Here are some of our senior leadership team’s predictions within the talent and business landscape for 2025.
- The Great Talent Reshuffle will redefine the workforce
We are going to see a shift in talent focus, away from sector experience to the need for specific skill sets. This evolution will create new opportunities for talent to transition across industries, applying their expertise in different ways.
Companies looking to outpace their competitors will prioritise their top talent, have a clear vision, and foster a culture of confidence and optimism. Businesses can position themselves for lasting success by empowering leadership teams.
- AI and customer-centric strategies will shape the future of marketing and customer experience
AI is enabling brands to engage with customers in increasingly personalised ways and, along with machine learning, will shift marketing from traditional segmentation to hyper-personalisation, using customer data to deliver unique, real-time experiences at precisely the right moment. The focus for every business will be on creating seamless, consistent customer experiences across all platforms that they choose to have a presence on. Talent that can make this happen will provide the competitive edge.
- Every board should consider appointing a Chief AI Officer
70% of the companies in the top 10 of the S&P 500 didn’t exist 25 years ago and AI is bringing next level disruption to every business which means that line-up will change once more. AI will be a net job creator rather than a job destroyer – some roles may become obsolete, but new opportunities will emerge, particularly for talent with the right skill sets to leverage these advancements.
So, is your business ready to unlock the full potential of AI for you and your customers? Having the technology alone isn’t enough; it’s human creativity that drives AI to explore uncharted territories and open up new possibilities. Having a Chief AI Officer on the board could prove essential to your business being truly competitive in its field.
- Media businesses must leverage data, technology, and human expertise to deliver better outcomes
Increasing volumes of data, the fragmentation of media and numerous metrics has created more and more complexity for media planning and buying, but technology, automation and AI are rapidly improving media efficiency. The businesses that will do best will be those who take their people and clients through the tech and data transformation and invest in humans who understand how to positively impact on their clients’ business.
A welcome by product of this could be an older workforce. Findings from the Advertising Association’s All in Census 2023 results shows that the ad industry rapidly loses its talent before the onset of middle age, with just 21% of the workforce over the age of 45. Ironically, the changes driven by data and tech may be the best weapon to tackle our industry’s systemic problems with ageism.
- The path for CMOs to step into the CEO role is opening up
Customer-centric thinking is growing in value with greater opportunities for CMOs to step into the CEO role and for Boards to appoint NEDs with this understanding. The goal is to ensure business strategies align with customer needs and expectations, and the CMO sits right at the heart of all of this. A strategy driven by the right CMO can lead to better products, services, and experiences, driving customer loyalty and brand strength — all critical for long-term success.
- Sports organisations need to stay ahead of technological, fan, and advertiser demands by looking beyond the core talent pool
As technology, fans and advertiser demand moves faster than sports organisations, progressive leaders in sport will look ahead and across at alternative sectors for talent. This talent will separate fan-based thinking from match-day focus and adopt Amazon flywheel thinking; breaking down siloes, collaborating, and investing longer term. They will build out the in-stadia experience as fans seek more entertainment than just a 90-minute game, they will tier pricing, and they will help their organisations to distribute short form, personalised content.
- Sustainability will become even more obvious as a point for competitive advantage as the economy shifts towards better growth
Green skills are one of the most sought-after skill-sets from employers right now and for good reason. The economy is shifting, and the businesses with long-term futures will be ones that can prove they can deliver sustainable and commercial success to their investors, employees and customers. Those that are unsustainable face increasing regulation, particularly in the EU, reduced investment as the financial markets shift towards decarbonisation and rejection from talent who want to know their skills are being used to make things better, not worse.
Want to discuss your talent needs for 2025? Get in touch with the Grace Blue team.