Post-Olympic comms job surge could lead to 'flooded market'

In a PRWeek podcast looking at the impact of the London Games on the PR industry, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment CEO Steve Martin said the agency had been ‘inundated’ with CVs.

His words come as PRWeek reports how the comms industry will be hit by an influx of talent, including around 75 PROs from LOCOG this week.

However, Martin warned that while the best would get snapped up, others would struggle to find employment.

‘The experience they have will be very powerful but I don’t think the industry is there to have roles for all those people,' he said.

‘The jobs will be more on the agency side, and there will not be as many in-house roles,’ he went on to add.

Recently, it was reported that major sports agency Fast Track would be axing 10 per cent of its 150 staff following the end of the Olympics and Paralympics.

Recruitment agencies reported receiving CVs from those involved with the Games in August, and W Communications founder Warren Johnson said that those likely to get snapped up would have been smart enough to start hunting early.

However, he added that the influx could be a positive thing for a ‘flat market’ where finding good talent was tough.

Reflecting on lessons learned from the Games in general, Johnson said that agencies and clients had rediscovered the power of ‘sharing in the consumers’ experiences on site’ rather than focusing too much on social media.

Martin agreed, adding: ‘It’s less about what they say and more about what they do. It’s not just about pushing out messaging and hoping it sticks – it’s about the big experiential moments that people do share and talk about.’