Millennial marketers are less happy and more likely to search for a new job in the next 12 months
AUSTIN, TX–(Marketwired – Jun 14, 2017) – Spiceworks, the professional network for IT, today announced the results of a new survey that explores the career outlook among B2B marketers in the technology industry, including careers changes they expect to make, what makes them happy in the workplace, and the skills necessary to succeed in today’s challenging B2B landscape. The 2017 Tech Marketer Career Outlook found that although 65 percent of tech marketers are happy in their current job, 26 percent plan to begin searching for a new employer in the next 12 months and 18 percent plan to accept a new job. The findings, analyzed across three generations of marketers — millennials, Generation X, and baby boomers — indicate millennials are the least happy in their jobs and more likely to search for a new employer.
“Most tech marketers are happy in their jobs, but they’re also optimistic about the current job market and the opportunity to advance their skillset in a new position,” said Sanjay Castelino, vice president of marketing and revenue operations at Spiceworks. “Less than half of marketers are advanced in the core skillsets that are important today, such as content marketing, digital media, and data analysis, so it’s logical many are looking to find new opportunities that can equip them with the skills they need to excel in the future.”
Job satisfaction: Millennial marketers are the least happy in their jobs
The results show 65 percent of B2B marketers are happy in their current job and among those 35 percent are very to extremely happy. However, the generational data shows millennial marketers are less happy in the workplace. Twenty-nine percent of millennial marketers reported being very to extremely happy in their current job compared to nearly 40 percent of Gen X and baby boomer marketers.
Millennial marketers have also been with their current employers for a shorter amount of time. A majority of millennials (56 percent) have been at their current jobs for less than three years while only one-third of Gen X and baby boomer marketers have been with their employers for less than three years. In fact, many Gen X (39 percent) and baby boomer (34 percent) marketers have been with their current employers for five or more years compared to only 14 percent of millennials.
Career changes: Baby boomers are less likely to job hop than younger generations
Twenty-six percent of marketers plan to begin searching for a new job in the next 12 months, but when examining the results by generations, it’s evident baby boomers are less likely to leave their current place of work than younger generations. Twenty percent of baby boomers plan to look for a new job compared to 25 percent of Gen X and 29 percent of millennial marketers.
Millennial marketers are more likely to search for a new job, but they’re also more optimistic about the current job market. Fifty-seven percent of millennial marketers believe the job market is favorable for B2B marketers seeking employment compared to 47 percent of Gen X and 46 percent of baby boomer marketers.
Among marketers looking to switch jobs, 66 percent plan to leave in order to advance their marketing skills while 58 percent plan to find a better salary. When comparing the results by generations, the findings indicate millennial marketers are more concerned with finding a better salary, a better job title, and better employee perks. Millennial marketers are also more likely to leave their jobs due to burnout. Conversely, Gen X marketers are more concerned with securing a bigger marketing budget while baby boomers are more likely to seek better benefits.
Critical skills: Most marketers are not advanced in digital media or content marketing
When examining which skills are the most critical for success, the results show 82 percent of marketers believe soft skills, such as communication and people management, are very to extremely important. Eighty percent of marketers also believe writing skills are highly important, followed by content marketing (78 percent), digital media (77 percent), data analysis (77 percent), and email marketing (65 percent).
While most marketers said they’re advanced in the two most important skills (soft skills and writing), less than half of marketers said they’re advanced in content marketing (46 percent), which is considered the third most important skill. Additionally, only 38 percent of marketers are advanced in digital media and only 41 percent are advanced in data analysis, the fourth and fifth most important skills, respectively.
When comparing the results by generations, the findings indicate millennials are less advanced in their writing and soft skills, but more advanced in their social media capabilities. Gen X marketers are more advanced in data analysis and search engine optimization, while baby boomers are more advanced in influencer marketing.
Methodology
The survey was conducted by Spiceworks in April 2017 and included 359 B2B marketers in the technology industry. The survey respondents are primarily from the United States and the United Kingdom, and they represent a variety of titles, including CMOs, product marketers, demand marketers, market researchers, and more. Respondents come from a variety of company sizes, including small-to-medium-sized businesses and enterprises. The generational data includes millennials born 1981 to 1997, Generation X born 1965 to 1980, and baby boomers born 1946 to 1964. For more information and a complete list of survey results, visit https://community.spiceworks.com/blogs/marketing/2680.
About Spiceworks Voice of IT
Spiceworks’ Voice of IT shares statistics, trends, and opinions collected from millions of IT professionals on the global technology issues that are important to them. For other Spiceworks Voice of IT reports visit: www.spiceworks.com/research.
About Spiceworks
Spiceworks is the professional network millions of IT professionals use to connect with one another and thousands of technology brands. The company simplifies how IT professionals discover, buy and manage an estimated $600 billion in technology products and services each year. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks is backed by Adams Street Partners, Austin Ventures, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Goldman Sachs, Shasta Ventures and Tenaya Capital. For more information visit http://www.spiceworks.com.
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