Hiring in Digital: Guide and Trends in 2025

Changing expectations for Digital professionals amid smaller budgets and focus on public relations

In 2024, the hiring market for Digital professionals was influenced by shrinking budgets and an increased demand for communications expertise.

“Companies allocated fewer resources to digital spending, relying more heavily on organic growth strategies,” shares Ashish Nawani, Senior Consultant at Robert Walters Indonesia. “This shift required candidates to be more resourceful and strategic with smaller budgets. Additionally, some organisations focused on managing corporate and reputational challenges, leading to an emphasis on strengthening public relations (PR) teams.”

Read on to find out more about Ashish’s expectations for Indonesia’s labour market and hiring trends for Digital professionals in 2025.

Talent retention a top priority for 2025

Ashish notes a reduction in senior-level hiring for digital marketing roles, despite a robust talent pool. Instead, the spotlight has shifted to talent retention.

“As candidate motivations evolve, employers must remain attuned to their employees’ needs to maintain satisfaction and engagement,” he explains.

Employers seek help with digital budgets, media relations

Looking ahead to 2025, the most sought-after roles will include marketing managers, brand managers, and positions within PR and communications.

Candidates with expertise in optimising digital budgets and enhancing media relations are expected to be highly valued in the hiring market.

Provide a clear vision for career growth

Candidates pay a lot of attention to a company’s reputation and culture. They tend to be reluctant to move jobs if the hiring company has a poor reputation, is undergoing layoffs, or expresses support for certain political or social causes they do not support.

Priorities have also shifted. Flexible work arrangements are highly requested, and candidates do not ask for car allowances if the job does not require them to commute. Among various benefits, candidates also generally prefer strong health insurance coverage.

Besides being mindful of what candidates are after today, Ashish also emphasises the importance of providing clarity around career progression. He advises,

Let employees understand how they can advance their careers in the organisation and how important their role will be. This helps them to stay focused on what’s ahead and how they can keep growing.

No significant changes to salaries

In 2025, salaries are anticipated to stay at current rates as there remains a healthy supply of candidates on the market.

Find out more

Request access to our 2025 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in Indonesia.