January 26, 2026
The Great Resignation, which peaked in 2022, has finally come to an end. But its effects are far from gone. And this directly impacts your marketing team recruitment and retention.
Employee turnover rates have dropped from the highs of 2022 to 17.9% in 2024. Likewise, job mobility rates have reduced from 9.5% to 7.7%.
But while normalcy has returned, employee expectations have changed. Employees are increasingly demanding greater autonomy and flexibility at work. They also place a stronger emphasis on value alignment before joining an organisation.
That’s why it’s essential to adapt your employer value proposition (EVP) for the modern employee. It’s the key to attracting and retaining the best marketing talent. You need to look beyond good salaries and focus on other key aspects to win them over.
As a hiring leader, here’s what you need to know.
Move From Retention By Panic to Retention By Design
When the Great Resignation was at its peak, companies were left scrambling for marketing talent. The staff shortage meant existing employees were overworked and drained. Let’s be honest, no company would want to be in that situation again.
The key lesson here is the importance of taking a proactive approach.
The Great Resignation was a wake-up call. You need to design a workplace that prioritises employee well-being, aligns with their values, and gives them enough flexibility to avoid feeling bound or stuck in a rut.
This calls for an overhaul of your existing recruitment and HR policies.
3 Key Aspects to Consider for Hiring (and Retaining) Top Marketing Talent
As employee priorities change, control over collaboration, time, and purpose has become critical. Get these right, and top marketing talent won’t just choose you — they’ll stay.
Flexibility is Now Foundational, Not a Perk
For a long time, flexibility was viewed as a perk — a way for organisations to differentiate themselves in the market. That’s no longer the case.
While occasional work-from-home arrangements were once treated as a discretionary benefit for marketing employees, hybrid work has now become the industry norm. In fact, 98% of Australian organisations offer some form of workplace flexibility, beyond a hybrid working setup.
And there’s a good reason for this shift. 45% of employers report productivity gains after adopting hybrid work models, while the improved work-life balance plays a crucial role in retaining marketing talent.
Beyond hybrid arrangements, many organisations offer additional flexible work options, such as:
- Part-time work
- Compressed hours
- Secondments
- Flexi-time
- Job sharing
- Term-time working
If you haven’t already, introducing some of these models can make your company far more attractive to marketing talent. Flexibility isn’t just a perk — it’s a key driver of competitiveness in today’s hiring market.
Purpose-Driven Work Attracts High-Performing Talent
High salaries and flexible arrangements can only get you so far. Top-performing marketing professionals are also looking for purpose — the opportunity to make a meaningful impact through their work. Many are drawn to causes they care about and want to join organisations whose values align with their own.
That’s why it’s essential to be transparent about your mission, social initiatives, and core values from the outset.
Here are the steps you can take.
Use Your Careers Page
Your careers page is a window through which candidates can get an insight into your company. Use this page to your advantage by clearly describing your mission and goals. Talk about your values so potential marketing talent know if their values align well with yours.
It also helps to include some existing employee testimonials on the careers page. This way, candidates can get an authentic insider’s view of your organisation. Also, be sure to mention the social or environmental causes your organisation supports.
Change the Way You Write Job Descriptions
Job descriptions should be concise, clear, and actionable. Instead of a dry list of job duties, mention the role’s purpose and how it helps achieve the overarching goals of the organisation. It gives prospective marketing talent a clearer idea of what they’ll be working toward.
Additionally, try to weave in the role’s trajectory over time into the job description to help them understand how this job could pave the path to achieving their professional goals.
Use Actionable Language in Your Recruitment Campaigns
When you launch your recruitment campaign to hire marketing talent, be sure to use actionable language that can attract high-performing employees.
Your copy for these campaigns should focus on the outcomes of the role you’re promoting.
For instance, instead of writing “Hiring an AI marketing manager,” you could use “Are you ready to redefine AI-driven marketing?”
The latter is catchier and communicates the purpose of the job role clearly.
Career Pathways and Skill Development Are Essential Retention Tools
Recruiting the right marketing talent is only half the job done. Retaining them is a completely different challenge. The marketing industry is changing continuously, and this transformation has only accelerated with the increasing adoption of AI tools.
In such a scenario, the top marketing talent will look for roles that help them remain competitive in the industry through upskilling. In fact, 3 of the top 5 reasons why employees resign are related to upskilling, autonomy, and career path:
- Limited promotion prospects
- Bored with current role and responsibilities
- Unhappy with senior leadership decisions
Also, career success is a major factor that 76% of professionals consider when they think about work.
To improve retention, try applying the following strategies:
- Invest in your employees’ development with a dedicated learning budget, and actively encourage them to take advantage of it.
- Create an internal repository of courses or learning materials.
- Give employees the opportunity to participate in marketing expos.
- Enable internal mobility to help them explore different roles within your organisation.
- Provide clear leadership pathways that help them move up the corporate ladder.
- Give enough autonomy to your employees and trust them to make the right decisions.
Remember, retaining your marketing talent is an ongoing process — regularly gather employee feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.
Don’t Miss Out on Top Marketing Talent
Employees increasingly expect flexibility, opportunities for growth, and work that provides purpose — and top marketing talent is no exception. High-performing marketing teams thrive when they have autonomy, creative control, and access to ongoing learning opportunities.
To attract — and more importantly, retain — top marketing talent in Australia, you need to get these key aspects right. A trusted partner like TalentWeb can make all the difference. We support you through every stage of the recruitment journey, from attracting the right candidates to ensuring they stay and thrive.
With deep expertise in hiring marketing talent, we know what it takes to find the perfect fit for your team. Get in touch with us today to discover how we can help.
Latest News and Insights
