Recruitment into media is still strong, with reports of skills shortages in areas such as digital media and second job level candidates

Media recruiters are doing well, despite caution from clients and candidates over the economy, thanks in part to an expansion in digital media and several large advertising projects providing opportunities.

John Reilly, managing director of media recruiter Reilly People, told Recruiter: “We’ve seen little or no fall off in business. There are two massive media events this year: the Beijing Olympics and the European Championship football matches, to which a large amount of money has already been committed,” he said, adding he is more worried about 2009.

However, Paul Farrer, chairman of media recruiter pfj, told Recruiter he has noticed a slight drop in media recruitment: “There is still change happening, it would be silly to think otherwise. New jobs are down 5%,” he said, adding that job roles are taking longer to fill as companies are requiring hires be signed-off by senior management.

Andrew McCormick, a senior reporter at media industry publication MediaWeek, believes it’s too early to make a call on the economy. “Recruitment into media is still strong, it hasn’t slowed down,” he told Recruiter.

Reed.co.uk’s market index, which tracks the number of online job postings, shows a rise in the number of positions advertised in media, digital and creative roles. In England the number of positions currently advertised is 4,200, an increase of 300 on the same period last year.

Reports of an economic downturn have caused candidate caution, because employees worry cutbacks in a company may lead to them being made redundant on a first in, first out basis.

“When we find them, and even introduce them, there’s so much caution on the side of the candidates that they leave us at the altar,” Reilly told Recruiter.

Several large-scale mergers have also affected the availability of positions, including the recent merger of media giant Thomson Reuters, which is reportedly considering laying off 1,500 staff in the coming months.

“If there has been a fall in the availability of jobs, it’s been caused by a series of mergers and take-overs in the sector, which have slowed the jobs merry-go-round,” Allan Cross, director of media recruitment specialists The Media Network, told Recruiter.

Media industry recruiters are reporting skill shortages when trying to fill positions in digital media. “Media planning, media sales, media buying, account managing and anything digital-related is so candidate-short it’s untrue,” Carl Dines, a director at Reilly People, told Recruiter, believing the shortages are caused by the sector’s dramatic growth.

Reilly said that media businesses are taking determined steps to retain staff in the face of shortages, with an increase in counter-offer activity from employers.

Blame for candidate shortages in digital media has also been placed on poor training. Laura Oliver, a spokeswoman at media resource www.journalism.co.uk, believes the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) isn’t evolving to meet the demands of the industry.

“It is a shame that the body which is supposed to standardise media training is holding the industry back,” she said, adding: “I’m part of the last generation who will get away with not having digital training,” she said.

In response, Emma Harpley, communications manager for the NCTJ, said: “Things are moving so quickly, it’s taking time to create the courses. From September, any NCTJ-accredited centre will have to offer courses in online as well as print journalism.”

Candidates at second job level are also in short supply, as employees seek internal promotions at that point in their career. “We always have problems finding really good news journalists who have the talent to source original news,” said Cross.

Farrer told Recruiter that the problem is exemplified by the freelance opportunities available at that point in journalists’ careers.
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