Hiring in Sales & Marketing (Retail & Digital): Guide and Trends in 2025

There were fewer job opportunities in digital sectors in 2024 as companies put jobs on hold and instituted hiring freezes – a stark contrast to the retail sector where hiring was active and competitive.

“Hiring has slowed down among startups, and e-commerce and tech companies. Many have stabilised after a period of high growth, and they spent most of the year focused on maintaining a lean workforce, with more jobs opening again only in the final quarter,” explains Koonlarat Jarernsup, Manager at Robert Walters Thailand.

Demand for digital talent came mostly from traditional Thai companies that made investments into growing their own marketing, e-commerce and customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities. Across the market, digital candidates were most concerned about job security.

Retail sectors contributed significantly to hiring volumes for various positions, digital or otherwise. Businesses fought fiercely for top, “plug and play” talent who were experienced and could hit the ground running fast, with a secondary preference for promising candidates they hired based on potential.

Competition was particularly stiff among luxury sectors, which could only tap into a limited pool of talent with niche skills. Many businesses needed support as they expanded stores and presented new retail formats, but found that they could only call out to the same set of candidates they might have considered before. As such, there was an increased focus on upskilling and reskilling, as well as expanding the talent pool by relocating talent from elsewhere. Koonlarat also observed a rise in critical, strategic positions at the senior or country-level which entailed great discretion in the hiring process.

Similarly, real estate businesses also required niche skill sets, and the hiring market was active as industry players expanded beyond Bangkok to seize on opportunities across Thailand and other countries. New joint ventures and investments going into the industry created fresh demand for roles in business development and corporate strategy.

The food retail industry also grew following investments from Chinese companies, while the hiring market was also competitive in sports retail. In both spaces, businesses focused on hiring directors with similar experience in related products.

Within education, more international brands entered the Thai market, establishing positions in new schools. Hiring teams were more open to candidates from other sectors, basing their selection on the candidate’s potential while still offering competitive compensation and benefits.

Lastly, Koonlarat points out the high levels of candidate movement in the beauty industry as a sign of competition within the space. Candidates entered negotiations with high salary expectations, and businesses were even open to profiles from adjacent industries like FMCG and fashion. Contracts usually included non-compete clauses, and businesses also invested more into learning and development to retain their hard-won talent.

Read on to find out more about Koonlarat’s expectations of the labour market and hiring trends for Thailand’s Sales & Marketing professionals in 2025, specifically within the retail and digital sectors.

Filling key positions in different ways

Given market competition and how limited some talent pools are, Koonlarat believes that companies will approach hiring with a skills-based approach, as well as maintaining a preference for experienced, “plug and play” candidates. To avoid keeping some positions open for too long, they will take candidates’ skills and capabilities into consideration, instead of focusing only on candidates with direct experience in the same industry.

Succession planning is also a key focus area, and many companies are still finding candidates to fill critical positions for the long run. In 2025, they will likely hire talent on short-term, interim contracts to cover key director-level positions until their search is successful.

There will also be an increase in “boomerang” candidates who return to their previous organisations following tenures elsewhere. Specifically, companies will look to hire candidates that previously worked with them for two or more years.

The market will also seek out professionals who are data-driven.

Top skills and positions in 2025

Sales will be a big focus point for the retail sector, which will place a stronger emphasis on meeting targets – even for marketing positions. As more retail businesses keep up with their expansion plans, they will look to hire talent from direct competitors where possible as it is believed that these candidates can onboard quickly and get right down to work. In the same vein, change management skills are also highly valuable.

Roles that will see high demand in retail are store managers, boutique managers, retail managers, restaurant managers, retail general managers, F&B and heads of admission and marketing.

Within digital, hiring demand is anticipated to come mostly from e-commerce firms and Thai companies building their own capabilities. As such, e-commerce expertise is highly prized, as are stakeholder management skills as candidates are expected to take on regional roles. Sales-driven, commercially minded talent also have a strong advantage.

The top roles in digital are expected to be e-commerce managers, heads of e-commerce, CRM managers, digital marketing managers and heads of digital.

Candidates want autonomy to make decisions

In retail, senior-level candidates had a wider breadth of considerations when contemplating a job move, weighing the responsibilities of a role more heavily than the benefits available. Meanwhile, mid-level candidates and those looking for permanent positions after a period of unemployment or contract stints were more realistic about the increment they could expect.

Yet across all levels, Koonlarat finds that retail candidates are interested in whether a role offers both passion and purpose, allowing them to deliver impact on the issues they care most about. They also seek to develop and hone their managerial skills.

Digital candidates, on the other hand, now take a more conservative approach to job moves, prioritising stability, cultural fit and roles that encourage proactive action. Flexible and remote work arrangements are also especially important.

“My advice to employers aiming to attract and retain talent in the coming year is to structure roles with a focus on authority,” says Koonlarat. “Empower your employees to make decisions; candidates today are looking for roles that offer real autonomy in decision-making.”

She also recommends offering competitive compensation and benefits, as well as providing clear career progression pathways – including internal rotations – to keep existing and prospective employees motivated and fulfilled.

Salaries hover near market rate

In 2025, increments are expected to fall between average market rates of 20 – 30% for candidates in the retail sector. Meanwhile, candidates applying for digital roles may see higher increments of 25 – 35%.

Find out more

Request access to our 2025 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in the Sales & Marketing (Retail & Digital) sector in Thailand.