If 2025 has proven anything, it is that the evolution of the tech landscape is accelerating at a pace businesses can no longer afford to ignore. AI, automation and data-driven tools continue to transform industries. As a result, the skills employers seek and the strategies they use to attract them are shifting rapidly.
As Commercial Managing Director of Crunch Media, I have spent much of this year working closely with organisations navigating these changes. Attending Birmingham Tech Week brought many of these conversations into sharp focus, particularly around the future of digital capabilities and what they mean for talent.
All of this raises an unavoidable question for employers: What will recruitment really look like in 2026, and how can businesses prepare now to stay competitive?
The Tech Week Takeaway
Birmingham Tech Week made one thing unmistakably clear. The conversation about tech is no longer confined to traditional tech companies. Digital skills are becoming fundamental across every sector. We saw this first-hand while sponsoring the Digital Skills agenda at the event.
Organisations in finance, logistics, healthcare, retail and media are facing the same challenge. Digital competence is becoming a basic requirement, not a specialist one. Yet the supply of talent with these skills is struggling to keep pace. Research from the University of Birmingham suggests the UK could face economic losses of more than £27 billion by 2030 due to digital skills shortages, which is equivalent to 380,000 full-time jobs at risk.
Another major theme was the pace of AI-driven change. Job roles are evolving faster than job descriptions, and this is especially visible in graduate pathways. Entry-level roles that once relied on manual tasks are now being reshaped by automation, prompting employers to prioritise adaptability, learning ability and digital confidence over traditional experience.
These insights reflect what we see daily across our client portfolios. Digital transformation is no longer a project. It is the environment companies operate in.
The Rise of the Digitally Fluent Workforce
Digital skills are expanding far beyond coding or engineering. The workforce of 2026 will require fluency in areas that touch almost every modern role.
These include:
• Awareness of AI and how automation enhances or reshapes tasks
• Data literacy and the ability to interpret insights rather than simply collect information
• Digital communication skills that support hybrid teams and virtual collaboration
• Agility and continuous learning, which are essential in an environment where new tools emerge every month
This shift affects both sides of the recruitment equation. Employers must rethink how they attract talent, especially for roles that are traditionally difficult to fill. At the same time, candidates are re-evaluating their own readiness, placing greater emphasis on development and digital confidence.
The good news is that recruitment is becoming increasingly data driven. Targeted digital campaigns allow employers to reach people with the right behaviours and motivations far earlier in the process. This precision helps businesses secure stronger cultural fit and better long-term talent outcomes.
Supporting this trend, the UK’s 2025 Cyber Security Labour Market Report found that 65% of cyber firms expect the need for AI-related skills to grow, yet only 42% have provided AI training to their staff. This demonstrates the scale of the upcoming skills challenge and the opportunity for employers who act now.
The New Recruitment Reality
Recruitment in 2026 will look noticeably different from the recruitment many organisations are used to.
We are entering a digital-first hiring landscape where transferable skills matter more than traditional experience. In a world shaped by rapid tech evolution, recruiting solely on historical experience limits potential and restricts talent pools.
I reckon several shifts will define the new landscape:
Recruiting for skills over history
Transferable skills such as problem-solving, adaptability and digital confidence will outweigh narrow experience thresholds. This ensures talent searches are optimised and aligned with future business needs.
Precision targeting
Employers will increasingly use data and digital media to connect with niche audiences who are most aligned to their brand, values and future skill requirements.
Employer brand storytelling
Candidates want more than a role. They want to understand a company’s purpose, its culture and how their work will contribute to long-term goals. Communicating this effectively online is fast becoming a core competitive advantage.
Diversity through digital
Digital attraction strengthens diversity by opening access to wider and more inclusive talent pools. Intelligent targeting and multichannel outreach create fairer hiring ecosystems and improved organisational performance.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we move into 2026, one thing is becoming clear. The businesses that will lead are the ones that understand how to attract digital-first talent with precision and creativity. Digital skills are no longer optional. They are becoming a universal requirement across roles, sectors and seniority levels, and this shift places shared responsibility on both sides of the employer–candidate relationship.
Employers cannot rely solely on the market to deliver ready-made digital talent. The organisations that perform best will be those that invest in developing their people and strengthening digital confidence from within. Upskilling, cross-skilling and continuous learning will become central to long-term talent strategy, complementing smarter attraction efforts.
At Crunch Media, we look forward to helping businesses build that advantage and shape the next chapter of recruitment.
