Hiring in Sales & Marketing (Retail & Digital): Retail, e-commerce, and Thai firms set to boost hiring in 2026

Selectivity defined the hiring market in 2025, as businesses focused on finding the right fit that could support the drive towards profitability, improved customer experience and more data-driven retail and digital strategies.

“Natural disasters such as earthquakes forced retail businesses to pause hiring and operations for a while. Many also waited in anticipation of how they would be affected by government and regulatory shifts, and that slowed down hiring and approval cycles even further,” relates Koonlarat Jarernsup, Senior Manager at Robert Walters Thailand.

More broadly, Thailand’s economic slowdown also put pressure on the mid-market retail sector. However, the luxury retail and destination-driven F&B segments saw continued support from local consumers, resulting in steady hiring demand.

Read on to find out more about the labour market and hiring trends for Thailand’s Sales & Marketing professionals in 2026, specifically within the digital and retail sectors.

Filling key positions in different ways

In the coming year, Koonlarat anticipates that companies will try out new approaches to secure the talent they need.

Already, businesses are putting more weight on skills over brand pedigree when reviewing candidates – a trend that’s expected to gain more traction in the near future. With skills-based hiring, hiring teams will prioritise candidates with the skills needed to perform well for the job, even if they lack formal credentials, qualifications or experience.

The year ahead will also see more experimentation with hiring models. Each organisation will strive to find the right blend between project-based, contract and permanent roles as is appropriate for fast-changing business needs.

There will also be an increase in hybrid commercial and AI integration roles.

Top skills and positions in demand

Some of the most important digital positions that companies will seek to fill are heads of growth, e-commerce managers and social media managers. There will be an emphasis on expertise in TikTok for social media roles.

In retail, positions that will see high demand include heads of commercial, heads of retail excellence, general managers, country managers and store managers. Professionals who can assume these roles are in high demand as companies seek support for revenue optimisation, online-offline integration and customer engagement innovation.

Across the board, the most valuable soft skills are agility, creativity, communication, stakeholder management, and a commercial and data-driven mindset. These qualities demonstrate a candidate’s ability to keep up with change, drive differentiation in crowded markets, collaborate across functions and connect insights to impact revenue.

Complement AI to stay relevant

Within both retail and digital sectors, Koonlarat sees companies applying AI most to simpler tasks in performance marketing, copywriting, administrative work and entry-level marketing roles. Professionals in these functions now need to work to showcase strategic thinking, creative and data interpretation skills.

Meanwhile, other professionals are advised to focus on enhancing their soft skills. "Work on skills like storytelling, leadership and adaptability, as these complement AI instead of competing against it," explains Koonlarat.

Candidates want autonomy to make decisions

Motivations have changed for industry professionals, who are now more realistic and cautious. Before committing to a job move, they seek clarity in job scopes, key performance indicators and profit and loss responsibility. Instead of pushing for aggressive pay jumps, candidates crave long-term job security, and as such are increasingly choosing to join larger, more stable organisations.

Koonlarat comments,

Most candidates are passively open, and not actively searching for new jobs. Proactive headhunting is crucial for employers looking to find top talent. 

When hiring for digital talent, Koonlarat recommends appealing to them by offering hybrid or remote work arrangements and highlighting outcome-based roles. A swift, decisive recruitment process is also key as these candidates appreciate speed and efficiency. For retention, it’s essential that companies ensure continued skill development by investing in innovative tools and digital learning.

Retail candidates, on the other hand, respond well to growth-oriented roles and strong employer branding. Clarity is important for winning them over, so employers should be transparent from the first contact in interviews all through to discussing job responsibilities with existing employees. On top of upskilling, performance-based rewards also keep these professionals engaged and motivated.

Moderate, steady rise in salaries

In 2026, salaries are expected to increase, though at more modest rates than before. Candidates may previously have expected 30% increments, but most employers now cap offers at around 20%.

Find out more

Request access to our 2026 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in the Sales & Marketing industry in Thailand.