What Does 2025 Have In Store for Marcomms Recruitment?
The rising adoption and usage of GenAI tools has driven perhaps the biggest change in the marcomms arena since the advent of computing. And it isn’t finished yet; next year, roles will continue to adapt, and customer demands for marketing, communications and digital skills will also shift.
But with this in mind, what does 2025 have in store for marcomms recruitment in this evolving environment?
Rise of AI
Several tools including the likes of ChatGPT and DALL-E have all contributed to the shake-up which is being felt across almost every industry. Within our specific markets, the growth of these tools led some organisations to initially – and wrongly – believe that they can effectively outsource their marketing activity to technology. However, these employers are quickly finding out that GenAI platforms still need human direction and interaction to effectively do their jobs. Relying solely on Microsoft’s CoPilot, for example, to produce content that resonates with your target audiences will only fail, and will lead to a reduction in brand engagement, as many organisations are quickly finding out. And as anyone who has used these tools in practice will recognise, they are a long way off from being able to do the job anywhere near the required standard, for now, at least. Instead of relying entirely on GenAI, the best marcomms professionals use them as something of an assistant, or partner. Obviously, these tools will become more sophisticated and develop over time, and the pace of change suggests that point isn’t overly far away.
However, their rise, along with growth in other digital tools, has forced something of a shift in skills requirements within the marcomms world. For employers, this creates another core challenge to overcome. Firms seeking the best professionals are sourcing skills from a relatively limited pool of talent; and can’t afford to get their hiring strategies wrong, particularly with so many operating on limited budgets.
Finding and recruiting professionals with the ability to leverage the power of emerging AI-backed tools will be one of the main areas of focus for marcomms recruitment in 2025. There will of course still be a place for niche specialisms, but our knowledge of the market suggests that organisations are already seeking those with broader skill sets, and a combination of marketing, communication, and technical, expertise. This trend will only grow, and the delineation between these fields will become blurred in marketing, in particular, as more organisations include AI skills and understanding as a basic requirement for most roles.
And as platforms become more sophisticated, these roles will continue to evolve. Professionals will rely on AI for hyper-personalisation, predictive analytics, and customer journey mapping at a granular level, and more businesses will be on the hunt for those with the ‘goldilocks’ blend of skills.
Integrated strategies
But it’s not just AI that will drive change in marcomms hiring in 2025. The need for fully integrated marketing strategies, which has grown significantly post-pandemic, and combines both online and offline work, will become essential for creating cohesive brand narratives. As with emerging tools, employers will seek those who can bridge different domains such as content marketing, social media, PR, and experiential and digital marketing.
Equally, despite the rhetoric from across the Atlantic, sustainability will also only grow in importance as the reality of the climate change crisis continues to hit home. Cataclysmic weather events are no longer limited to far-off nations, and countries like Spain have seen the critical impact of the Autumn floods. Ethical organisations will continue to fight the good fight and focus on promoting their ESG credentials. This will drive the need for a deeper understanding of climate science, and we anticipate seeing more organisations seeking those with these skill sets.
This activity will take place in a steadily improving financial climate. We’re beginning to see early signs that the economy in the UK is improving, and this will drive more activity in the job market both from employers seeking skills to support expansion, and amongst professionals who feel more comfortable switching positions. However, while we recognise what direction the market is likely to go in, organisations will still face problems.
Marcomms recruitment in 2025
The question for many remains how do you source combinations of marcomms expertise that include a deep understanding of AI, or sustainability, when few people have relevant experience or qualifications, and you’re competing with rival firms who also want to recruit these individuals?
The answer is to follow a data-backed, skills-first approach to hiring. By removing the need for a specific track record in these areas, or only identifying those with appropriate qualifications, organisations can open themselves up to a much broader pool of talent. Few people have extensive experience in AI because they are relatively new tools, but a significantly higher number will have developed expertise outside of work, or in their roles, despite not having a degree in this field, or having operated in a specific role. Instead of looking for the tiny pool of talent with all the skills you need, employers must look to hire on potential. This means incorporating different assessments into hiring strategies and adapting your existing sourcing and interviewing processes. It won’t necessarily be an easy shift to embed into your organisations, but it will pay off. Firms that don’t look to operate in this way will trail behind their competitors as the war for talent reignites in 2025.
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If your organisation is looking to source marcomms professionals in 2025, speak to our expert team.
