Industry Insights

This post is contributed by Burtch Works’ marketing research and consumer insights recruiting team.While our recent salary research found that research and insights salaries are increasing, and we’ve noticed other signs of a healthy and active hiring market, we wanted to further examine the state of the market in 2019.We periodically send out “flash surveys” to our network, so we asked research & insights hiring authorities to describe their staffing plans for the first half of 2019. For more information about the survey categories, see the surveynote below.

Research & Insights Hiring in 2019

As you can see from the results above, 67% of suppliers and 43% of client side teams are planning to hire in some capacity (this includes those adding to headcount, those only backfilling vacant roles, and teams who are doing a combination of both).We also looked at how many marketing research and consumer insights teams are expanding, meaning they’re actively trying to increase headcount. We found that 63% of supplier side teams and 25% of client side teams are growing (this includes those that are ‘adding only’ plus those that are ‘adding & backfilling’).

Looking to hire researchers?

Hoping to land top research and insights talent in 2019? Make sure to check out our tips for how to make an impression on top-notch research talent, and our advice on best practices for using assignments to evaluate potential candidates.

Considering research opportunities?

Are you thinking about a career move this year? Here are a few quick tips that may come in handy during your search:

1. LinkedIn is a fantastic hub for MR professionals – check out our LinkedIn profile tips for researchers to make sure you’re getting the most out of your profile.
2. Job titles in the marketing research and consumer insights industry can vary drastically from one company to another – here are some tips for interpreting the differences between job titles to help you navigate the sea of job postings.
3. Want to land that dream MR job? – here is our best advice on how to make your resume stand out, nail the interview, and leave a positive, lasting impression along the way.

Survey note:Since the survey refers only to the first half of 2019, the “adding” category refers to teams who don’t anticipate turnover during the next couple months, resulting in overall growth of the team. If the team was hiring because they are both adding to headcount AND contending with attrition, then they fall under “adding and backfilling”.

We hope this information was helpful! If you’re looking to hire marketing research or consumer insights talent, or looking for new opportunities, be sure to connect with us.

Interested in our salary research on marketing research and consumer insights professionals? Download our studies using the button below.

Click to download our free salary reports

You can also check out our 2020 research & insights salary webinar below, where we shared highlights from our latest research, COVID-19 impacts on the hiring market, and other developing trends for 2021 and beyond.