24 Seven is a talent management solutions company that is invested in learning as much as it can about the industry it serves. To that end, for the past 15 years, the company has collected salary data and other work-life information from 2,700 professionals across the marketing, creative, technology, beauty, fashion, and retail sectors. CEW spoke to Lisa Marie Ringus, Executive Vice President of Global Client Strategy and Growth, about some major takeaways from this year’s Salary Guide survey, providing comprehensive salary data for more than 170 positions (and then some) that will ultimately offer benchmarks for competitive talent acquisition and retention strategies.

Let’s kick off with some surprising news.

DEI isn’t Dead — “Thank God”

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are at risk given today’s political sphere — but corporate efforts are not disappearing. In fact, according to 24 Seven’s pool, 49% of companies are keeping DEI programs at current levels and 44% are expanding their efforts. Only 3% have scaled back or eliminated programs, while 5% report having had no formal DEI initiatives in place. “Companies are standing strong in their commitment to DEI,” says Ringus, who is relieved by the trend. “It communicates something really important. In a bubble of uncertainty, you want to be the employer that shows that you’re certain about a few things important to the organization like reinstating the mission and the vision of the company. DEI didn’t just arise a few years ago, it’s always been there, and employees care about it — it makes them feel like they’re at the right company. Employees feeling valued is probably neck-and-neck with their benefits and their comp, in terms of [importance]. Completely abandoning something like DEI is detrimental to retention and recruitment, attracting talent to your organization.”

Compensation is Still King

Less of a shocker: Compensation ranks as the number one factor in employment decisions. But with only 32% of professionals receiving annual compensation increases in 2024 and salaries across most positions showing modest 3% to 5% increases from 2024 to 2025 — that doesn’t bode especially well for companies. The Salary Guide survey found that 46% of professionals are dissatisfied with their compensation and 43% are displeased with their benefits packages. The survey revealed that some employees have one foot out the door and are just waiting for a reason to move the other one. It also found that 38% of employees are staying with their current employer solely due to economic uncertainty and 81% of those dissatisfied with compensation say they’re likely to seek other opportunities. Companies can build loyalty with more competitive compensation packages, and 63% of organizations surveyed said they are taking steps to do so.

Companies Need to Streamline Hiring

As Tom Petty sang, “The waiting is the hardest part”— and in this case, the hard part affects corporations and potential employees. The survey found that 87% of organizations take one to two months or longer to fill open positions. Not only does this delay increased costs to a company, but it also causes candidates to lose trust, says Ringus. “For the organization itself, [the slow process] increases the workload of their existing teams. It’s delaying business initiatives and project deadlines. And then, on the flip side, the real impact is to the talent, because it impacts their experience with that employer. They’re not giving candidates a very warm introduction. Sometimes it causes the organization to lose the best talent that’s available.”

Work-Life Balance Remains a Prime Concern Among Employees

Even with hybrid and work-from-home opportunities, employees are still struggling to find work-life balance — and only 44% of survey respondents believe their employer has made reducing employee stress a priority. “Nearly one-third (31%) of professionals report high levels of stress when it comes to maintaining work-life balance, while another 48% indicate moderate stress levels,” according to the report. “This means nearly 80% of the workforce is experiencing some degree of stress related to balancing their professional and personal obligations.”

AI Is Coming for Your Tasks, Not Necessarily Your Job

“The biggest thing around AI that respondents were reporting was that they’re seeing AI being explored — but not yet implemented,” says Ringus. “We can’t just sit in the gray for a very long time.” For now, it seems companies and employees are figuring out how AI can be a tool, rather than a replacement employee. Companies are using AI for specific tasks like resume screening (42%) and top areas of adoption appear to be analytics (94%), task automation (92%), and customer experience. “Organizations are taking a measured approach to AI implementation,” says the report, with 49% exploring AI options, but they haven’t implemented them yet in talent processes. Of those surveyed, 85% believe AI will partially replace or augment roles rather than eliminate them.

Companies Want Growth Drivers with Niche Abilities

Other findings about the job market include that when it comes to what companies desire from their potential employees — be they full-time or temporary fractional workers — they want details on how a candidate would drive growth using their niche abilities, not just a list of tasks they’ve accomplished in the past. “If you’re a marketer with 15 years of experience, you’re sitting with 100 other marketers applying for that job with 15 years of experience,” says Ringus. “You need to state what capability you have that makes you stand out — not just how many campaigns you’ve worked on. If I’m a CFO and I’m applying for a job, my financial acumen and my ability to manage people will of course be criteria for the job, but the tipping point might be that I’m a great developer of talent, a very inclusive manager. That’s an ideal CFO. Don’t ever forget about soft skills that you bring to the table, and that’s partly your personality, your passion, your drive, your ambition, and how you will integrate with the organization.”

To access the full 24 Seven Salary Guide survey, click here.