10 minutes with marketing recruitment specialist, Dene Gambotto from iknowho

Marketing recruitment is a dynamic and ever-evolving field, experiencing substantial shifts, particularly in the past three years.

In a recent conversation, we had the privilege of sitting down with Dene Gambotto, the visionary founder of iknowho, to delve into the journey of marketing recruitment and explore the transformative trends of 2023.

In fact, our conversation with Dene was so insightful that we couldn't contain it all in just one blog. We recommend starting with this one as we dive into the current marketing and recruitment landscape, get to know Dene and her business and how iknowho can help you land your dream job...Which is in fact the second piece in this interview series. Read it here.

Hi Dene, So lovely to speak with you. Could you please tell us a little bit about iknowho and how you started in this industry?

I established iknowho in 2008, to deliver a more personal and proactive approach to marketing recruitment, one that looks harder, thinks smarter and cares deeper. 15 years later, we're still proudly independent and the clients we had then are still our clients today. With a team of savvy specialists from a marketing background themselves, we sidestep the methods of others, choosing quality results over quick attempts and sweating the details no matter how minor.

In 2022 we saw the great resignation. A year on, what are the key changes you have seen in the recruitment space over the last 12 months.

We’ve seen employers slow down on new hires, salaries have recalibrated and more marketers opting for time abroad. In the last 6-months we’ve also seen a swing towards contractor or freelance hires as employers become more conservative in their spending. From March to June 2023, we saw a 66% increase in freelance briefs.

According to our latest Marketer’s Survey, salary has remained a top priority when considering a new job, coming in only second to company culture. Of those candidates that didn’t receive a pay increase in the last year, 72% cited they were open to looking for a new job.

2023 has also seen many employers entice, encourage or request employees to return to the workplace. The role of the office is around innovation rather than productivity as productivity is usually seen better at home. In saying that, flexible working hasn’t been forgotten. In 2023 marketers continue to place a high value on flexibility, both in terms of working hours and location. Flexibility now needs to be further explained, what does this mean for your organisation and can you give examples. 84% of young people (Surveyed by The Daily Aus followers) think working from home should be a workplace right included in a contract. So, moving away from seeing it as a benefit but an actual right.

Technology has such a profound impact on the PR and Marketing space. What are the key new skills and tools that PRs should have in 2023.

We're living in an ever-evolving landscape of innovation. It's important for candidates to stay ahead of trends, embracing new cutting-edge technology, and being at the heart of where consumers are interacting with content.

Good SEO is vital, as is understanding the algorithm to ensure content is fully optimised and relevant. Social media remains one of the fastest growing digital technologies to develop brands, with TikTok the highest growth platform. Audiences, particularly Gen Z, seek increasingly instantaneous gratification, meaning that short videos and short form content often have the highest engagement. We’re also seeing huge growth in AI such as ChatGPT and Bard. These platforms can assist enormously in helping to develop content, data analysis and automation and work wonderfully when paired with human creativity.

For more insightful interview tips and Dene's advice to help you land your dream job, don't miss the second part of our interview here.

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iknowho are a leading specialist marketing recruitment agency, connecting handpicked talent with premium brands and agencies. If you're looking for your next marketing or PR superstar, or want to land your dream role, we highly recommend reaching out to Dene and her team.