Can We Fill the Talent Gap?

The UK creative industry is a powerhouse; one of the country’s most dynamic and thriving commercial sectors. The truth is, it’s not doing as well as it could be, in part due to a growing talent gap.

The recent recession hit when the industry was undergoing a huge transformation: the explosion of digital with social and mobile coincided with hiring freezes across the board. So now, unsurprisingly, there’s a shortage of people with experience in those areas –a major issue in a sector where knowledge of the current big thing is so vital.

In a typical recessionary scenario, a disillusioned account manager leaves her/his agency to go travelling to escape the worst of the downturn. Back from sabbatical, but with no new technical skills or relevant experience to speak of, they walk into the next level up, simply because everyone’s desperate to hire as the economy rebounds. That person lacks experience in some of the newest, most dynamic areas of creative, but so does everyone else and the talent gap just keeps getting wider. The same is happening client-side.

Coupled with this, the creative sector is one of the worst in the world when it comes to valuing experience. How many over-50s are there in the agency world, blending their wisdom and know how with the fiery ambition of their younger colleagues while still providing terrific ideas? Hardly any. The IPA (2013) reports that only 5.5 per cent of those employed in our industry are aged 50 or older. In this business, it seems that all too often when you’re old you’re out.

So we have an industry that’s being transformed beyond all recognition, with a dearth of talent in the middle ranks and where age and wisdom are viewed with suspicion. One that is obsessed with the flavour of the month, but without enough people or experience to deliver that flavour.

The lack of investment in talent might have come at the worst possible time, yet those businesses that can successfully leverage the skills of junior and senior practitioners into a winning formula can achieve great things.

The UK creative industry is a powerhouse; one of the country’s most dynamic and thriving commercial sectors. The truth is, it’s not doing as well as it could be, in part due to a growing talent gap.

The recent recession hit when the industry was undergoing a huge transformation: the explosion of digital with social and mobile coincided with hiring freezes across the board. So now, unsurprisingly, there’s a shortage of people with experience in those areas –a major issue in a sector where knowledge of the current big thing is so vital.
In a typical recessionary scenario, a disillusioned account manager leaves her/his agency to go travelling to escape the worst of the downturn. Back from sabbatical, but with no new technical skills or relevant experience to speak of, they walk into the next level up, simply because everyone’s desperate to hire as the economy rebounds. That person lacks experience in some of the newest, most dynamic areas of creative, but so does everyone else and the talent gap just keeps getting wider. The same is happening client-side.

Coupled with this, the creative sector is one of the worst in the world when it comes to valuing experience. How many over-50s are there in the agency world, blending their wisdom and know how with the fiery ambition of their younger colleagues while still providing terrific ideas? Hardly any. The IPA (2013) reports that only 5.5 per cent of those employed in our industry are aged 50 or older. In this business, it seems that all too often when you’re old you’re out.

So we have an industry that’s being transformed beyond all recognition, with a dearth of talent in the middle ranks and where age and wisdom are viewed with suspicion. One that is obsessed with the flavour of the month, but without enough people or experience to deliver that flavour

The lack of investment in talent might have come at the worst possible time, yet those businesses that can successfully leverage the skills of junior and senior practitioners into a winning formula can achieve great things.

Original article first published 2 November 2014 in MAA