to these skill sets, 70% of young people expect employers to invest in teaching them digital skills on the job, but only half of employers are able to provide that training. There exists a clear gap in the UK for digital skills training in the workplace, which is why in 2008 we launched b-hive to help budding talent get their first foot on the career ladder, developing their skillset for the future. Though schemes like b-hive can help to develop and nurture young talent, the digital skills shortage is something which employers have been recognising as a challenge for many years at all ages and levels. A failure to address this issue today could have a serious impact on the recruitment of future skillsets for roles requiring AI, AR and data skills, where these individuals are likely to come at a higher cost to organisations due to a low availability of talent. Image credit: Header: Photo by Alex Knight from Pexels
Jobs of the future and the digital skills shortage
Many of the jobs we recruit for such has SEO specialists, digital designers and digital marketers to name a few are jobs that didn’t exist ten plus years ago and have only come about due to technological innovation. With 65% of children entering school today likely to be employed in a role that does not exist yet, it is vital that we look ahead and plan for the future. Jobs of the future AI Business development managers and technicians By 2024, the AI industry is expected to be valued at or above $500 billion. It’s going to be big business in the near future for software and app developers in particular, and businesses are going to need people who can pitch it to prospective companies and help produce/fix relevant applications. Augmented reality technicians Developers have always had to think on their feet and keep up to date with the latest trends to stay ahead. Augmented reality is one of the biggest emerging trends amongst marketeers, allowing brands to give consumers unique virtual experiences via phones or headsets. Demand for this skillset is likely to rise in coming years as consumer adoption of VR increases to 44.3% by 2022 - 2023. Data scientists Data scientists are nothing new. However, we expect to see demand for this skillset increase as workplaces undertake digital and technological revolutions, and may become highly prominent people within the marketing and digital agencies of the future, where they will work to enhance performance in key areas like SEO, real-time marketing campaigns and customer engagement. The digital problem Though the world is developing at a faster technological pace than ever with many of these roles on the horizon in the next 5 years, the digital skill shortage remains a prominent threat towards advancement. It was recently reported that fewer than half of UK employers believe young people are leaving education with advanced digital skills, which may pose a threat to their profitability long-term. Though further education can and should be provided in schools to increase knowledge and accessibility to these skill sets, 70% of young people expect employers to invest in teaching them digital skills on the job, but only half of employers are able to provide that training. There exists a clear gap in the UK for digital skills training in the workplace, which is why in 2008 we launched b-hive to help budding talent get their first foot on the career ladder, developing their skillset for the future. Though schemes like b-hive can help to develop and nurture young talent, the digital skills shortage is something which employers have been recognising as a challenge for many years at all ages and levels. A failure to address this issue today could have a serious impact on the recruitment of future skillsets for roles requiring AI, AR and data skills, where these individuals are likely to come at a higher cost to organisations due to a low availability of talent. Image credit: Header: Photo by Alex Knight from Pexels
12 days ago
By Rob Markwell
Why we're embracing flexibility post-Covid
We’re embracing flexibility and remote working, not because the thought of a commute and sharing spaces makes us shudder, but because we are committed to providing the best working environment for our team. Even we admit there was a time when we were quite rigid in our structure, and though at the start of last year we planned to introduce the option of flexible working to our employees, we never anticipated it to be quite as agile as it is today. All of our team from junior to director level, will have the option to work remotely twice a week, with complete flexibility around start and finish times, which will continue into the post Covid era. Of course this enables our team to balance their work and home life more effectively, which means they can be on the school run, ease the strain of a long commute and prioritise their wellbeing, for us this is an added benefit. The past years experiment of remote working has shown us that by allowing freedom amongst our team we are able to be more agile and adaptable as a business. Our service levels have never been stronger. Allowing our consultants to step away from their desks has meant they have a little more time in their day to develop closer and more personal relationships with clients and candidates, which from time to time is supported by the help of some fury friends. We have given ourselves the headspace to think, allowing us to innovate. In the past year alone we have developed