Marketing Consultant
With Q1 well behind us, we head deeper into 2025 – a year already marked by a sense of change, with political shifts underway in both the UK and the US. While uncertainty is part of the backdrop, it’s also a time full of opportunity, especially for businesses looking to hire and for professionals exploring their next move.
To get a clearer view of what’s really happening across the recruitment market, particularly in c-suite executive search, marketing and product roles, we sat down with our director and co-founder, Chris Mason.
With over 20 years of experience placing senior talent into both scale-ups and global brands, Chris shares his take on what’s shaping hiring today, and what lies ahead.
This 16-question interview is designed to support both employers and candidates with fresh insight, practical takeaways and a grounded look at where the market stands right now.
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Market trends and hiring landscape
IP: How would you describe the current hiring market for product management, marketing and digital marketing roles? Are there any significant trends shaping the landscape right now?
CM: I would describe 2024 as challenging but OK. 2025 started very well, but we saw a significant downturn in Feb across a number of data points. Feedback from our clients points to uncertainty around global tariffs and the effect they will have.
IP: Which UK cities are currently the hottest markets for these roles and where are you seeing the most demand?
CM: London has always been the busiest hub, followed by Manchester & Leeds. You then have a number of smaller hubs of activity – Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oxford, Nottingham.
IP: Are you seeing any shifts in hiring preferences between permanent and interim roles and what’s driving these trends?
CM: We’re not really seeing much change in the balance across permanent and interim. We’d usually expect more use of interims in a tough market as it gives employers more flexibility, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.
IP: Have you noticed any changes in how companies are structuring their interview and recruitment processes, and what impact does this have on attracting top talent?
CM: Unfortunately, some companies are beginning to lose sight of the lessons learned during busier times, when they had to streamline their processes and make quicker decisions. This shift may stem from the oversupply of candidates and the time spent reviewing advert responses. There’s also a sense of complacency, fuelled by the perception that we’re in a buyers’ market. However, strong candidates will always have options and will move quickly when they see the right opportunity.
IP: How important is employer branding in attracting top talent, and what strategies have you seen work well for companies hiring in these fields?
CM: Having a clearly defined employer brand that’s articulated well on first contact with candidates is critical. We coach our clients all the time on this point, and the importance of increasing the engagement of candidates at every step. Companies that do this well tend to engage the best people. It’s also critical to understand the sentiment of candidates of interest, to discuss & mitigate any concerns and amplify positive factors that drive engagement.
IP: Which areas within Intelligent People’s specialist sectors, such as marketing, product management and others, have been particularly active in hiring during Q1 2025, and which have seen a slowdown compared to 2024?
CM: We’re seeing more activity in marketing and demand generation, especially across B2B SAAS and tech customers. Private Equity seems to be starting to flow again after a tough period and business with good ideas and proven product-market-fit and being backed. We help them find growth experts to acquire customers and enter new markets.
Best practice for companies recruiting
IP: What are the biggest mistakes companies make when hiring for these roles?
CM: The following three are the most common mistakes I’ve seen recently from companies hiring:
- Treating hiring as a low priority.
- Lacking clarity and alignment on the role and its requirements.
- Failing to involve key decision-makers from the outset.
- Not having a slick, well-paced evaluation and selection process that enables a strong hiring decision to be made quickly
IP: How have salary expectations changed over the past year, and what should those looking to recruit be aware of when setting budgets?
CM: We’ve not seen much growth across mid-level roles or leadership roles. We’ve actually seen many senior candidates being more flexible on package due to competition.
IP: Beyond salary, what benefits and perks are candidates prioritising the most in today’s market?
CM: A good hybrid balance, incentives like realistic performance bonuses and equity. Ultimately people want to be successful, so the wider business story and trajectory, and the part the new hire will play is very important.
Best practice for candidates
IP: What are the most common mistakes candidates make when applying for or interviewing for these roles?
CM: Applying for too many roles, not making sure their experience aligns, not shaping their resume to the opportunity, not mirroring some of the language on the job description in their resume.
IP: How can candidates best position themselves in today’s job market, particularly for executive or senior roles?
CM: Ultimately, it’s about having the right experience and ensuring alignment to the opportunity. This involves long term planning, so having a mentor really helps to plot this learning journey.
IP: What key skills or experiences are in the highest demand right now across the sectors Intelligent People specialises in?
CM: We’re seeing lots of activity across fintech, Web3 and enterprise SAAS software.
IP: Are companies becoming more flexible with remote and hybrid work arrangements for these roles, or is there a shift back to office-based work?
CM: We’re not seeing much of a change. Most companies want hybrid working across our core areas. Some large banks and tech firms are asking people to come in more frequently, but in the mid-market things are mostly unchanged.
Future outlook and advice
IP: How do you see the hiring market evolving over the next 12-18 months?
CM: It’s more difficult to predict what will happen than at any time I can remember. It’s a very uncertain world right now.
IP: What emerging trends do you see impacting recruitment in your specialised sectors in the next 12-18 months and how should companies and candidates prepare?
CM: There’s huge uncertainty with global politics and a trade wars, this seems to be the main factor impacting growth and uncertainty around this.
IP: What’s one piece of advice you’d give both candidates and companies to ensure successful hiring in 2025?
When companies are flooded with candidate applications due to the oversupply of candidates, and also candidates are in a tough position and need to find a role, ensuring genuine alignment both ways is key. We do a lot of work to find the best candidates who have genuine alignment and interest in the role, for the long term. This helps to ensure that good hiring decisions are made.
Conclusion
Whether you’re navigating hiring challenges or exploring your next career move, staying informed is key. If you’re looking to bring top talent into your team, head over to our ‘I need to hire’ section. And if you’re ready for your next opportunity, take a look at our live jobs to see what’s out there right now.
