Cyber security continues to be a critical priority for organisations across every sector. Whether that’s driven by an increasingly complex threat landscape, evolving regulations or growing digital transformation initiatives, it’s hot topic right now.

Every week, our teams are speaking with likes of Security Managers and CISOs through to Architects and Engineers about their priorities, challenges and hiring plans, and those conversations give us a unique insight into how the Cyber Security function is changing and what themes are emerging in cyber security recruitment.

So, we’ve put together this blog, highlighting seven key recruitment trends shaping the Cyber Security market and influencing how organisations are attracting, retaining and developing their security talent in 2026 so you can feel more confident in your own cyber security recruitment plans.

1. Greenfield Security Roles Are on the Rise

One of the most notable trends we’ve seen in cyber security recruitment is the growth of genuinely greenfield roles. Rather than hiring professionals to maintain existing security functions, many organisations are creating entirely new capabilities and bringing in specialists to build them from the ground up.

In some cases, businesses are establishing these functions for the first time. In others, they’re significantly increasing investment in areas that were previously under-resourced.

And this is telling us a lot about organisational priorities right now. Rather than viewing cyber security as a reactive necessity, many businesses appear to be making deliberate investments in long-term security and creating foundations that can support future growth, transformation and innovation.

2. Visibility Has Become a Security Priority

A phrase that continues to resonate across the market is: “You can’t protect what you can’t see.” As technology estates become more complex, we’re seeing visibility emerging as one of the biggest challenges facing security teams today.

Modern organisations operate across multiple cloud platforms, and as those environments expand, maintaining a clear understanding of what technology exists, who is using it and where data is flowing becomes increasingly difficult.

This is influencing recruitment activity, with businesses looking for security professionals who can improve visibility, governance and control across increasingly diverse technology landscapes.

3. AI Governance and Shadow AI Are Creating New Challenges

The rapid adoption of AI is creating a new set of security and governance considerations, and we’re seeing this reflected in hiring priorities across the market.

Organisations are now grappling with Shadow AI, where employees, developers and departments adopt AI tools outside traditional approval and governance processes. While these tools can drive productivity and innovation, they can also introduce significant risks around things like data handling and compliance.

As a result, organisations are increasingly looking for professionals who can help them understand how AI is being used, assess associated risks and implement governance frameworks without hindering innovation.

4. Security Is Moving Earlier in the Technology Lifecycle

We’re seeing a significant shift in how organisations view the role of security in technology delivery. Increasingly, businesses want security involved at the design stage rather than only at the point of final approval.

This is driving demand for Security Architects, Secure by Design specialists and candidates who can influence decisions early in the technology lifecycle.

5. Continued Growth in DevSecOps

We’re also seeing the continued growth of DevSecOps. Organisations are looking to integrate security throughout development and delivery processes rather than identifying issues after deployment.

As a result, security professionals are being asked to work more closely with development and operations teams, helping to build secure practices directly into pipelines, processes and platforms.

6. GRC Is Becoming More Connected to Technology

Governance, Risk and Compliance remains a critical area of cyber security, but we’re seeing a growing expectation for GRC professionals to understand not only policies and frameworks, but also how controls operate in practice.

Organisations increasingly want to know whether controls are genuinely effective, how they’re evidenced and where gaps may exist, so recruitment demand is growing for professionals who can bridge the gap between governance and technology.

7. Business Acumen Is Becoming as Important as Technical Expertise

The expectations placed on senior cyber security professionals are continuing to evolve. While technical expertise remains essential, we’re seeing organisations place greater value on leaders who can translate complex cyber risks into business terms.

The most sought-after professionals right now are often those who can move confidently between technical discussions with engineers and strategic conversations with executive leadership.

What’s the future of cyber security recruitment?

These trends paint a picture of a cyber security function that is becoming more strategic, more integrated and more influential.

The common thread running through all these trends is a move away from reactive cyber security and towards building cyber security into how organisations design, deliver and govern technology from the very beginning.

If you’d like to find out more about cyber security trends, or how you can bolster your own cyber security recruitment, please do get in touch to find out more.

Our dedicated team of technology recruitment consultants are ready and waiting to work closely with you, ensuring that your business receives the right blend of skills and expertise it needs to succeed.

Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging trend, it’s now central to business transformation strategies across the UK. But as demand accelerates, organisations are facing a critical challenge: a shortage of the talent needed to deliver it.

Demand for AI Skills Has Never Been Higher

The market is experiencing unprecedented demand for AI skills, particularly in specialist areas such as generative AI, machine learning engineering and AI architecture.

Demand is being fuelled by widespread adoption across multiple industries, and already most financial services firms are using AI or actively planning to implement it, pushing AI to the forefront of digital transformation agendas.

The result? A surge in hiring demand that far outpaces supply such as:

• +85% growth in demand for Generative AI Engineers
• +63% growth in demand for AI Engineers

Location Still Matters but the Landscape Is Shifting

AI talent in the UK remains heavily concentrated in London, which accounts for over half of the total talent pool.

However, this concentration comes at a cost. Businesses are increasingly competing in an oversaturated market, often overlooking high-growth regional hubs such as Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh.