new service offerings, engaged with new industries, become more creative and strategic in the way we communicate. We have evolved at a faster pace than ever, so why would we want to lose that momentum? We have become more collaborative. An odd one given that we see each other less, but taking ourselves outside of the office with that added benefit of innovation has meant that barriers which previously would have existed between teams have been eroded and collaborative idea sharing has never been higher. Of course, we need our office space for joint meetings, project management and to get away from our home desks to connect with one and other, and that is why we will never say sayonara to our office space. Have you seen it? Why would we?. But we will be saying ta-rah to a 5 day week in the office, we would be daft not to. Interested in joining a company who are collaborative, flexible and adaptable? We’re always on the look out for new talent that can add value to our sectors and team. Image credit: Header: Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
Why we're embracing flexibility post-Covid
We’re embracing flexibility and remote working, not because the thought of a commute and sharing spaces makes us shudder, but because we are committed to providing the best working environment for our team. Even we admit there was a time when we were quite rigid in our structure, and though at the start of last year we planned to introduce the option of flexible working to our employees, we never anticipated it to be quite as agile as it is today. All of our team from junior to director level, will have the option to work remotely twice a week, with complete flexibility around start and finish times, which will continue into the post Covid era. Of course this enables our team to balance their work and home life more effectively, which means they can be on the school run, ease the strain of a long commute and prioritise their wellbeing, for us this is an added benefit. The past years experiment of remote working has shown us that by allowing freedom amongst our team we are able to be more agile and adaptable as a business. Our service levels have never been stronger. Allowing our consultants to step away from their desks has meant they have a little more time in their day to develop closer and more personal relationships with clients and candidates, which from time to time is supported by the help of some fury friends. We have given ourselves the headspace to think, allowing us to innovate. In the past year alone we have developed new service offerings, engaged with new industries, become more creative and strategic in the way we communicate. We have evolved at a faster pace than ever, so why would we want to lose that momentum? We have become more collaborative. An odd one given that we see each other less, but taking ourselves outside of the office with that added benefit of innovation has meant that barriers which previously would have existed between teams have been eroded and collaborative idea sharing has never been higher. Of course, we need our office space for joint meetings, project management and to get away from our home desks to connect with one and other, and that is why we will never say sayonara to our office space. Have you seen it? Why would we?. But we will be saying ta-rah to a 5 day week in the office, we would be daft not to. Interested in joining a company who are collaborative, flexible and adaptable? We’re always on the look out for new talent that can add value to our sectors and team. Image credit: Header: Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
20 days ago
By Rebecca Thomas
Pitch Perspective: The April job market
What will the job market look like in April and quarter 2? We’re seeing more and more new jobs hitting our desks each week, a complete contrast to what we saw this time last year, which gives us great confidence in the job market and how it is moving. With so much movement going on, we thought we would give you some insight into our industries, to see how they are performing and what we’re expecting in terms of recruitment over the next quarter. Agency recruitment Over the past 3 months we have seen agencies go from strength to strength, with many looking to take on new hires during April and quarter 2, either due to winning new business or having existing clients return after a difficult year. This is a similar picture across the board, with large and smaller agencies taking advantage of the turn in the market. Digital remains strong Demand for specialist digital skillsets such as SEO, PPC and paid social to name a few, are spearheading recruitment plans across the industry, as many clients continue to see a huge benefit in holding a strong digital presence. It’s been clear to date that a key challenge has been sourcing these candidates, due to hesitancy within the job seeker market and a shortage of candidates within many specialist digital skillsets. Though we are predominantly expecting the demand for digital skills such as SEO, PPC and paid social to continue growing, as lockdowns lift, we are hoping to see more available talent enter the market, making resourcing for these roles less of a challenge. Creative on the rise In 2020 we saw a 70% drop in the availability of creative roles, however it looks like this picture is starting to show some green shoots of recovery. In recent weeks we have had agencies contact us with requests for digital