GITNUXREPORT 2025

Hr In The Advertising Industry Statistics

Advertising HR faces talent shortages, diversity challenges, and shifts toward AI tools.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

45% of advertising agencies struggle with employee retention

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The median salary for HR professionals working in advertising is $75,000

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27% of HR managers in advertising report challenges with salary benchmarking

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65% of advertising agencies prioritize digital marketing roles in their hiring plans

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78% of HR professionals in advertising report difficulty in recruiting creative talent

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The average time to fill an advertising industry vacancy is 42 days

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30% of advertising professionals aged 25-34 leave their jobs within 2 years

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60% of HR teams in advertising use AI tools for recruiting

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85% of HR professionals in advertising believe onboarding processes impact employee retention

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55% of advertising HR managers report increased difficulties in attracting Gen Z talent

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40% of advertising agencies have increased their HR budgets over the past year

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48% of HR professionals in advertising value employee skills over formal education

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35% of advertising agencies use employee engagement surveys regularly

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63% of HR directors in advertising believe employer branding influences candidate attraction

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54% of advertising HR teams utilize social media for recruiting

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80% of HR departments in advertising report using data analytics for talent management

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50% of advertising agencies plan to invest more in mental health programs for employees

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43% of HR teams in advertising use employee recognition platforms

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36% of advertising HR professionals report high levels of burnout among employees

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65% of advertising agencies have a formal internship program to recruit new talent

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58% of advertising HR professionals believe automation will reduce time-to-hire

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73% of HR professionals in advertising say onboarding programs have improved employee productivity

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54% of advertising agencies provide training for leadership development

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29% of advertising HR managers report difficulties in assessing soft skills during recruitment

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61% of HR teams in advertising measure employee satisfaction annually

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39% of advertising agencies have adopted AI-based chatbots for initial candidate screening

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55% of advertising companies offer single- or multi-skill training programs

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34% of HR professionals in advertising say they lack sufficient data to make strategic hiring decisions

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75% of advertising industry HR leaders consider employer branding critical for talent attraction

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55% of advertising agencies have seen an increase in applications due to improved employer reputation

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49% of advertising HR teams prioritize upskilling existing staff over hiring new talent

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68% of HR professionals in advertising value emotional intelligence as a key hiring criterion

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41% of agencies in advertising focus on internships as a pipeline for full-time employments

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72% of advertising HR professionals utilize online skills assessments during hiring

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70% of advertising agencies offer remote working options to HR staff

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47% of firms in advertising have implemented flexible working hours

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53% of HR managers in advertising believe remote work has increased access to a broader talent pool

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62% of advertising HR professionals report that onboarding experiences differ significantly between in-house and remote employees

Statistic 39

63% of HR managers in advertising experience challenges with onboarding remote employees

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52% of advertising HR managers believe diversity is a key hiring factor

Statistic 41

72% of HR managers in the advertising industry conduct diversity training programs

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68% of advertising HR teams plan to increase investment in professional development

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58% of advertising agencies report a rise in freelance and contract roles

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92% of advertising HR professionals see diversity hiring as a priority for 2024

Statistic 45

49% of advertising firms track employee turnover rate specifically in creative departments

Statistic 46

46% of advertising agencies invest in mental health resources for HR staff

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Key Highlights

65% of advertising agencies prioritize digital marketing roles in their hiring plans
78% of HR professionals in advertising report difficulty in recruiting creative talent
45% of advertising agencies struggle with employee retention
The average time to fill an advertising industry vacancy is 42 days
52% of advertising HR managers believe diversity is a key hiring factor
30% of advertising professionals aged 25-34 leave their jobs within 2 years
60% of HR teams in advertising use AI tools for recruiting
70% of advertising agencies offer remote working options to HR staff
85% of HR professionals in advertising believe onboarding processes impact employee retention
55% of advertising HR managers report increased difficulties in attracting Gen Z talent
40% of advertising agencies have increased their HR budgets over the past year
48% of HR professionals in advertising value employee skills over formal education
35% of advertising agencies use employee engagement surveys regularly

Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of advertising, HR professionals face a challenging paradox: while 65% of agencies prioritize digital roles, nearly half struggle to attract and retain creative talent amid rising competition, remote work complexities, and a shifting emphasis on diversity and skill-based hiring.

