Last updated: 18 June 2026

Ireland’s marketing, PR and communications hiring market is still active in mid-2026, but it is more selective than the post-pandemic hiring peaks. Employers are still recruiting where roles clearly support growth, reputation, stakeholder confidence, digital capability or transformation. What has changed is that vague, generalist or poorly scoped hiring is much harder to justify.

For employers planning hires in the second half of 2026, the message is clear: define the role properly, benchmark the offer early, move quickly and assess specialist capability with evidence.

This is not a “cheap talent” market. It is a precision-hiring market.

What is happening in Ireland’s marketing, PR and communications hiring market in mid-2026?

Ireland’s marketing, PR and communications hiring market is active but more selective, with demand strongest in senior, specialist, digital and reputation-critical roles.

The wider Irish labour market has cooled from earlier peaks. Vacancy levels have eased, employers are more measured about headcount and hiring teams are scrutinising new roles more carefully. National labour-market data supports this more measured picture: CSO figures for Q1 2026 show average earnings continuing to rise, while the overall job vacancy rate eased to 1.1%. However, this does not mean that good candidates are easy to find, especially in Spencer Recruitment’s specialist areas.

Across marketing, PR, communications, public affairs, corporate affairs and digital roles, the strongest demand is concentrated where the hire solves a clear business problem. Employers are still investing in roles linked to commercial growth, customer acquisition, corporate reputation, policy influence, stakeholder management, digital performance and leadership capacity.

The market is therefore neither fully employer-led nor broadly candidate-led. It is more accurate to say that it is selective, specialist and skills-led.

 

Market signal	What it means for employers
Vacancy levels have eased from previous peaks	Employers have more choice than in the hottest post-pandemic period, but specialist shortages remain.
Senior and mid-senior roles remain active	Demand is strongest where roles carry commercial, stakeholder or reputational value.
Junior and generalist hiring is more cautious	Employers are less likely to add broad headcount without a clear business case.
Salary and flexibility expectations remain high	Candidates still screen roles against pay, hybrid model, benefits and progression.
AI and digital capability are rising expectations	Employers need to test practical capability, not just tool familiarity.
Hiring processes are under pressure	Slow feedback, unclear salary positioning and too many stages can still cost employers candidates.

Which marketing, PR and communications roles are most in demand in Ireland in H2 2026?

The most resilient roles are those linked to measurable growth, digital capability, stakeholder influence, reputation management and senior advisory judgement.

In Spencer’s market, demand is strongest across four broad areas.

First, senior and specialist marketing roles remain active where commercial accountability is clear. Digital Marketing Managers, Heads of Marketing, Marketing Directors, CRM and automation specialists, performance marketers, content strategists and ecommerce-focused marketers are still being funded when the business case is strong.

Second, PR and agency roles remain active at experienced account level. Senior Account Executives, Account Managers and Senior Account Managers are still important where agencies need people who can combine writing, client service, media judgement and day-to-day delivery pace.

Third, communications and corporate affairs roles remain in demand where the role has organisational consequence. Employers are looking for candidates who can advise leaders, manage sensitive messaging, handle stakeholders, support change and protect reputation.

Fourth, public affairs and policy roles remain specialist and competitive. Employers increasingly need candidates who can interpret policy, map stakeholders, prepare evidence-led positions and communicate credibly with internal and external audiences.

The common thread is usefulness. Employers are funding roles that clearly connect to growth, reputation, influence or measurable performance.

Why is marketing and digital hiring becoming more specialist?

Marketing and digital hiring is becoming more specialist because employers now want clearer proof of commercial impact, channel ownership, measurement discipline and role fit.

The broad “all-round marketer” still has value, especially in SMEs and leaner in-house teams. But at mid-senior and senior level, employers are asking sharper questions.

What exactly will this person own? Are we hiring for brand, growth, demand generation, CRM, lifecycle marketing, performance, content, ecommerce or leadership? What commercial outcome should this role influence? What evidence should a strong candidate be able to show?

This matters because marketing titles can hide very different remits:

• A Marketing Manager in one organisation may be a hands-on campaign lead. In another, the same title may involve budget ownership, agency management, stakeholder influence and revenue accountability.
• A Digital Marketing Manager may be expected to manage web, social, paid media, reporting, CRM and content. In some businesses, the role is heavily executional. In others, it is closer to digital strategy, channel orchestration and commercial reporting.
• A Head of Marketing may need to influence the C-suite, manage a team, own growth targets, direct agencies, shape brand strategy and connect marketing activity to business performance.

