51% of marketing hiring managers value demonstrated skills over career history and educationYet only 56% have formalised skills-based hiring into practice, below the 66% national average – revealing conviction is running ahead of adoptionNine in ten marketing professionals use AI in job applications (90%), raising the premium on proven ability30 June 2026, London: New research from Michael Page's Talent Trends 2026 report reveals that more than half (51%) of marketing hiring managers value demonstrated skills over a candidate's career history and education – well above the 33% national average.Yet only 56% of marketing organisations currently operate skills-based hiring practices – below the 66% national average. The data points to a sector that broadly believes in the value of skills-led assessment but has yet to embed it consistently across hiring processes. For many organisations, knowing where to start, and how to build the right processes, remains the challenge.The skills that matter, and the candidates who want to be seen for themThe report reveals the capabilities marketing hiring managers value most: communication (32%), interpersonal skills (30%), and analytical thinking (28%) top the list. Skills-based hiring is an approach that surfaces these in-demand skills in action, giving employers a clearer view of what a candidate can do than qualifications or career history alone.Employers are already seeing the value in this approach. All marketing hiring managers surveyed (100%) report benefits to hiring with a skills-focused lens, most commonly citing clearer criteria for comparing candidates (49%) and easier matching to current and future skill needs (38%).Candidates are on board too. 65% of marketing professionals say they are more likely to apply to an employer that hires on the basis of skills rather than education or career history – above the 58% national average.With appetite on both sides, there's a clear opportunity for marketing employers to formalise skills-based hiring and close the gap between intent and implementation.AI is raising the stakes on hiringThe pressure to look beyond CVs has never been higher, driven by the rise of AI. Marketing has one of the highest rates of AI adoption amongst job seekers in surveyed sectors: 90% of marketing applicants now use AI tools when applying for roles, ahead of the national average of 67%.As AI tools make it increasingly easy to create polished, well-structured applications, the CV alone is becoming a less effective way to differentiate candidates. In a market increasingly populated by AI-assisted applications, the ability to demonstrate real skills and experience has never been more important.James Nally, Director, Marketing and Digital Practice at Michael Page, says:"Marketing is a sector where the pace of change – from the rise of AI to the constant evolution of channels and tools – has raised the bar on what great talent actually looks like. Traditional hiring criteria, built around career history and credentials, are no longer keeping pace with a function that reinvents itself year on year.“We're at a real inflection point in how marketing talent is assessed. Businesses and candidates both see the value in skills-based hiring, but there's a gap between belief and practice – and that gap isn't a contradiction, it's an opportunity. The businesses that move to formalise skills-based hiring now will attract stronger candidates and make more confident decisions. For those still working out how, the right recruitment partner can help turn that shared ambition into action."To explore more insights from Michael Page's 2026 Talent Trends report, click here.-Ends- About Michael PageMichael Page is one of the world's best-known and most respected recruitment consultancies. We put people into jobs and build careers. We are customer-led, people-powered and insight driven. With operations in 36 countries, Michael Page provides recruitment services and career opportunities at a local, regional, and global level.MethodologyAll figures, unless otherwise stated, are from an online survey conducted by Michael Page and UNLIMITED (now part of Accenture Song).Talent Trends 2026 is a 20-minute, quantitative online survey, conducted by UNLIMITED on behalf of Michael Page between 5th November 2025 and 17th December 2025.A total of 59,820 surveys were completed with candidates of which 9,217 were also clients. This includes 47,727 through Michael Page's database, and a further 12,093 via a research panel partner.Data has been weighted by country to the known proportion of each country based on Michael Page's database.
