As we are now in the second half of the year, I wanted to share some key observations I’m continuing to see within the Legal BD & Marketing landscape in 2023.

While the crazy job market of 2022 has relented (slightly), we are still seeing some long-lasting effects brought on by the pandemic.

Here are my top 5 market observations as well as some predictions for the second half of the year.

1. Job numbers are returning to pre-Covid levels

With the hiring valve firmly released during the second half of 2021 and 2022, firms went full steam ahead with releasing roles they had been unable to hire for during the pandemic.

This created the biggest surge in jobs we’d ever seen in the market.

Fast-forward to today, and most of that hiring has taken place, the market may feel “cooler” but in reality, we have just returned to the status quo when it comes to job numbers, with most roles predominantly being replacement headcount.

While there are still plenty of roles, the market has certainly shifted back when we compare this with 2022 figures.

2. Recruitment processes are taking longer to complete

The ‘race against time’ mantra that gripped most firms during 2022 has now subsided.

Firms also know that due to the decrease in job numbers, they don’t need to rush candidates through a hiring process so quickly. As a result, hiring processes are taking longer.

On the whole, I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. Processes are not unduly long in most cases, and it does mean that both employer and potential employee have more bandwidth to think carefully about their next hire or career decision.

3. Job titles have become muddled

What I really mean by this is that we are seeing individuals with vastly differing levels of experience having the same job title. This is most notable at the managerial and specialist level.

To give some context, the competition for Business Development Manager level hiring in 2022 was particularly fierce, resulting in most specialists being swept up into a BD Manager role, either through an internal promotion or external hire.

This had the subsequent knock-on effect of firms having BD Managers at varying levels of experience and capabilities.

The same situation is present at the specialist level who are now more junior than their peers, given the lack of Coordinator hiring during the pandemic.

It will be interesting to see how the sector deals with this over the coming years, as the natural progression time from one promotion to another has become skewed away from the model we had almost universally accepted for years pre-Covid.

4. Marketing and BD Manager salaries are driving the rest of the market

Alluding back to my previous point, Business Development Manager hiring was very competitive in 2022.

It would be easy to just attribute this to numbers, but the main factor wasn’t the overall quantity of hires, it was the fact that every firm went to market at the same time, wanting the same candidate profile.

This turbocharged the competition, and instead of a first-time Manager starting at the bottom of the salary banding, they went in halfway up. This subsequently distorted the bandings that had been in place previously.

This will be challenging for firms moving forward, as Managers approach the top of their salary bandings. I predict that salaries will need to be adjusted to allow for continued growth, which should ultimately drive up the Senior Manager salary bandings too.

5. Law firms are sticking to what they know

For all the talk of a candidate shortage ultimately forcing firms to look outside the Legal sector, (for better or worse depending on your perspective) this hasn’t actually happened.

Yes, within the more specialist positions such as Comms or Digital, firms are willing, if not preferring, non-legal backgrounds, but within Marketing & BD, with the exception of some junior roles, we are yet to see any significant diversion away from hiring people with prior Legal BD & Marketing experience.

Legal marketing hiring predictions for H2 2023

So, what does the second half of the year have in store for us? Here are my predictions:

1. An increase in non-management professionals entering the market.

As we know, the longevity of non-management BD & Marketing roles tends to have a 12–24-month span prior to moving on or seeking promotion, so those who took their jobs at the start of the market rebound in 2021, who have subsequently not been looking since may well enter the market soon.

2. Hiring at Management and Leadership levels will stay constant.

We have seen a fair amount of moves at senior levels within the sector, with new CMOs/Directors joining/leaving, plus some fairly big potential merger talks.

As ever, change brings opportunity, so I anticipate management and leadership roles staying strong through 2023.

3. The candidate-short market will continue.

Whilst job flow will be less than in 2022 in terms of numbers, we expect jobseekers to still be in the driving seat, particularly within the Business Development arena.

4. Firms will sell their offering beyond the job title and salary.

Firms will continue to need to focus on the non-tangible when selling a role at their firm.

Culture, hybrid working, and onward career development continue to be at the forefront of individuals’ decision-making when assessing a new opportunity.

5. The drive for more specialist areas will continue.

I expect firms to continue to focus on building out their client relationship/development capabilities, either as a separate function or becoming more of a focus area for BD Manager roles.

In addition, I predict that roles focusing on ESG will become more of a standalone role within a Marketing function, as opposed to a technical role or an add-on to an Energy BD post.

I hope that you found some of these observations interesting. I’d very much welcome the opportunity to discuss any key themes in the market with you, whether that’s applicable to your career or if you are in a position of hiring for your team.

Feel free to reach out to me: ben.curle@ambitionsearch.com