For employers, the first decision should not be the job title. It should be the business problem.

If the priority is demand generation, the brief needs performance, funnel and measurement capability. If the priority is customer retention, CRM and lifecycle experience may matter more. If the priority is brand repositioning, audience insight and proposition work become more important. If the priority is leadership, the interview process should test commercial decision-making, team design and stakeholder influence, not only campaign history.

The hiring mistake to avoid in H2 2026 is role-stacking: asking for brand strategy, digital performance, content, CRM, analytics, events, AI fluency and senior leadership in one role without adjusting the title, salary or expectations.

That approach usually produces weak shortlists, candidate drop-off or a hire who cannot realistically deliver everything expected.

What should employers look for in senior marketing candidates?

Employers should look for decision quality, commercial proof, measurement discipline and evidence of ownership, not just campaign activity or attractive portfolios.

The more senior the role, the less persuasive activity becomes on its own. A senior marketing candidate should be able to explain why choices were made, what trade-offs were considered, what they personally owned and what changed as a result.

For a Head of Marketing or Marketing Director, strong evidence might include:

• market, customer or audience strategy
• team and budget ownership
• agency selection and management
• commercial performance or growth contribution
• brand positioning or proposition work
• board, C-suite or senior stakeholder exposure
• decisions made under constraint
• measurable changes in revenue, retention, lead quality, customer engagement or brand performance

For digital, performance, CRM, content and growth roles, employers should look beyond platform names. A strong candidate should be able to explain tracking, targeting, segmentation, testing, reporting and optimisation logic.

A useful interview question is not simply: “Which platforms have you used?”

A better question is: “Tell us about a campaign or programme where your decisions changed the commercial outcome. What did you measure, what did you change and what improved?”

Why do PR, communications and public affairs titles cause hiring confusion?

PR, communications, media relations, corporate communications, public affairs and corporate affairs overlap, but they solve different business problems.

This is one of the most common causes of weak shortlists in communications hiring. Employers often use adjacent titles as if they are interchangeable, but the underlying work can be very different.

• PR is usually about earned attention, narrative, media engagement, campaign delivery and profile-building.
• Media relations is narrower. It focuses on journalist relationships, press-office discipline, spokesperson preparation and reactive judgement.
• Internal communications is employee-focused and often sits close to change, culture, leadership alignment and organisational engagement.
• Corporate communications is the enterprise reputation and messaging function. It often involves executive narrative, sensitive announcements, stakeholder communication and reputation risk.
• Public affairs is the policy and government-facing discipline. It involves policy interpretation, stakeholder mapping, advocacy, lobbying compliance and engagement with political or regulatory audiences.
• Corporate affairs is often the umbrella function, combining corporate communications, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, issues management, reputation and sometimes ESG or crisis preparedness.

If the business need is…	The role may be closer to…
Earned profile, campaign visibility and media storytelling	PR
Press-office handling, journalist contact and reactive response	Media relations
Employee alignment, change and internal leadership messaging	Internal communications
Enterprise narrative, executive messaging and reputation management	Corporate communications
Policy influence, government engagement and regulatory context	Public affairs
Integrated reputation, policy, stakeholder and external affairs leadership	Corporate affairs

 

Employers get into difficulty when they collapse all of these into one under-scoped role.

A communications manager who is expected to manage internal communications, handle media, advise the CEO, monitor policy, support crisis response and influence external stakeholders may not be a standard mid-level hire. That may be a senior communications or corporate affairs role, and it should be assessed and benchmarked accordingly.

What separates a senior communications hire from a capable communications manager?

A senior communications hire is not just a stronger writer or more experienced campaign lead. The real difference is advisory judgement under pressure.

Mid-level communications candidates often prove that they can execute campaigns, manage media, write well and keep programmes moving. Senior candidates must show that they can convert complexity into sound advice.

That means they can:

• identify reputational risk inside a business decision
• advise senior leaders with confidence
• frame options rather than simply deliver outputs
• know when to hold, escalate, respond or reframe
• align internal and external messages
• manage stakeholders without overreaching
• prepare leaders for scrutiny
• measure communications work beyond activity and coverage

This distinction matters most in regulated sectors, semi-states, healthcare, financial services, membership bodies, public affairs environments and organisations undergoing change.