designers, UX/UI designers, creative directors, videographers and copywriters, due to an increase in projects which require creative outputs. Moving into quarter 2 we anticipate seeing this drive continuing, with (fingers crossed) the volume of recruitment across the creative industry returning to normal levels. Account Handling growing We reported a 93% drop in the volume of account handling roles during 2020, likely because these roles are reliant on agencies managing ongoing projects and growing business, both of which were hugely impacted during the pandemic. However, as agencies begin to grow their client base, they are looking to employ more Account Executives and Account Managers to help manage the load. Already seeing more of these roles come up, we are hoping to see account handling at the top of most agencies recruitment lists during quarter 2. In-house recruitment E-commerce growth As with agencies, the demand for digital talent within the in-house sector is continuing to grow, however we are seeing higher levels of demand for these skills within the e-commerce industry. As 25% of British consumers are expecting to permanently shift towards shopping online, more brands are either future proofing themselves or starting to enhance their digital channels in readiness for future consumer behaviours. This is driving growth in demand for specialist digital skillsets across the e-commerce industry, a trend we anticipate to continue to gather momentum in quarter 2 as wider disposable income increases once lockdowns are lifted. Senior talent in demand Dependent on their sector, many in-house brands have been hard hit over the course of the past year, and when looking to expand or re-build their teams as markets begin to recover, most eyes are on the senior end of the market. This is because companies are looking for talent that holds a certain level of experience in supporting business growth during tough economic climates, and feel they are a safer and more economically wise investment than a junior hire. This may mean we continue to experience challenging times for the junior and graduate candidate market and our Associate Director Heidi recently penned her thoughts around why graduate/junior recruitment is important. Freelance & Temporary recruitment Agencies + business = freelance Freelancers have really taken a hit during the past year and are yet to see substantial signs of recovery and stability. However, with many freelancers relying on agencies for a significant proportion of their bookings, it would make sense that the busier agencies get the more work freelancers will see coming through. We’re expecting this to be a gradual process as agencies establish which areas they have capacity in and which they don’t, but as business starts to build and client demands begin to exceed capacity or skillset knowledge, we are hoping to see demand for freelancers increase during quarter 2. There we said it! Restructures As in-house businesses have weathered the storm and are now beginning to rebuild, many are looking towards corporate restructures as a way to ensure their businesses are future proofed. In many organisations this is likely to leave some temporary gaps in talent whilst the transition is taking effect, meaning that demand for fixed term contractors is likely to increase. To find out more about Pitch and how we can help your recruitment strategy during April quarter 2, you can speak with a member of our team. Image credit: Header: Adapted from Photo by Bianca Marolla from Pexels
Pitch Perspective: The April job market
What will the job market look like in April and quarter 2? We’re seeing more and more new jobs hitting our desks each week, a complete contrast to what we saw this time last year, which gives us great confidence in the job market and how it is moving. With so much movement going on, we thought we would give you some insight into our industries, to see how they are performing and what we’re expecting in terms of recruitment over the next quarter. Agency recruitment Over the past 3 months we have seen agencies go from strength to strength, with many looking to take on new hires during April and quarter 2, either due to winning new business or having existing clients return after a difficult year. This is a similar picture across the board, with large and smaller agencies taking advantage of the turn in the market. Digital remains strong Demand for specialist digital skillsets such as SEO, PPC and paid social to name a few, are spearheading recruitment plans across the industry, as many clients continue to see a huge benefit in holding a strong digital presence. It’s been clear to date that a key challenge has been sourcing these candidates, due to hesitancy within the job seeker market and a shortage of candidates within many specialist digital skillsets. Though we are predominantly expecting the demand for digital skills such as SEO, PPC and paid social to continue growing, as lockdowns lift, we are hoping to see more available talent enter the market, making resourcing for these roles less of a challenge. Creative on the rise In 2020 we saw a 70% drop in the availability of creative roles, however it looks like this picture is starting to show some green shoots of recovery. In recent weeks we have had agencies contact us with requests for digital designers, UX/UI designers, creative directors, videographers and copywriters, due to an increase in projects which require