Sales Make Up 30% Of White Collar Job Hiring In April-June Quarter

Sales and marketing emerged as the two top departments within which white collar employers were hiring in the April-June quarter of fiscal 2024, according to a finding from Indeed's recent hiring tracker survey.

Valuvox conducted this survey for the job website Indeed, surveying 3,680 employers, jobseekers, and employees. The respondents were divided into cities and further categorised into large, medium, and small organisations and sectors. 

Sales made up 30% of the white collar hires in the quarter, while marketing made up 23%. According to 'Indeed', this seemed to indicate that white collar firms are focussing on increasing their market presence as well as making their presence known and felt in the wider market.

"This shift signals a strategic push by companies to bolster their growth and performance... these roles are increasingly seen as pivotal to driving business success," the company said.

The information technology sector seems to be focussing on increasing hires in the data segment, with data analysts making up 30% of the hires in the sector, followed by data engineers who made up 16% and data scientists making up 11%.

"This sustained need reflects the ongoing digital transformation across industries, where specialised tech skills are essential to navigate complex technological landscapes," the press release stated.

Hiring overall saw a jump, with 73% of employers hiring in the white collar segment, a 7% increase from the previous January-March quarter.

Despite the increase in hiring, 61% of employers reported seeing the skill gap widening in the next two years if skilling initiatives are not implemented across the board by companies.

This impending gap may be further evidenced by the fact that 23% of employers offer personalised training programs; this, according to the press release, "underscored a critical disconnect between recognition and action."

"The tracker highlights that 40% of employers predict minimal growth (0–5%) if skilling initiatives are not implemented," the release said.

According to the release, 61% of employees anticipate a 20–40% salary increase through upskilling. This expectation also manifests itself with an increase in demand in career counselling (43%) and mentorship (57%).

"This suggests that job seekers are looking for guidance in navigating changes in a dynamic market. They might fear making the wrong career moves or not fully understanding which skills will be most valuable in the future," the press release said.

Prominent areas where skill demand might manifest in the future include cloud computing (27%), sustainability (23%), and emerging technologies like generative AI and virtual/augmented reality (20%).