For a long time, hiring often focused heavily on finding people who matched a very specific brief.
Exact industry backgrounds.
Exact platform experience.
Exact job titles.
Exact years of experience.
But increasingly, businesses are starting to shift away from that mindset.
Particularly across marketing, creative, digital and operational hiring, we are seeing far more demand for people who can adapt quickly, think commercially and operate comfortably across multiple areas.
Not because specialist skills no longer matter.
But because the way businesses operate is changing.
Leaner teams are changing what “good” looks like
Many businesses are operating with leaner structures than they were a few years ago.
Teams are being asked to move faster, cover broader responsibilities and adapt more quickly to changing priorities.
That naturally changes what hiring managers value.
Increasingly, businesses are looking for people who can:
- learn quickly
- work across departments
- solve problems independently
- communicate well with different stakeholders
- adapt as priorities evolve
- combine strategic and hands-on thinking
Rather than people who only operate comfortably within very narrow role definitions.
This is particularly noticeable across:
- marketing
- digital
- creative operations
- client services
- revenue operations
- production
- growth-focused businesses
where roles are becoming far more interconnected.
AI is accelerating this shift
AI is also changing how businesses think about skills.
Not because AI is replacing jobs entirely, as headlines often suggest.
But because it is changing where human value sits.
Tasks that were once highly manual are becoming more automated.
That means businesses are placing greater importance on the skills technology struggles to replicate well:
- judgement
- adaptability
- communication
- commercial thinking
- relationship building
- creativity
- decision-making
- emotional intelligence
We are already seeing businesses become less focused on whether somebody has used one exact tool before and more interested in whether they can learn, adapt and grow alongside changing technology.
AI literacy is becoming valuable too.
Not necessarily deep technical expertise, but a willingness to engage with new tools, improve efficiency and evolve working practices.
The strongest candidates are often the people embracing that change rather than resisting it.
Transferable skills are becoming more valuable
One of the biggest shifts we are seeing is businesses becoming more open to transferable experience.
Historically, hiring could sometimes become overly focused on finding someone who had already done the exact same role in the exact same industry.
But increasingly, businesses are recognising that strong people often bring value from outside traditional backgrounds too.
Particularly when they offer:
- fresh perspectives
- broader commercial understanding
- cross-functional experience
- adaptability
- strong communication skills
- curiosity and learning agility
Some of the strongest hires we are seeing right now are people whose careers are not perfectly linear.
And honestly, that is often a strength rather than a weakness.
Commercial thinking matters more than ever
Another major trend is the growing importance of commercial awareness.
Businesses increasingly want people who understand:
- wider business goals
- revenue impact
- customer behaviour
- operational pressures
- growth priorities
rather than purely focusing on their own functional area.
That does not just apply to leadership hires either.
Even within specialist roles, hiring managers are often looking for people who understand how their work contributes to broader business performance.
Particularly in challenging markets, businesses tend to value people who can think beyond their immediate remit and adapt to changing commercial priorities.
The best hires are often the most adaptable
Interestingly, adaptability is often difficult to measure purely from a CV.
It usually shows up more clearly through conversations.
Things like:
- curiosity
- self-awareness
- learning mindset
- communication style
- resilience
- openness to change
often tell you far more about somebody’s long-term potential than a perfectly matched job title.
That is why businesses that hire purely based on rigid checklists can sometimes overlook exceptionally strong people.
Particularly in fast-moving industries where roles themselves are evolving constantly.
Final thoughts
Specialist expertise still absolutely matters.
But increasingly, businesses are recognising that long-term value often comes from people who can evolve alongside the business itself.
People who can:
- adapt
- learn quickly
- think commercially
- embrace new technology
- communicate effectively
- work across functions
- navigate change confidently
Because in a market that continues to shift quickly, adaptability is becoming one of the most valuable skills of all.
