Marketers back in demand as firms reveal hiring plans

With claims that marketing professionals feel overworked, underpaid and undervalued ringing in its ears, there is at least some respite for the industry, with hiring across marketing and creative roles seeing an uplift as digital transformation drives demand for specialist skills.

That is according to fresh data from international recruitment firm Robert Half, whose latest “Hiring Intentions” survey notes an uptick in plans to recruit both full-time staff and freelancers.

In fact, the number of employers intending to expand their permanent marketing headcount in the first half of 2025 is up seven percentage points on figures from H2 last year.

More than a third (37%) of firms will be hiring for permanent marketing and creative teams by the summer, while 26% intend to recruit more contract resources.

The report points to this demand being driven by the growing need for digital transformation in the marketing remit.
Robert Half digital, marketing and creative practice manager Madeleine Barnes commented: “The marketing function is usually the first to feel the impact of economic slowdowns, so this uptick in hiring intentions is highly promising.

“With digital transformation in marketing and content growing in demand, it’s likely that much of this optimism is being driven by a need for specialists in digital marketing in particular.

“Indeed, we’re seeing significant demand for digital marketing specialists, social media managers, CRM experts and SEO and paid search professionals with design and content skills of particular interest for employers.

“However, we also can’t ignore that those in this profession play a crucial role in supporting sales teams across every business. Marketers and creatives act as the key to boosting business growth, which makes this hiring trend all the more promising following what has been a challenging year.”