If a brief includes board visibility, spokesperson authority, regulatory consequence, policy exposure or enterprise reputation, employers should assess for trusted counsel, not just communications delivery.

How are salary transparency, flexibility and benefits affecting hiring?

Salary transparency, hybrid working and practical benefits now shape whether strong candidates enter, stay in or leave a hiring process.

Pay remains a primary engagement factor, but it is no longer the only issue. Candidates are also evaluating flexibility, benefits, progression, workload, development and whether the role feels credible.

Hybrid working is now part of the expected offer across much of the marketing, PR and communications talent pool. Fully remote roles are less common than during the pandemic period, but candidates still expect employers to be clear about office attendance and realistic about how that affects attraction.

A stricter office requirement is not impossible to sell. But it usually needs to be supported by a stronger salary, clearer progression, brand strength, meaningful work or flexibility elsewhere.

This is especially important in Dublin, where commuting time, cost and office expectations can affect candidate response. Employers can require more office presence, but they should recognise that the work model is part of the total package.

Benefits also matter. Candidates are less likely to be persuaded by cosmetic perks if the basics are weak. Pension, health insurance, paid sick leave, annual leave, flexible hours, income protection, development support and credible workload management are more persuasive than novelty benefits.

This is consistent with CIPD’s HR Practices in Ireland 2026 report, which identifies flexible working as one of the highest-impact talent strategies and shows hybrid working continuing to support attraction, retention and wellbeing.

For employers, the practical lesson is simple: benchmark the full offer before going to market, not after the preferred candidate is already in another process.

How is AI changing marketing, PR and communications hiring?

AI is changing role design and skill expectations, but it is not removing the need for specialist marketing, PR or communications judgement.

AI is already part of day-to-day work in marketing and communications. The useful hiring question is no longer whether a candidate has used AI. The better question is how they use it, where it improves the work and where human judgement must remain in control.

In marketing, AI is increasing the value of candidates who can combine automation, data, content workflows, experimentation and quality control. CRM, lifecycle marketing, personalisation, content operations, search, reporting and performance roles are all being affected.

In communications, AI can support research, drafting, summarisation and workflow speed. But it cannot replace stakeholder judgement, crisis sensitivity, ethical review, tone control, policy awareness or senior counsel.

For junior roles, AI is likely to raise expectations. Basic research, reporting, repurposing and drafting tasks are easier to support with technology, so earlier-career candidates may need to show stronger judgement, sharper writing and better digital fluency.

For senior roles, AI readiness should be assessed through use cases. Employers should ask:

• How have you used AI to improve speed, quality or insight?
• What work should not be automated?
• How do you protect brand voice and factual accuracy?
• What review process sits around AI-assisted work?
• How do you use AI without weakening data controls, disclosure or trust?

“Do you use AI?” is not a strong interview question.

“How do you use AI without weakening quality, trust or measurement discipline?” is much better.

Why do good candidates still drop out of hiring processes?

Good candidates often drop out because the role is unclear, the process is slow, the salary is misaligned or the employer fails to communicate properly.

Employers often assume candidate loss is caused by salary alone. Sometimes it is. But many drop-offs begin earlier.

The common causes are:

• unclear role scope
• too many interview stages
• slow feedback
• inconsistent stakeholder input
• late salary conversations
• weak explanation of hybrid expectations
• unrealistic role requirements
• poor communication between stages
• lack of clarity on progression or decision-making authority

Specialist candidates are rarely evaluating one opportunity in isolation. A strong Digital Marketing Manager, Head of Communications, Public Affairs Manager or senior PR consultant may be in more than one conversation at once. If one employer is clear, fast and credible while another is slow and uncertain, the stronger process has the advantage.

A competitive process in H2 2026 should be designed before the search begins. The hiring team should know:

• what problem the role is solving
• what salary range is realistic
• what hybrid model is genuinely available
• who needs to interview
• what evidence the candidate must provide
• how quickly feedback will be given
• who owns the final decision

This is not about rushing. It is about removing avoidable friction.

A good specialist hiring process should still be rigorous. It should include structured interviews, evidence-led assessment, reference checks and careful offer management. But rigour does not need to mean unnecessary delay.

What should employers do before hiring in the second half of 2026?

Before hiring in H2 2026, employers should define the business problem, benchmark salary and flexibility, clarify seniority and design an evidence-led process.

A stronger hiring process starts before the job is advertised. Employers should answer these questions first.

