When asked whether they plan to increase staff in the second quarter of this year, 15% of marketing and ad execs in Canada said yes, while 9% actually anticipated staff declines.

The survey, conducted for The Creative Group, a Menlo Park, CA-headquartered specialized staffing service with an office in Toronto, surveyed 200 marketing execs that work for mid-sized companies (more than 100 employees), and 50 ad agencies with 20 or more employees. It also revealed that 74% planned to make no changes in hiring in the next three months – even though about 82% were confident about their ability to attract new clients.

Those agencies that planned to grow were also asked what services were most in demand. Web design and production specialists are most in demand with 21% of respondents saying they were hiring in that area. It was followed by brand and product management (17%) and account services (16%). Media services however, ranked tenth in terms of demand with only 9% of respondents saying they were looking for media specialists.

According to Lara Dodo, VP for The Creative Group’s Canadian operations, firms are waiting for further signs of recovery before investing in new talent. But she believes any new initiatives a company takes on will require additional personnel.

‘The demand for brand and product management suggests that firms may be investing in grassroots branding and marketing efforts in addition to digital and new media initiatives,’ Dodo says in a release.