creative outputs. Moving into quarter 2 we anticipate seeing this drive continuing, with (fingers crossed) the volume of recruitment across the creative industry returning to normal levels. Account Handling growing We reported a 93% drop in the volume of account handling roles during 2020, likely because these roles are reliant on agencies managing ongoing projects and growing business, both of which were hugely impacted during the pandemic. However, as agencies begin to grow their client base, they are looking to employ more Account Executives and Account Managers to help manage the load. Already seeing more of these roles come up, we are hoping to see account handling at the top of most agencies recruitment lists during quarter 2. In-house recruitment E-commerce growth As with agencies, the demand for digital talent within the in-house sector is continuing to grow, however we are seeing higher levels of demand for these skills within the e-commerce industry. As 25% of British consumers are expecting to permanently shift towards shopping online, more brands are either future proofing themselves or starting to enhance their digital channels in readiness for future consumer behaviours. This is driving growth in demand for specialist digital skillsets across the e-commerce industry, a trend we anticipate to continue to gather momentum in quarter 2 as wider disposable income increases once lockdowns are lifted. Senior talent in demand Dependent on their sector, many in-house brands have been hard hit over the course of the past year, and when looking to expand or re-build their teams as markets begin to recover, most eyes are on the senior end of the market. This is because companies are looking for talent that holds a certain level of experience in supporting business growth during tough economic climates, and feel they are a safer and more economically wise investment than a junior hire. This may mean we continue to experience challenging times for the junior and graduate candidate market and our Associate Director Heidi recently penned her thoughts around why graduate/junior recruitment is important. Freelance & Temporary recruitment Agencies + business = freelance Freelancers have really taken a hit during the past year and are yet to see substantial signs of recovery and stability. However, with many freelancers relying on agencies for a significant proportion of their bookings, it would make sense that the busier agencies get the more work freelancers will see coming through. We’re expecting this to be a gradual process as agencies establish which areas they have capacity in and which they don’t, but as business starts to build and client demands begin to exceed capacity or skillset knowledge, we are hoping to see demand for freelancers increase during quarter 2. There we said it! Restructures As in-house businesses have weathered the storm and are now beginning to rebuild, many are looking towards corporate restructures as a way to ensure their businesses are future proofed. In many organisations this is likely to leave some temporary gaps in talent whilst the transition is taking effect, meaning that demand for fixed term contractors is likely to increase. To find out more about Pitch and how we can help your recruitment strategy during April quarter 2, you can speak with a member of our team. Image credit: Header: Adapted from Photo by Bianca Marolla from Pexels
26 days ago
By Heidi Moreby
How long to hear back? Timelines in recruitment
*Disclaimer - The averages provided in this blog are based on a selection of our own data from 2020 and 2021 and are subject to change.* Applying for jobs can be a frustrating process, especially as you are normally waiting on prospective employers to get back to you. As time goes on, you can be left wondering how long it will really take to get a new job or whether you will really ever hear anything back at all. This waiting game is often the most difficult part of being a job seeker, so to help make your journey a little clearer we pulled some of our own industry averages around how long things really take once you submit an application. How long is it until I hear back from job application? Around 10 days is our average period of time to get back to you whether you have been invited to an interview or your application has been unsuccessful. This is similar to the timescales of when you apply direct to an employer, which can vary from one to two weeks on average. Of course, this doesn’t mean that processes can’t be shorter. If applying for a role through a recruiter, it is likely you will be contacted up to 72 hours after application to discuss your eligibility for a role before a consultant sends your CV over to the prospective company. As a side note, it is always worth being open to a conversation with a recruiter during this time, as they may also be able to point you in the direction of other roles they are working on or be able to pitch you to companies, effectively helping you with your job search. How long until I get a job interview following my CV being sent to a business? On average we invite job seekers to interviews with prospective clients in around 14 days following application. However it is worth noting that this can vary based on company requirements, often if it is an urgent role then you may be invited to an interview in as little as a week following application. And depending on the size of the company and the volume of applicants, timescales