Compensation, Training, and Employee Retention

45% of advertising agencies struggle with employee retention
The median salary for HR professionals working in advertising is $75,000
27% of HR managers in advertising report challenges with salary benchmarking

Compensation, Training, and Employee Retention Interpretation

Despite a median HR salary of $75,000 in advertising, nearly half of agencies grapple with employee retention and over a quarter face hurdles in salary benchmarking, highlighting that even competitive pay can't always stem the tides of turnover in this dynamic industry.

Recruitment, Hiring, and Employee Engagement

65% of advertising agencies prioritize digital marketing roles in their hiring plans
78% of HR professionals in advertising report difficulty in recruiting creative talent
The average time to fill an advertising industry vacancy is 42 days
30% of advertising professionals aged 25-34 leave their jobs within 2 years
60% of HR teams in advertising use AI tools for recruiting
85% of HR professionals in advertising believe onboarding processes impact employee retention
55% of advertising HR managers report increased difficulties in attracting Gen Z talent
40% of advertising agencies have increased their HR budgets over the past year
48% of HR professionals in advertising value employee skills over formal education
35% of advertising agencies use employee engagement surveys regularly
63% of HR directors in advertising believe employer branding influences candidate attraction
54% of advertising HR teams utilize social media for recruiting
80% of HR departments in advertising report using data analytics for talent management
50% of advertising agencies plan to invest more in mental health programs for employees
43% of HR teams in advertising use employee recognition platforms
36% of advertising HR professionals report high levels of burnout among employees
65% of advertising agencies have a formal internship program to recruit new talent
58% of advertising HR professionals believe automation will reduce time-to-hire
73% of HR professionals in advertising say onboarding programs have improved employee productivity
54% of advertising agencies provide training for leadership development
29% of advertising HR managers report difficulties in assessing soft skills during recruitment
61% of HR teams in advertising measure employee satisfaction annually
39% of advertising agencies have adopted AI-based chatbots for initial candidate screening
55% of advertising companies offer single- or multi-skill training programs
34% of HR professionals in advertising say they lack sufficient data to make strategic hiring decisions
75% of advertising industry HR leaders consider employer branding critical for talent attraction
55% of advertising agencies have seen an increase in applications due to improved employer reputation
49% of advertising HR teams prioritize upskilling existing staff over hiring new talent
68% of HR professionals in advertising value emotional intelligence as a key hiring criterion
41% of agencies in advertising focus on internships as a pipeline for full-time employments
72% of advertising HR professionals utilize online skills assessments during hiring

Recruitment, Hiring, and Employee Engagement Interpretation

With 78% of HR professionals struggling to find creative talent and 65% of agencies prioritizing digital roles amidst a 42-day vacancy fill time, the industry is navigating a high-stakes talent war where employer branding, automation, and emotional intelligence become key ingredients in turning recruiting chaos into strategic advantage.

Remote Work and Flexible Practices

70% of advertising agencies offer remote working options to HR staff
47% of firms in advertising have implemented flexible working hours
53% of HR managers in advertising believe remote work has increased access to a broader talent pool
62% of advertising HR professionals report that onboarding experiences differ significantly between in-house and remote employees
63% of HR managers in advertising experience challenges with onboarding remote employees

Remote Work and Flexible Practices Interpretation

While a majority of advertising agencies embrace remote work and flexible hours, the growing talent pool is often hindered by uneven onboarding experiences, revealing that in the quest for flexibility, establishing seamless remote integration remains a significant challenge.

Workforce Management and Diversity

52% of advertising HR managers believe diversity is a key hiring factor
72% of HR managers in the advertising industry conduct diversity training programs
68% of advertising HR teams plan to increase investment in professional development
58% of advertising agencies report a rise in freelance and contract roles
92% of advertising HR professionals see diversity hiring as a priority for 2024
49% of advertising firms track employee turnover rate specifically in creative departments
46% of advertising agencies invest in mental health resources for HR staff

Workforce Management and Diversity Interpretation

As the advertising industry pivots towards prioritizing diversity and mental health, it’s clear that HR managers are not only embracing inclusivity as a key hiring factor—reflected in over half emphasizing diversity—and investing heavily in professional development and mental health, but are also increasingly relying on freelancers and tracking turnover to ensure that their creative pipelines remain vibrant and resilient for 2024 and beyond.