The market has more confidence than it did a year ago, but hiring has not got easier. Businesses are recruiting and good people are available, but the bar has moved. SEEK job ads are 9.7% higher than a year ago, and applications per ad are rising too, so competition for every role is stiffer (SEEK). Here is what our Sales, Marketing & Digital team is seeing on the ground.
1. Commercial capability is the baseline
"Commercial" has been the word of 2026, with "strategic" close behind. Clients want people who prioritise hard, move at pace and prove what is working. Saying you managed an account or ran a campaign is no longer enough. Did the account grow? Did margin improve? Did the campaign deliver its return?
It also means understanding the wider business. In small and medium-sized businesses especially, the strongest people work well with Finance, Category, Supply Chain and Operations, and know how their role drives results.
2. Hiring is slower because it is more selective
Roles take longer to approve and processes are more thorough. Clients want people who meet the brief end to end: capability, stakeholder credibility, leadership style and the ability to land change. High application volumes do not change that. The best candidates are often not the ones applying, so strong shortlists still take proactive search.
3. The talent pool is deep but cautious
Restructures have created a strong pool of mid-to-senior talent, and we are often shortlisting "unemployed stars". Do not over-judge tenure or gaps in this market; context matters. At the same time, many people in secure roles are "job hugging" and will only move for a genuinely compelling picture.
There is also a mismatch. Much of the hiring sits at junior-to-mid level, while much of the available talent is more senior. Employers want someone who ticks every box, but the pool is finite. Still tight: top-tier business development and sales, performance marketing, martech, product, and growth.
4. Digital roles are crossing boundaries
A content marketer who understands customer data. A product designer who works with commercial teams. These combinations now appear regularly in New Zealand job ads, as marketing, product, data and technology are asked to solve the same customer problems together. Lifecycle, CRM and product roles now span onboarding, ecommerce, loyalty, retention, UX and CX.
AI is part of this, but far from universal. SEEK found AI skills referenced in 9.8% of Marketing & Communications ads in August, against 4.0% of all New Zealand ads (SEEK). An AI mention shows what an employer wrote, not whether the role genuinely needs it, and "experience with AI" is too vague to assess fairly.
The risk is in the brief. Collaboration works when specialists bring different strengths to a shared goal. It fails when one person is expected to be the entire digital team.
5. Candidates are choosing on the full picture
Salary matters, and few people will leave a secure role for the same money. But the best candidates also weigh the leader and team, whether they believe in the product, and whether the scope is clear, with realistic measures, decision rights and resourcing. Culture can make or break an offer. At least one day a week working from home is now a baseline. Candidates accept pressure and pace in a business going through change, but at any sign of a toxic or "computer says no" culture, they are gone.
What this means for employers
Describe the work, not a wish list.
Decide which skills are needed on day one and which the team can cover.
Consider the seven-out-of-ten candidate.
The right attitude can close gaps faster than you can find a perfect match.
Make interviews relevant.
A genuine conversation first, then a practical case study, beats a pressure test.
Sell the full picture, and be realistic on pay.
Clear scope, strong leadership, flexibility and a fair offer are what move strong employed candidates.
What this means for candidates
Apply with intent.
Target roles where you can clearly show why you are the right fit.
Lead with results.
Show the problem, what you changed and the outcome. A job title alone can undersell you.
Prepare your examples.
Match each point on the job description to a short, specific example that ends with a tangible result.
Be specific about AI.
Say what you used it for and what changed.
Finding your people
There is frustration on both sides of the table, but confidence is returning and there are excellent people in the market. At Tribe, we spend our time on the human part: listening properly, giving real market context and matching the right people to the right roles, with technology handling the admin. It still comes down to 50% skill set and 50% fit.
Hiring in sales, marketing or digital, or thinking about a move? Talk to Suzie Gates and the Tribe Recruit Sales, Marketing & Digital team for a straight view of how your role or your background will land in today's market. Placing great candidates in great companies, they are the leaders in Sales, Marketing and Digital roles in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and throughout New Zealand.
Sources
SEEK NZ Employment Report, August 2026 Published 17 September 2026: national job ad growth, applications per ad, Hospitality & Tourism growth, and AI skills in job ads.