CIM research reveals workload is key barrier to marketers’ skills development

Ahead of Learning at Work Week, which took place from 18th-24th May, CIM polled marketers to gauge their opinions on skills and their organisation's commitment to their ongoing professional development.

The polling found that only 31% of marketers agree that their organisation invests enough in their development, with around half (48%) strongly disagreeing that their business spends a sufficient amount.

These findings match up with research CIM undertook with the European Marketing Confederation and McKinsey & Company into the view of 1,876 marketers from across the world, which found that just one in ten (11%) organisations have a skills framework in place aimed at enhancing skills and capability.

This seems to be an ongoing issue two years on from Marketing Week's 2024 Career & Salary Survey, which revealed that only 36.5% of respondents said they were receiving opportunities from their employer to bridge skills gaps.  

However, the majority of marketers don't believe their employer's attitude is the main barrier to their skills development. 78% believe their workload is the main issue holding them back from developing new skills, while only 16% believe a lack of support from their organisation is the biggest barrier.  

Five percent, meanwhile, attributed it to the overwhelming number of training options available in today’s complex marketing landscape, where the need to continually upskill across multiple disciplines can make it too difficult to prioritise what to learn.

This is where learning and development teams can step in to allocate dedicated time for employees to undertake the training they require without worrying about their day-to-day role. They can also play a part in setting their marketers on clear and logical development plans that can be used to benefit both those individuals and their organisations.

You can gain a career partner to support your growth, credibility and impact in a constantly evolving industry by becoming a CIM member today, which will help to set you on a pathway to Chartered Marketer status. Discover CIM membership options here.