The Truth Behind the Soaring Job Titles in the Marketing Industry
Rising job title inflation in marketing as firms seek to attract and retain talent amidst a competitive job market, with limited experience requirements for roles like VP of Marketing and CMO
Source: Shutterstock
The trend of job title inflation is growing in the marketing field, where individuals are granted senior job titles without corresponding responsibilities. This practice may have a detrimental impact on the ability to attract suitable candidates for specific positions.
Research commissioned by staffing firm Walters People reveals that job positions with titles containing 'lead' or 'manager', and requiring a maximum of 2 years' experience, have collectively increased by 53% in the UK & Ireland across all sectors, including marketing, in the past year.
This upward trend is also evident within marketing roles specifically. VP positions in marketing, with a maximum requirement of three years' experience, have seen a 30% increase. Marketing specialist roles, targeting individuals with 0-1 years' experience, have witnessed a significant surge of 147%. Similarly, chief marketing officer positions, which traditionally demand 0-2 years' experience, have also experienced a noteworthy increase of 53% in the last year.
Walters People uses a web scraping tool to provide users with information on new job adverts in the UK. This tool allows them to track the monthly trends in job titles. This trend could be seen as job inflation, where job titles are being elevated without the corresponding increase in responsibilities and requirements. Janine Blacksley, director at Walters People, notes that in the past, titles like lead, principle, partner, and VP required years of experience and hard work, but this seems to be changing.
Firms may choose to offer better job titles to retain staff without increasing their salaries, or to gain an advantage over established competitors by enticing prospective employees with more prominent roles. However, this practice can also have negative consequences. Blacksley warns that associating senior titles with junior positions may deter suitable candidates, as they may feel inadequate to apply.
Job listings that incorrectly use the title 'senior' can experience a significant decrease of up to 39% in applicants, as reported by research firm Data People.
In addition, Blacksley cautioned that job inflation may result in resentment within an organization, as certain employees are privileged with inflated titles while others are not.
“It can lead to a sense of injustice and disparity within the work environment,” states Blacksley. He further explains that this can potentially result in young professionals being vulnerable to burnout, decreased overall staff morale, and increased turnover rates.
Generational differences
The research further examines the influence of Gen Z on this situation. According to Walters People's research, more than half of Gen Z employees (52%) anticipate a promotion within 12 to 18 months of joining a company.
However, it is important to note that this does not imply their desire to manage a team, as 47% of young workers believe that the hierarchy they belong to holds greater significance than the individuals they are responsible for.
Moreover, they also exhibit confidence. A considerable majority (52%) feel at ease when applying for a job with a senior-sounding position, even if they don't perceive themselves as completely proficient.
According to Blacksley, this research suggests that the "capacity to make impactful decisions" plays a significant role in Gen Z's sense of value within an organization.
She adds, "Unlike previous generations, who were more secure in the knowledge that their expertise, whether it was in finance or marketing, played a critical role within a larger system."
