Our complete guide to upskilling your marketing team

Upskilling existing marketing teams and future hires is a big consideration for employers. 

We understand that the skills gap has left many businesses struggling to find talent with the right specialist marketing skills to support their growth. In fact, our recent e-commerce report, ‘Asking E-commerce Experts: What is the biggest challenge you’re facing?’, found that up-skilling junior staff is currently the second biggest challenge facing managers and senior leaders. 

To help employers overcome the digital skills gap and gain access to the skills they need to support marketing and business-wide growth, we have put together our guide to upskilling your marketing team. 

What is the digital skills gap? 

Research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing reveals that the majority of digital marketing skills stagnated or declined between 2020 and 2021. With so much movement in the market over these two years, many people haven’t been able to access the same level of consistent training that they could have expected previously. Moreover, with offices closed, junior talent has had less access to more senior members of the team to learn from. This has resulted in a digital skills gap that continues to impact the recruitment market today.  

Contract recruitment provides a temporary solution 

Upskilling and hiring specialist marketing skill sets can be a lengthy process. If you need immediate specialist support for a project, hiring marketing contractors can be a great temporary solution.  

Contract recruitment gives employers access to hard-to-find skills and niche knowledge at pace, upskilling your team in an instant. As there is no need for businesses to train interim staff or provide them with equipment, contractors can get started on projects straight away. This allows projects to be completed on time without adding to headcount or whilst hiring managers continue their search for permanent hires.  

Why should employers be offering learning and development opportunities? 

Our report, ‘How to Hire: What marketing recruitment will look like in 2023’, reveals that learning and development opportunities are among the top five benefits candidates are looking for in their job searches.  

From the hundreds of conversations our recruitment consultants have with candidates on a daily basis, training and career advancement opportunities are key to their job searches. Candidates are recognising the impact that the digital skills gap has had on their careers and are actively looking to mitigate this. According to PwC’s ‘Workforce of the Future’ report, 74% of employees are prepared to learn new skills or re-train to remain employable, evidencing the demand for these opportunities. 

PwC’s report also reveals that 60% believe 'few people will have stable, long-term employment in the future'. Stability is another key factor for candidates searching for a new role at present. Many are seeking a secure opportunity due to the evolving economic environment. 

Learning and development opportunities are the solution to all of these problems. By investing in learning and development, businesses will not only upskill their current marketing team, but also attract new candidates and show that they’re prepared to invest in their employees’ futures. 

Learning while earning: an on the job upskilling solution  

We are partnered with marketing education provider, School of Marketing, to continue making a difference in the marketing industry. Our partnership allows us to support the growth of businesses and development of candidates’ careers.  

School of Marketing was created to encourage more young people into a career in marketing. Working with corporate companies, not-for-profit organisations, colleges and schools, School of Marketing started out at as an apprenticeship provider. However, more recently, they have expanded their learning and development opportunities to support more people in their marketing growth. 

5 reasons you should sign up to The Giants Marketing Masterclass 

Looking for an upskilling solution that will equip you or your employees with the marketing skills and knowledge for success? The Giants Marketing Masterclass was designed to support new and existing mid-level marketers to take the next step towards becoming leaders within our industry. 

Here are five reasons you should sign up to The Giants Marketing Masterclass... 

1. Learn in-demand marketing skills 

Having assessed the current largest skill gaps in the industry, the contents of this masterclass have been developed to future-proof marketers' careers.  

School of Marketing have enlisted the help of 25 industry leaders, including Rory Sutherland (Vice Chairman of Ogilvy), Mark Evans (MD, Marketing at Directline group), and Hamish Goulding (Group Head of Brand Strategy at HSBC). Together they have identified the six most important areas of marketing to upskill in... 

1. Customer strategy
2. Creative strategy and execution 
3. Integrated channel strategy and selection 
4. Brand strategy and development 
5. Commercial strategy and orientation 
6. Data and analytics 

2. Open to everyone

The Giants Marketing Masterclass is great for businesses wanting to upskill their team and individuals looking to build their own expertise. Individuals and businesses can sign up for the course directly without any restrictions or criteria to meet. Plus, as the course is run completely online there is no need to travel to in-person classes.  

3. An intensive course 

With budgets tightening, we understand that it’s more important than ever before to identify candidates with the right skill sets to come in and support the team immediately. However, the market continues to be candidate-short across every marketing skill set.  

Consequently, many are looking for intensive learning and development opportunities that will take their marketing skills to the next level quickly. The Giants Marketing Masterclass is a 12-week course, that only requires 2.5 hours of learning per week. By the end of the course, marketers will be well-rounded in all of these important marketing skill sets.  

4. Gain access to marketing experts 

The Giants Marketing Masterclass is delivered through learning resources, podcasts and live sessions with the “Marketing Giants” themselves.  

When you sign up to the class, you’ll join a community of learners and practitioners in interactive workshops to share experiences and best marketing practice. Every participant can learn in their own time and also join live sessions with industry leaders. The marketing leaders share their knowledge, insights and perspectives on what actually works “on the ground” in the most important areas of marketing.  

5. Discounted price 

Sign up to The Giants Marketing Masterclass with 3Search’s exclusive discount code for 10% off: UBG0-RRHP 

Identified a digital marketing skills gap in your team?

Get in touch to learn more about our marketing talent solutions. 3Search is a specialist marketing recruitment agency dedicated to delivering the best recruitment experience you will ever have.