Hiring marketing talent in 2025

Does mindset beat skillset in a revenue-driven world?

Senior B2B leaders debate whether mindset now outweighs skillset in driving revenue growth. Is commercial acumen the new must-have? Discover the key trends shaping the future of marketing talent in this exclusive Marketing Leaders Meetup.

For years, the conversation around hiring in marketing has centred on technical and digital skills. How data-literate is a candidate? Can they navigate martech stacks with ease? Do they have the right experience in campaign execution, demand gen, or brand strategy? This trend ran in parallel with a digitising, data-driven business as a whole; if the entire C-suite each led their own transformations, their marketing function experienced perhaps the starkest change.

Yet that change has not manifested into a function-wide elevation in revenue and sales, much to the frustration of marketers and their CEOs. Technology investments in databases, CRM systems, sentiment analysis, and more have been numerous; case studies in marketers moving the dial with data, account-based marketing, and new and improved attribution models are piecemeal. 

B2B marketers in technology are beginning to question the abrupt pivot to ‘hard marketing’. Within that question lies talent.

Whisper it, but more of today’s CMOs and marketing leaders are looking beyond technical skills. At HotTopics, we are hearing from our C-suite community that leaders are looking for commerciality, adaptability, and a willingness to learn. The shift is not just about the roles one hires for; it is about how the function once again redefines marketing’s value to the business. 

In the latest Marketing Leaders Meetup, discover what your peers are thinking when it comes to hiring the right talent today, and for tomorrow.

The future of marketing talent: Overview

• Is commercial acumen the new non-negotiable?
• Hiring for today vs. building for tomorrow
• Retaining high-potential talent
• Brand is back—But with a new purpose 
• A CMO's playbook for talent strategy
• Closing thoughts

Is commercial acumen the new non-negotiable?

A decade ago, marketing was still fighting to be seen as a growth function rather than a cost centre. Fast forward to today, and the expectation has flipped. CEOs and CFOs are increasingly holding marketing accountable for revenue contribution, not just lead generation. That means marketing leaders need people who understand the commercial reality of their decisions, not just those who can build brand awareness or optimise a PPC campaign.

Marketers who can confidently discuss return on investment, marketing efficiency ratios, and pipeline acceleration with the CFO are highly valued. But in an era where many companies claim to be in "hyper-growth mode," it does seem rather like the marketer is the first to be hung out to dry for any “missed opportunities” in reaching targets. Given the blind spots between the subjectivity (or intangibles) that drive the best marketing virality and the more data-driven attitudes of the business, this has had tangible impacts on B2B marketing functions particularly.

Hiring for today vs. building for tomorrow

There is an ongoing dilemma in marketing hiring, we heard: do we hire for the needs of today, or do we bet on potential? It is a balancing act. On one hand, there is immediate pressure to bring in talent that can hit the ground running. On the other, the rapid evolution of marketing means that hiring purely on current skill sets may be short-sighted.

Some marketing leaders on the call are taking an investment mindset to hiring. They are identifying candidates with the right mindset, curiosity and resilience—people who might not tick every technical skills box today but who will adapt, learn and thrive as the role evolves.

Retaining high-potential talent

The rise of gen Z in the workforce has introduced a new challenge: career acceleration expectations are faster than ever. Many marketers today aren’t just looking for stability. Despite wider market pressures, they want constant growth, new challenges, and rapid career progression.

For CMOs, that means creating an environment where marketing talent feels intentionally stretched, engaged, and continuously learning. Offering exposure to strategic conversations, ownership over high-impact projects, and a clear path for progression is now just as important as salary and benefits. If the best talent doesn’t see a trajectory in their current organisation, they will move on quickly, we heard.

Brand is back—But with a new purpose

With AI disrupting every industry, differentiation is harder than ever. Every vendor claims to have AI-driven solutions, but few can articulate what sets them apart. This is where brand comes back into play.

For a while, brand-building took a back seat as performance marketing and data-driven decision-making dominated. But now, companies that neglect brand strategy are at risk of blending into a sea of sameness. Marketing leaders are recognising that while demand gen and sales activation are critical, a strong brand is the ultimate growth engine. AI can’t replace creativity and brand storytelling—at least not yet.

A CMO’s playbook for talent strategy

So, what does this all mean for how marketing leaders approach talent? Here are my three key takeaways:

1️⃣ Prioritise commercial thinkers over technical specialists: The best hires are not necessarily those with the most martech certifications; they are the ones who can connect marketing activities to business outcomes.

2️⃣ Invest in high-potential talent, but set clear expectations: Hiring for mindset is a competitive advantage, but it must be paired with transparency around timelines for growth and role evolution.

3️⃣ Balance brand and performance marketing: Brand differentiation is becoming a key competitive advantage again. The most effective marketing teams will be those that blend brand strategy with revenue-driving execution.

Closing thoughts

Marketing’s evolution isn’t slowing down. The CMOs who will thrive in 2025 and 2026 are those who rethink talent acquisition, not just hiring for the skills that fit today’s needs but for the mindset that will shape marketing’s future.