Optimism is back and so is hiring in H2

Across every event, call, placement and late train home, the tone of the market is shifting. There’s a collective exhale happening, not because the challenges have gone, but because the plans are getting clearer.

At MAD//Fest, where DNA was proud to be a Preferred Talent Partner, there was a clear sense of optimism throughout Truman Brewery. The conversations weren’t about holding back or waiting for things to settle. They were future-focused, team-focused, action-focused.

People are ready to move again. Hiring is picking up.

THE FEELING ON THE GROUND

There’s something different about MAD//Fest. Partly the scale, partly the speaker list, but mostly it’s the crowd. You’ve got in-house brand leaders walking shoulder to shoulder with agency founders, tech players, and challenger consultancies.

And what stood out this year was the clarity.

We heard it again and again: “We’ve restructured. We’ve refocused. Now we need the right people around the table.”

Teams are leaning into capability-building. That means bringing in specialists who can deliver, whether that’s on strategy, digital, data, or commercial growth. There’s also a shift away from short-term fixes. Projects still need to move fast, but talent decisions are being made with longer runways in mind.

CONFIDENCE IS CREEPING BACK IN

After a couple of years of “wait and see”, leaders are finally saying, ‘Enough!’. H1 gave everyone a hard reset. Budgets tightened, roles were paused, and even the boldest businesses had to get a bit more cautious.

But H2 is looking different.

Pipeline is picking up across agencies. Brands are re-committing to big ideas. And while no one’s throwing money at the problem, they are starting to unlock hiring plans again, especially in the independent space, where agility can trump red tape.

This isn’t a boom. But it is a bounce.

And for recruiters, candidates, and hiring managers alike, it means momentum.

WHAT TALENT WANTS AND WHAT'S CHANGED

2025’s workforce isn’t the same as 2022’s. The priorities have changed. We’re seeing candidates asking better questions, pushing for clearer development routes, and stepping away from businesses that can’t offer flexibility, or progression.

From our latest Salary & Trends Guide, 95% of professionals now value career development over pay rises. That stat alone is changing how we build shortlists.

Contract work is also on the rise. Not just because of budget concerns, but because more talent wants portfolio-style careers. Companies that know how to manage and support freelancers well will continue to attract the best.

It’s also worth saying: retention is harder than ever. Almost half of the workforce is actively looking. If your EVP hasn’t moved with the times, your high performers are already in someone else’s inbox.

HIRING IS BACK, BUT ONLY IF IT'S INTENTIONAL

You can’t expect the best people to queue up for average offers anymore. If the brief’s vague, the salary’s flat, or the culture is a mystery, you won’t get far.

So, the strongest businesses we work with are doing three things well:

• They’re tightening their briefs
  Job specs that used to be 70% “we’ll know it when we see it” are now sharper. There's more detail around deliverables, internal dynamics, and leadership expectations, all of which helps attract the right people quicker.
• They’re hiring for growth, not backfill
  Even when someone’s leaving, the conversation is: what do we need next, not what did we have before? That small switch makes a big difference in how attractive a role becomes.
• They’re putting hiring partners in the loop earlier
  Rather than briefing us at the point of panic, we’re seeing more leaders bring us in at roadmap stage. That gives us room to shape the brief, benchmark properly, and have the right conversations with the right candidates, before someone else does.

SO, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM H2?

We think it’s going to be decisive.

The mood has shifted, the market’s moving, and talent is up for the challenge, but only if businesses are ready to meet them halfway.

That means:

• Saying goodbye to endless interview rounds
• Being upfront about salary and flexibility
• Giving candidates a reason to care

If you’ve got briefs on hold, now’s the time to dust them off. And if you’re thinking ahead to Q4, bring the hiring conversation forward.

We’re here to help with all of it, whether it’s permanent, contract, or something in between. Because while 2025 hasn’t been plain sailing so far, the second half is already feeling steadier. And if MAD//Fest is anything to go by, we’re not the only ones who think so.