Requirements for product and brand managers in the context of knowledge management in the recruiting adverts

The aim of the paper is to present partial results of an independent research, which long-term objective has been gathering and analysing the information about the requirements that are imposed on applicants for the positions in product management. The main research aim was defined as being to verify that product managers and brand managers belong to knowledge workers and to provide proof, that business practice in the USA – in the country where product management has its roots – sees those managers as such. In order to meet the research goal the content analysis method by Bernard Berelson was used, which made it possible to use the job adverts available in the three selected regions of the USA to gather information regarding the requirements. The most published requirement in the both sets of adverts for the brand managers as well as product managers was the ability to communicate well. The analysis was further enhanced by comparison with the results of the research in the Czech Republic. The findings indicate that US recruiters are looking for candidates possessing personal qualities and skills of a knowledge worker nevertheless they also show significant differences in employers´ demands for both jobs in terms of the requirements for personality traits and for soft skills of brand managers and product managers.