Sales & Marketing Market Insights Q1 2017

Throughout 2016, there has been a continuous demand for high-calibre professionals within Sales & Marketing functions. However, demand for professionals with experience in sales and business development has been higher than marketing and communications professionals.

Demand for senior Sales & Marketing talent in 2016 has been quieter in Singapore, as companies take a strategic and conservative view in the positions they want to place here versus other markets in the South East Asia region.

Hot areas in the job market continue to be Digital, Data, Analytics and Performance Marketing.

Emerging, smaller markets are hot for retail

There was also a demand for Sales & Marketing professionals in the consumer or retail space, particularly for junior to mid-management level roles across Key Accounts, Commercial and Retail Operations.  

We saw a trend where many consumer or retail companies looked to break into more emerging markets such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia by opening new offices or stores in these countries. To cater for business expansion and brand consolidation in these markets, many businesses were open to hiring more sales & marketing professionals at the senior or general management levels.

On the Services industry side, there was healthy hiring activity for sales and marketing executives for many financial information services and fintech organisations throughout 2016. 

As we go into 2017, we also expect to see a higher demand for legal business development professionals who are strong in business pitches as we have seen increased interest in international firms looking to establish a footprint in Singapore.

In the B2B sector, we saw logistics, technology and telecommunications companies continuing the demand for Sales & Marketing talent, though these are, as with Consumer & Retail sectors, largely for mid-management level roles. Also, this talent demand is focused on Sales rather than Marketing expertise.

e-Commerce hits overdrive

The start-up community has been seeing consistent, high activity in terms of Sales & Marketing talent acquisition. Demand for these professionals has been continuously growing, especially in the online space.

Lines between creative agencies have continued to blur in 2016, with the concept of an integrated agency becoming very attractive to an organisation's needs. A number of agencies are looking to build in-house capabilities that may have been deemed "off-brand” in the past. We are also seeing management consulting giants either acquiring or organically growing their own creative capabilities at an aggressive rate.  

Outlook for sales & marketing talent in 2017

Content continues to be the most important concept spoken about across both offline and online channels for both B2B and B2C areas, with the rise of digital. With both the government and multinational e-Commerce powerhouses continuing to make large-scale investments in Singapore, we are seeing a hiring demand in these areas.

Both in-house digital capabilities and experienced commerce consultants are in need for technical implementation, marketing optimisation and digital supply chains.

While generalist performance marketing individuals are still in demand, we are seeing a talented pool of professionals who have further specialised skillsets in areas such as programmatic, mobile, social media and video.

We encourage aspiring sales and marketing professionals to continue watching this space.

Sales & Marketing 
Salary Report for Q1 2017*

*Notes about salary table:

1. Titles and levels vary from organisation to organisation.

2. The salary ranges given are only approximate guides. For tailored salary advice, please contact us directly.

3. 12-month base salaries are assumed.

4. All other benefits and bonuses are in addition to these figures.

5. Bonus ranges can vary significantly from company to company and will be influenced by market conditions, business and individual performances. Bonus ranges from 1 month at the low end to 100%+ at the upper.

6. Holiday entitlements range from 12– 25 days with senior executives not usually receiving less than 18 days. Less than 15 is very rare and 20 days is becoming the norm.

7. Healthcare policies are standard.

8. Pension plans vary with some companies offering greater than the standard contribution. Top up schemes can increase employer contribution levels as much as 15–20% of the base salary for senior executives.