Talent on the Move

Everyone is hoping 2010 will bring the promised uptick in the economy, with a corresponding increase in marketing budgets. That certainly sounds like Nirvana since the worse downturn affecting communications professionals in a decade has meant few job opportunities, raises or promotions.

Better times, however, bring challenges of their own. Built up expectations by employees will put pressure on agencies to make up for "lost" time with more money and faster promotions. This tension around talent will mean mid-senior level talent moves, title inflation and difficulty holding compensation in line.

Who wins in this talent sweepstakes? Two groups for sure. Aggressive mid-sized agencies will certainly have many opportunities for picking off well-trained mid-level entrepreneurial leadership that can make an immediate and dramatic impact as more senior members of the team. And small agencies will have a unique chance to consider re-shaping much of their staffs because of moving parts at all levels.

But in all cases, taking advantage of the people wave will mean having a long-term talent plan that determines what the agency is going to look like in 5-years and what kind of talent it will need. Not all the pieces will be addressed in 2010 or 2011. In fact, the plan will probably change. But people are going to be on the road in 2010. With the right map, mid- and small agencies can be the winners in the great talent race of the decade.