It ’ s all about the money , money , money … Surprisingly 45 % stated they were happy with their current salary , this is not the commentary we are used to hearing and shows standard of living is as important as cost of living to our industry . Salary is of course still the most important factor when choosing a new role , but it is very closely followed by the opportunity to work from home . The majority of people who are unhappy with their salary are simply looking for a cost of living pay rise . It was very surprising that 27 % of respondents are on more than £ 65,000 . 50 % of respondents are in London where the average London salary is £ 50k ( basic plus bonus ) so a big percentage of our industry is being paid more than the average .
Robert Kenward
Increasing pressures Of the people who are unhappy with their salaries , the biggest reason is that it hasn ’ t risen with inflation and the second highest response was that they do far more that their job description . This confirms internal pressure to over perform and over deliver as we re-build is making lots of people unhappy . The trend to combine two job roles into one is taking its toll .
Mental health Three quarters of respondents value a company ’ s reputation when it comes to supporting the mental health of staff , but this can also be translated to show that 25 % simply don ’ t care . This is a huge mindset change and one that means if you don ’ t take mental health seriously , you will miss out on talent .
The industry reacts : What ’ s the most surprising result ?
“ Most encouraging is the bounceback from Covid-19 . This is reflected in the surge in recruitment highlighting the skills deficit with 70 % of those surveyed struggling to find candidates with the right skills . Our own experience of this , which I believe will be advantageous in the long term , has been a greater focus on bringing in candidates with transferable skills from outside the events industry and apprenticeship schemes . This necessitates a far stronger emphasis and investment in formalised training and development which is a big positive for the culture here at Mash .” Liz Agostini Mash Media chief commercial officer
“ It ’ s no surprise that there is a lot of uncertainty out there around salary , and the effect of rising costs . We believe it ’ s incumbent on both employee and employer to play a longer game . It ’ s true that the industry has historically underpaid itself , but we can ’ t make unsustainable jumps in wages as soon as the supply / demand equation changes , even if the outside economy is so threatening . As an employer , there ’ s a lot more to recruiting and keeping top talent than salary alone . We strive to be a place where good people want to come to work , in an environment that helps them to thrive .” Emma Cartmell , CEO & founder , CHS Birmingham
“ When looking for a new role the highest priority came out as salary , which goes against current thinking that salary isn ’ t at the top of people ’ s list when looking for a new job . Especially given the noise surrounding the importance of health and well-being programmes and learning and development investments . This result potentially reflects the cost-of-living situation happening right now . Also , the number of company benefits not being given as standard to people in our industry was quite surprising .” Dale Parmenter , CEO , DRPG
November — 27