Organisations are in a continual state of reflection, looking for new ways to inspire, lead and recruit the right team members to bring their campaigns to life. Consumers these days are fussier than ever. A shorter attention span means brands will have to reflect on whether they’re having a one-to-one conversation that’s less talk and more quality.

To succeed in 2013, brands will have to lose the ego. Simply put, marketers must stop telling people how good they are and start solving problems in order to provide value to their customers and be genuine.

In 2013, recruiters and brands will see an increased focus on specialisation, a strong focus on writing skills, business development skills and the need to invest in their team to ensure they have meaningful conversations with their consumers.

Rise of the specialist

Businesses are defining and redefining their marketing focus, responding to the changing role digital, social and content plays in the development and presence of a brand. As a result, we’re seeing an increasing amount of specialists carving out a niche.

It’s not that organisations aren’t spending more, it’s that they’re redistributing talent according to people’s strengths. New departments dedicated to innovation, communication and digital streams are rapidly becoming more important to our clients. I predict new roles dedicated to areas of innovation, digital, content and internal communications will become a stronger focus in 2013.

Writing skills are key

We’re seeing a big increase in demand for good writers across all roles. At the moment, our clients seem to be hiring digital strategists, then outsourcing the content or writing to their agencies. My prediction is that this will change over time and clients will start to employ their own content marketing specialists.

Bringing content creation in house means your team has first-hand exposure to the key issues, themes and inside intelligence of the organisation every day.

Traditional sales won’t cut it

We’ve seen a lot of work being done around identifying, benchmarking and increasing the capability of organisations’ sales functions.

Great and proven salespeople skills are in higher demand than ever, and ‘traditional’ salespeople just aren’t cutting it anymore. There’s so much more information available that a good salesperson has to deliver more than that. It’s ironic when you think about it. Information is so accessible these days, which, in turn, can breed complacency. It can be challenging to find candidates that go above and beyond.

At the end of a day, a good salesperson solves a problem. Highly networked individuals with strong and meaningful relationships, finely honed interpersonal skills, partnered with strong research and problem-solving acumen will likely be in high demand in 2013.

Transparency inside… and out

In 2013, I think we’ll definitely see more brands understanding the importance of getting the culture right in an organisation. And, more to the point, the flow-on effect it’ll have if they don’t. In social, word travels fast. A little background check on a potential candidate can paint a very strong picture of his or her personal brand.

The same can be said for businesses looking to recruit. If you’re a great employer, social media is your friend. Your employees, clients, associates and friends will sing the praises of the business in their personal and professional networks.

If you’re not an employer of choice, well, I’m afraid it can get a little harder to attract and retain the best talent. Candidates, both those new to the industry and established professionals, are becoming increasingly particular about the types of businesses, people and culture they want to work in and with.

Filling the gap

In 2008, businesses stopped hiring and developing juniors to save on costs during the GFC. Candidates that would have had access to mentoring and management opportunities during this time have lost it. Now, businesses are finding it hard to find trained and experienced candidates in the four to six-year experience range. They do exist, there are just fewer of them.

There’s much to be said for learning as you go. But there’s a whole lot more to be said for giving your staff a gentle nudge in the right direction. I’d encourage businesses in 2013 to really consider the impact culling training and graduate programs is likely to have. The flow-on effect will be huge.

Talent partnerships

Over the years, we’ve seen a surge of businesses approach recruitment from a more holistic perspective. The role for recruiters becomes more than simply identifying a name and partnering it with the right organisation.

For many of our clients, we’ve become a career advocate, counsellor, mentor and an objective expert to help map out organisational changes to achieve strategic goals.

In 2013, it’s likely that brands and organisations will see the value of these partnerships, bringing in third- party, objective advisers to help grow the business in a meaningful, value-driven way.

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