Retention of Marketing & Tech Roles | Q3 2022
Reading Time: ~3 Mins | Written By: Mackenzie Mowat
With many experiencing a rise in their costs of living, long-lasting job dissatisfaction, and changing safety standards, many Canadians in digital roles are leaving their jobs for other opportunities. This period, beginning early in 2021, has been dubbed “The Great Resignation”.
To learn more about how companies have been affected and how they are pivoting to increase employee retention in digital marketing and tech roles, Jelly Academy ran a survey, sponsored by Innovate BC, to obtain data from 2,000+ participants across Canada.
Survey Participants
The participants of the survey are from Canada’s main industries including Agriculture, Advanced Materials & Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Tech, Consumer Retail, Digital Applications & ICT, Education, Financial Services, Food & Beverage, amongst other fields.
Throughout the survey, participants were asked about the retention of employees in digital roles, what they are actively doing to hire for digital roles, which tactics are being implemented to retain employees in digital roles, and how remote or hybrid options are affecting team culture.
The Results
The study indicates that the majority of Canadian companies, as represented within this sample size, are currently experiencing a downward trend in employee retention for those in digital-focused marketing and tech roles. While a high percentage of participants cited workplace morale and culture as a reasoning for employee departure, nearly half of respondents admitted that they do not emphasize this within their businesses.
When it comes to the reasoning behind employee departure, 21.94% cited it was for a different role within a similar industry. 21.33% cited increased pay or benefits at another company as the reasoning for departure. Other top reasons were employees starting their own company or venture, leaving for remote or flexible work options at another company, and leaving for higher level positions at another company.
The data resulting from this study clearly displays the downward trend companies are seeing for the retention of employees in digital roles. The study guided us to provide insightful recommendations in order to promote employee retention in digital roles. The data also highlights the shortcomings of small and large organizations when it comes to proactively hiring and retaining diverse employees in digital roles. These results can be used by management teams to inform strategies that contribute to an overall more attractive working experience for employees in digital roles.
In order to retain employees and attempt to reduce the effects of The Great Resignation, there needs to be greater resources available for employees to be able to continually progress their skills. Employers should also work to strengthen their methods of diverse employee hiring and retention, in order to promote a well-rounded workplace environment. By encouraging employees in digital roles to always be working toward personal development goals, they are more likely to extend their time with an organization as they remain challenged and invested in their future.
To learn more about the key findings and recommendations, read the study here.
