Future Skills: What Organisations Will Be Hiring for in 2026

As we enter 2026, the pace of change in publishing shows no signs of slowing. Organisations are under pressure to innovate, adapt, and stay ahead and that means hiring for skills that didn’t even exist a few years ago. At Inspired, we’ve been tracking the trends shaping recruitment, and we’ve identified some of the competencies that will be most in demand this year. Whether you’re a leader planning your next strategic hire or a professional looking to futureproof your career, these insights will help you stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

1. AI fluency across functions: Employers are seeking workplace AI proficiency; practical AI literacy now matters in marketing, content, operations and beyond.
2. A Product Manager mindset: bringing together analysis, insights, and user experience. Evidence‑based decision making remains essential, paired with a strong focus on customer/learner experience (UX and service design) to turn data‑driven insights into meaningful outcomes.
3. Content design & modern creation workflows: Organisations value creators who can plan, produce, and repurpose multimedia content with contemporary toolsets (e.g., Canva/Adobe Express) while applying AI safely to accelerate output and quality.
4. Learning design / instructional design: This is more specific to our education and professional clients where we’re seeing EdTech and professional learning businesses’ demand continue for roles that blend pedagogy, digital platforms, and analytics to improve outcomes.
5. Go‑to‑market & growth: Growth marketing, performance analytics, and international sales skills are prized as organisations pursue global audiences and ROI under tighter budgets.
6. Influence, stakeholder engagement & cross‑functional leadership: The ability to influence across the business, align stakeholders, and drive change is a real differentiator.
7. Change capability: agility, adaptability & tolerance for ambiguity: With circa 39% of core skills expected to change by 2030 (World Economic Forum, 2025), agility and comfort with ambiguity are essential for navigating shifting priorities.
8. Human skills at the centre: EQ & CQ: Emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence (CQ) underpin effective collaboration, cross‑cultural teamwork, and leadership in global contexts.
9. A global mindset: As organisations scale internationally, they need people who can think beyond local markets, adapt to diverse cultures, and design strategies that work across regions.

Ready to Futureproof Your Career or Organisation?

Explore more insights in the Inspired Library, and if you’re hiring or mapping your next move, get in touch with our team today, we’ll help you build the AI‑ready, data‑literate, human‑centred capabilities that win in 2026.