‘The great resignation’; it makes a good headline; yet when it comes to talent the overwhelming feeling in the market across the last 12 months is of reset and recovery. While the economic recovery hasn’t been either linear or uniform, there has been a strong recovery across the industry.

Over the past 12 months, we have seen the economic recovery shift from an employer-driven market, to one where the candidate is very much in the driving seat. It is expected that the Creative Industries are going to grow by over 26% by 2025, adding an additional 300,000 new roles, and this presents challenges for businesses ability to compete, grow and innovate. 

This is coupled with the fact that despite all those headlines on the ‘great resignation’ only 36% of candidates are looking to leave their current role within the next 6 months, down 8% year-on-year. 

In the face of huge demand for skilled workers, we have seen that employers have had to enhance their remuneration and benefits packages to attract and retain talent. Data from our 2022 Salary Survey suggests that there has been an average increase of 10.2% for permanent salaries and 7.1% for freelancer day rates. 

In addition, job seekers are “shopping around” for roles that align with their values and belief systems, and so businesses are having to look holistically at their attraction and retention strategies. Many have re-aligned their employer branding, flexible working provisions and workplace policies as a result. It is also expected that there will be a greater emphasis placed on succession planning, as the “war for talent” becomes more competitive.

Businesses that have strong employer branding, and those who are able to sell their culture, brand and reputation will have a competitive advantage when trying to attract passive candidates. 

Major Player’s 2022 Salary Survey is the Creative Industries' most comprehensive census on careers, salaries and workplace trends. The survey, compiled using data collected from 8041 professionals, delves into current market challenges, key industry trends we can expect for the year ahead, and the state of diversity, equity and inclusion within the Creative Industries. To find out more please click here.