1. What business problem does this role solve?

If the answer is vague, the shortlist will probably be vague too. Be clear whether the priority is growth, reputation, stakeholder influence, digital performance, customer retention, change communication, policy engagement or leadership capacity.

2. Is the title right for the level of responsibility?

A role with budget ownership, senior stakeholder exposure and strategic decision-making should not be benchmarked as a purely executional hire.

3. Is the salary realistic for the scope?

If the brief combines several specialisms, the package should reflect that. Employers who combine inflated responsibilities with sub-market pay are often writing a self-defeating brief.

4. What work model can the organisation genuinely offer?

If the role is mostly office-based, be ready to explain why and show how the wider offer compensates.

5. Does the interview process test the right things?

Marketing candidates should be assessed on outcomes, judgement, channel choices, measurement and contribution. Communications candidates should be assessed on writing, stakeholder judgement, message discipline, advisory capability and the ability to handle pressure.

6. Is permanent hiring the right answer?

Some organisations need a permanent leader. Others need interim support, project cover, maternity cover, freelance capability or a specialist consultant to bridge a gap while the permanent brief is clarified.

7. When should a specialist recruiter be involved?

The strongest case is when the role is hard to define, hard to fill, confidential, senior, urgent, niche or too important to get wrong. In those situations, recruitment support is not just about sourcing CVs. It is about shaping the brief, benchmarking the market, interpreting candidate evidence and reducing late-stage hiring risk.

Employer checklist for H2 2026 hiring

Use this checklist before going to market for a marketing, PR, communications, public affairs or digital role.

Question	Why it matters
Have we defined the business problem?	Prevents generic briefs and unfocused shortlists.
Have we separated must-have skills from nice-to-have skills?	Avoids unrealistic “unicorn” requirements.
Have we benchmarked salary and benefits?	Reduces late-stage misalignment and candidate drop-off.
Have we clarified the hybrid model?	Helps candidates assess fit early.
Have all decision-makers agreed the scope?	Prevents shifting criteria during the process.
Do we know how we will assess evidence?	Improves shortlist quality and reduces false positives.
Is the process short enough to keep candidates engaged?	Avoids losing strong candidates to faster employers.
Have we considered permanent versus interim options?	Ensures the hiring model matches the need.
Do we need specialist market insight before advertising?	Helps with role scoping, salary positioning and candidate availability.

What is the mid-year message for employers?

The second half of 2026 will reward employers who are precise, realistic and fast.

Precise means understanding what role is actually needed, not simply replacing a title.

Realistic means aligning salary, benefits, flexibility and seniority with the market.

Fast means running a clear process that respects candidates’ time and keeps internal decision-makers aligned.

Ireland’s marketing, PR and communications talent market is still moving. Good candidates are still open to the right opportunities. But they are more selective about the roles they consider, the employers they trust and the processes they stay in.

For employers, the opportunity is clear. A better brief, a stronger offer and a sharper assessment process can make a meaningful difference to shortlist quality and hiring outcomes.

Planning a marketing, PR, communications, public affairs or digital hire for the second half of 2026? We can help you benchmark the role, understand the candidate market and build a stronger shortlist. Contact us today!

FAQs

Is Ireland’s marketing and communications hiring market still candidate-led in 2026?

Not across every role. The market is more selective than the post-pandemic peaks, but strong candidates in specialist, senior, digital and reputation-critical roles still have leverage.

Which roles are hardest to hire in marketing and communications?

The hardest roles are usually those requiring a mix of specialist depth and judgement: senior marketing leaders, digital performance specialists, CRM and automation talent, senior communications advisers, public affairs professionals and corporate affairs leaders.

Should employers publish salary ranges?

Yes. Salary transparency improves candidate confidence and reduces wasted time. Employers that leave salary discussions too late are more likely to face misalignment, drop-off or weaker candidate engagement.

Is hybrid working still important?

Yes. Hybrid working remains a major part of the offer in marketing, PR and communications. Employers can require office presence, but they should be clear about expectations and realistic about how it affects attraction.

How should employers assess AI skills?

Employers should ask how candidates use AI to improve speed, quality, insight or workflow. They should also test whether candidates understand review, disclosure, data control, brand voice and human judgement.

When should an employer use a specialist recruiter?

A specialist recruiter is most useful when the role is senior, confidential, difficult to define, hard to fill, time-sensitive or dependent on market knowledge that internal hiring channels may not have.