In the last of his quarterly market reports for 2025, Dean Bartle, Director of Better Placed, reflects on a year of measured progress and strategic growth across the North’s creative, digital and commercial sectors.
As 2025 draws to a close, the recruitment landscape across the North’s creative, digital and commercial sectors feels similar to what it did a year ago. There is movement again and more confidence in hiring, but also a new realism about where investment makes sense.
From my conversations with agency leaders and marketing directors across the region, one message stands out: growth has returned, but it is measured and strategic. Businesses are hiring to build capability, not headcount.
After the budget
The Autumn Budget reflected the same tone. There was little in the way of surprise or short-term stimulus, but it set a clear direction. Productivity, innovation and skills are where growth will come from next.
For creative and marketing businesses, that means opportunity for those who can show commercial impact and efficiency in equal measure. The North’s agencies are already good at this. They have adapted to client budgets, sharpened propositions and found ways to do more with leaner teams. We are seeing the strongest performance from businesses that can link creative value to commercial outcomes.
In recruitment terms, this means briefs are more focused and decision-making more disciplined. Clients are hiring for roles that directly drive performance, whether through marketing effectiveness, digital innovation or financial rigour.
What the market tells us
Across 2025, we have seen three consistent dynamics reshape how Northern businesses approach talent and growth.
- Finance and operations have become part of every senior conversation
As agencies grow more commercially minded, the need for financial and operational expertise has expanded. To support this shift, Better Placed has strengthened its finance recruitment capability with the addition of Olly Gaydon, who brings a strong track record of placing finance leaders into agencies across the UK. This builds on our long-standing work in marketing and digital and allows us to help clients shape leadership teams that are commercially sharper and structurally stronger.
The demand we’re seeing isn’t just for traditional finance directors. Businesses want commercial finance professionals who understand creative environments, can build scalable operations and contribute to growth strategy. This reflects a broader maturation of the Northern agency sector, where profit margins and operational excellence are now as important as creative output.
- Technology continues to reshape every business function
AI has been the loudest conversation of the year, and its influence will only increase in 2026. At Better Placed, we have invested time in understanding its real impact. Our Tech Director, Jonathan Moran, has been hosting a series of AI meetups across the North throughout 2025, bringing together leaders from tech, marketing and creative sectors to share practical insight. These sessions will continue into 2026 and remain a valuable source of learning for both clients and candidates.
What we’re hearing consistently is that AI adoption is no longer optional. It’s becoming a baseline capability that candidates expect to work with and employers need to implement thoughtfully. The most successful businesses aren’t just using AI tools – they’re building teams that can use technology intelligently while maintaining the creative and strategic thinking that drives real value.
Together, these developments strengthen our ability to advise on the full picture of modern teams. Commercial growth, financial control and technological capability now work side by side, and the best businesses are already structuring around that reality.
- Hybrid working has become a permanent fixture
Flexibility is no longer a benefit to debate but a standard to maintain. Most Northern agencies and brands have settled into two or three office days each week. This has opened up talent pools beyond city centres and helped retain skilled people who value balance.
The businesses that are thriving have stopped viewing hybrid working as a concession and started building it into their culture and operations. Those still resisting or frequently changing their policies are finding recruitment more difficult and experiencing higher attrition rates among experienced hires.
What this means for recruitment in 2026
Looking ahead, I am cautiously optimistic. We are unlikely to see a dramatic increase in overall hiring volume, but the quality of briefs will continue to rise. Clients will focus on roles that combine strategic thinking with measurable output.
The demand for growth-orientated marketers, digital specialists and commercial finance leaders will remain high. AI literacy will become a common requirement, not a niche skill. Adaptability, curiosity and the ability to use technology intelligently will define high performers.
Compared with 2025, I expect:
- More consolidation of roles that blend creative, digital and commercial responsibility
- Continued hiring at mid to senior level where decisions shape growth directly
- Rising interest in finance and data professionals who can add structure to creative environments
- Increased collaboration between marketing and tech functions as AI adoption deepens
How Better Placed is evolving with the market
At Better Placed, we have always prided ourselves on understanding where the market is heading rather than reacting after the fact. Expanding into finance recruitment with Olly Gaydon reflects that forward view. So too does our investment in thought leadership around technology and AI through Jonathan Moran’s work.
Alongside our established marketing and digital specialisms, these developments allow us to offer a more complete partnership to clients. We can support leadership teams that unite creativity, data, technology and finance to deliver lasting performance.
At group level, our sister brand BPE Search continues to grow its US presence, particularly with better-for-you consumer brands and high-growth businesses. While Better Placed remains UK focused, the shared knowledge across the group gives us valuable global insight into how forward-thinking companies are approaching talent and transformation.
A considered optimism
If 2024 was about holding steady, 2025 has been about moving forward carefully. For 2026, I expect the same steady progress but with a little more confidence. The fundamentals of the Northern creative economy remain strong. Agencies are adapting well, regional ecosystems are deepening, and talented people continue to see the North as a long-term base for their careers.
Yes, there will be pressure on budgets and change driven by technology, but these challenges bring opportunity for those willing to adapt. The businesses that plan strategically, hire thoughtfully and invest in the right people will thrive.
Thank you to all the clients, candidates and partners we have worked with this year. I hope the festive break brings rest and perspective. Here’s to a 2026 that is thoughtful, balanced and full of quiet progress.
For more detailed information or to discuss your recruitment strategy for 2026, please contact Dean Bartle, Director at Better Placed.
