Bridging the Gap Between Employers & Jobseekers

The Great Resignation recently made its way to Canada. Add to this ongoing skills and talent shortage in the advertising industry, and it’s become abundantly clear that there are difficult barriers for both job seekers and employers in today’s work environment. Like many industries, companies within the advertising industry are urgently in need of highly skilled and diverse talent. For those seeking jobs in advertising, the job search process is often a lengthy and frustrating one. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by MediaCom, "applying and never hearing back" is the most frustrating part of the application process for over half (59%) of job seekers.

With agencies and adtech organizations searching for qualified, diverse talent and advertising professionals and potential employees facing barriers to entry, the advertising industry must rethink how it on-boards and hires new talent. Recently, MediaCom addressed these frustrations head-on and initiated a new program which prioritizes interviews and offers on the same day. The agency's unique approach to hiring talent streamlines a traditionally long interview process, which often includes multiple interviews and assignments.

The Impact of the Pandemic on the Advertising Industry

Before we explore how advertising companies can think outside of the box when it comes to securing new talent, it’s important to understand how we got here. When the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns lifted, suddenly, employees at all levels, from entry-level employees to C-suite executives, were resigning at record rates. Employers in the advertising industry were struggling to fill their talent pipeline with candidates who had the necessary skills to succeed in today’s quickly evolving digital landscape.

As the war for talent remains challenging, many companies continue to search for highly valued skill sets being sought after by every potential employer across the advertising ecosystem. Specifically, these organizations are looking for employees capable of gleaning insights into consumer behaviour, understanding complex technical platforms and counselling brand leaders on strategy and trends. This challenge has pushed companies to innovate, adapt and create unique solutions to bridge the gap between employers and job seekers.

Thinking Outside of the Box

To help speed up the search and hiring process of talented candidates, MediaCom also guarantees interviews for people who complete the Quantcast Academy digital advertising certification program. Partnering with certification programs to find qualified candidates provides companies with the ability to quickly fill their talent pipeline.

This approach not only works for employers and applicants, but the entire advertising industry benefits from working together to find highly skilled talent and fill valued positions. Industry partnerships drive growth and connection, and incentivizing job seekers to become certified through training programs helps them gain and prove they have the required skills which ease the tension around finding qualified applicants. The COVID pandemic coupled with the Great Resignation has forced companies to invest in more efficient recruiting tools that benefit both the organization and the job seeker. Certification programs are one way to streamline the hiring process while improving the quality of potential candidates.

In the coming years, advertising organizations looking to fill their talent pipeline must strive to develop and promote new ways of finding and appealing to a diverse set of potential candidates. This will include not just partnerships, but apprenticeship programs and other unique pathways to training and skills development. Those who embrace these shifts will reap the benefit of a talented and empowered employee pipeline.

Written by Sam Gottfried, Head of Canada at Quantcast.