What Does 2025 Have In Store for Marcomms Recruitment?
The rising adoption and usage of GenAI tools have driven perhaps the biggest change in the marcomms arena since the advent of computing. This transformation is ongoing, with roles continuing to adapt and customer demands for marketing, communications, and digital skills shifting. So, what does 2025 have in store for marcomms recruitment in this evolving environment?
The Rise of AI
Several tools, including ChatGPT and DALL-E, have contributed to a shake-up felt across almost every industry. In our specific markets, the growth of these tools led some organizations to initially—and wrongly—believe they could 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 target audiences will only fail, leading to a reduction in brand engagement. As anyone who has used these tools in practice will recognize, they are a long way off from being able to do the job to the required standard, for now, at least. Instead of relying entirely on GenAI, the best marcomms professionals use them as assistants or partners.
The rise of AI, along with the growth of other digital tools, has forced a shift in skills requirements within the marcomms world. Employers face the challenge of sourcing skills from a relatively limited pool of talent and cannot afford to get their hiring strategies wrong, particularly with many operating on limited budgets. Finding and recruiting professionals who can leverage the power of emerging AI-backed tools will be a main focus for marcomms recruitment in 2025.
There will still be a place for niche specialisms, but organizations are already seeking those with broader skill sets, combining marketing, communication, and technical expertise. This trend will grow, and the delineation between these fields will become blurred, especially as more organizations include AI skills and understanding as a basic requirement for most roles. As platforms become more sophisticated, these roles will continue to evolve, with professionals relying on AI for hyper-personalization, predictive analytics, and customer journey mapping at a granular level.
Integrated Strategies
AI is not the only driver of 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. Employers will seek those who can bridge different domains such as content marketing, social media, PR, and experiential and digital marketing.
Sustainability will also 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 autumn floods. Ethical organizations will continue to focus on promoting their ESG credentials, driving the need for a deeper understanding of climate science. More organizations will seek those with these skill sets.
This activity will take place in a steadily improving financial climate. Early signs indicate that the UK economy is improving, driving more activity in the job market from employers seeking skills to support expansion and professionals who feel more comfortable switching positions. However, organizations will still face challenges.
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, organizations 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 many 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 needed, employers must look to hire on potential. This means incorporating different assessments into hiring strategies and adapting existing sourcing and interviewing processes. It won’t necessarily be an easy shift to embed into organizations, but it will pay off. Firms that don’t operate in this way will trail behind their competitors as the war for talent reignites in 2025.
If your organization is looking to source marcomms professionals in 2025, speak to our expert team. Read more of our blogs on LinkedIn.