may take longer due to following more screening processes. How long does it take to get an offer after a job interview? On average we see job seekers being offered roles around 3 days after an interview, taking into account other interviewees and making decisions around the offer (including benefit packages). However, this can be a difficult one to gauge as companies often follow different interview processes, with some opting to go down a multi-stage process and others content after just one interview. How long is it from job offer to start date? This varies based on your circumstances and company need, and can be anything from one day to 4+ weeks. Often notice periods are the biggest factor which extend the start-date, where we have seen periods of between 1 week to 3 months depending on the seniority level of the candidate and former employers requirements. If you take this into consideration, the overall job seeking process from application to start date is highly variable and dependant on individual circumstances and business requirements. What has changed since 2020? The pandemic has changed a lot around the recruitment process, however the averages provided in this blog are based on a combination of our own 2020/2021 data. On the whole those businesses who are hiring currently have an urgent need for talent as they are upscaling their businesses following delays and setbacks in 2020 and the identification of new digital revenue streams. In some cases this has sped up the recruitment process, especially for those individuals with digitally focused skillsets, including Marketing and Development. Image credit: Header: Image adapted from Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
How long to hear back? Timelines in recruitment
*Disclaimer - The averages provided in this blog are based on a selection of our own data from 2020 and 2021 and are subject to change.* Applying for jobs can be a frustrating process, especially as you are normally waiting on prospective employers to get back to you. As time goes on, you can be left wondering how long it will really take to get a new job or whether you will really ever hear anything back at all. This waiting game is often the most difficult part of being a job seeker, so to help make your journey a little clearer we pulled some of our own industry averages around how long things really take once you submit an application. How long is it until I hear back from job application? Around 10 days is our average period of time to get back to you whether you have been invited to an interview or your application has been unsuccessful. This is similar to the timescales of when you apply direct to an employer, which can vary from one to two weeks on average. Of course, this doesn’t mean that processes can’t be shorter. If applying for a role through a recruiter, it is likely you will be contacted up to 72 hours after application to discuss your eligibility for a role before a consultant sends your CV over to the prospective company. As a side note, it is always worth being open to a conversation with a recruiter during this time, as they may also be able to point you in the direction of other roles they are working on or be able to pitch you to companies, effectively helping you with your job search. How long until I get a job interview following my CV being sent to a business? On average we invite job seekers to interviews with prospective clients in around 14 days following application. However it is worth noting that this can vary based on company requirements, often if it is an urgent role then you may be invited to an interview in as little as a week following application. And depending on the size of the company and the volume of applicants, timescales may take longer due to following more screening processes. How long does it take to get an offer after a job interview? On average we see job seekers being offered roles around 3 days after an interview, taking into account other interviewees and making decisions around the offer (including benefit packages). However, this can be a difficult one to gauge as companies often follow different interview processes, with some opting to go down a multi-stage process and others content after just one interview. How long is it from job offer to start date? This varies based on your circumstances and company need, and can be anything from one day to 4+ weeks. Often notice periods are the biggest factor which extend the start-date, where we have seen periods of between 1 week to 3 months depending on the seniority level of the candidate and former employers requirements. If you take this into consideration, the overall job seeking process from application to start date is highly variable and dependant on individual circumstances and business requirements. What has changed since 2020? The pandemic has changed a lot around the recruitment process, however the averages provided in this blog are based on a combination of our own 2020/2021 data. On the whole those businesses who are hiring currently have an urgent need for talent as they are upscaling their businesses following delays and setbacks in 2020 and the identification of new digital revenue streams. In some cases this has sped up the recruitment process, especially for those individuals with digitally focused skillsets, including Marketing and Development. Image credit: Header: Image adapted from Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