These regions are experiencing faster growth rates and represent a significant opportunity for organisations looking to:

• Access emerging talent pools
• Reduce hiring costs
• Build more sustainable workforce strategies

How Organisations Are Tackling the AI Skills Gap

The good news is that many businesses are beginning to rethink how they approach AI talent acquisition and moving beyond traditional hiring models. They’re starting to look at:

1. Leveraging Adjacent Skill Sets

Rather than relying solely on scarce AI specialists, organisations are tapping into adjacent talent pools and looking to retrain them to support AI initiatives, particularly in roles like:

• Data Scientists
• Data Engineers
• Software Engineers
• Data Analysts

2. Upskilling and Cross-Skilling Existing Teams

Internal capability building has become a primary strategy. Businesses are investing in upskilling their current workforce to bridge the gap, particularly within data and engineering teams.

This approach not only addresses immediate shortages but also supports long-term resilience.

3. Focusing on High-Growth Skills

Demand is rapidly increasing for specific capabilities that underpin AI delivery, including:

• Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
• Large Language Models (LLMs)
• API development
• Azure SQL

These skills have seen over 50% year-on-year growth, highlighting where organisations should focus their development efforts.

4. Building Stronger Data Foundations

AI success depends on robust data infrastructure, so we’re seeing many organisations redirecting their resources into building and maintaining data platforms, while backfilling data roles to sustain ongoing operations.

Turning a Talent Challenge into a Competitive Advantage

The AI talent shortage isn’t going away anytime soon, but organisations that adapt their approach now can gain a significant edge.

The most successful businesses will be those that:

• Look beyond traditional talent pools
• Invest in internal capability
• Embrace regional hiring strategies
• Align skills development with emerging AI technologies

By doing so, they can not only overcome the immediate talent gap but also create a more agile and future-ready workforce.

Want to explore the full picture?

Download our latest Technology & Digital Insights Report to uncover more trends shaping the market, from hiring strategies to salary benchmarks and the most in-demand skills.

In today’s business landscape, organisations generate and collect vast amounts of data every day. Traditionally, this data was stored and managed on-site in physical servers located within offices. However, as businesses look to increase flexibility, improve scalability and enhance performance, many have recognised that older on-premises environments can limit growth and innovation.

As a result, cloud and data migration remain some of the most common topics of conversation with the organisations we engage with.

While many have already embarked on their migration journey, others are still in the planning stages, often citing cost, technical capability, stakeholder buy-in and legacy system dependencies as key challenges.

This reflects a broader market trend. Organisations are no longer simply moving infrastructure, they’re redesigning how data is stored, governed, accessed and leveraged across their business. Yet many still underestimate the complexity involved in successfully transitioning from on-premises environments to the cloud, leading to challenges such as skills gaps, integration issues, accessibility concerns and unexpected costs.

That’s why we’ve put together this blog, taking our experience when working with clients and what we’re seeing in the market to provide you with our 6 Top Tips for a Successful Cloud Migration. 

Let’s get started!

1 – Start with a Clear Business Outcome

The most effective migrations are driven by business objectives, not just technology change. Whether your goal is cost optimisation, scalability, resilience or even enabling AI and analytics, clarity upfront is critical.

So before beginning any migration, we’d recommend you start by setting clear answers to questions like:

• What problem are we solving?
• What does success look like?
• How will we measure ROI?

2 – Avoid a “Lift and Shift” Mindset

Simply moving legacy systems into the cloud without modernising them runs the risk of transferring any existing inefficiencies into a more expensive environment.

We’d recommend viewing cloud migration as a data transformation, not just a data relocation, so before you get started why not take the opportunity to:

• Reassess your existing architecture
• Remove any technical debt
• Optimise workloads
• Modernise your applications where appropriate

3 – Prioritise Data Governance and Security Early

Security and governance shouldn’t be retrofitted after migrating your data to the cloud. If you want your migration to be as successful as possible, then you should think about embedding security into your migration strategy from day one.

This means looking at strong controls around:

• Access management
• Data classification
• Compliance
• Encryption
• Monitoring

This comes especially important for multi-cloud and hybrid environments.

4 – Understand your Data Landscape

Don’t underestimate how fragmented your data estates might have become over time. Poor visibility at the start of a migration can cause major issues further down the line. So before migrating it’s essential to:

• Identify critical data sources
• Understand dependencies
• Remove duplicate or redundant data
• Improve data quality

5 – Invest in the Right Skills and Capability

Having the right talent in place can often mean the difference between a migration succeeding or stalling. Whilst technology is a critical component of any migration programme, people ultimately determine whether the strategy is successfully delivered.

Across the market, one of the most common challenges we see is organisations underestimating the breadth of skills required for a successful migration. Cloud and data transformation programmes rarely rely on a single individual or team, they require a combination of technical expertise, leadership and stakeholder engagement.

Some of the most in-demand professionals we support clients with include:

• Cloud Architects
• Data Architects
• Data Engineers
• Platform Engineers
• DevOps Engineers
• Cloud Security Specialists
• Programme and Project Managers

The most successful organisations combine these specialist skills with strong internal leadership and effective collaboration between technology and business stakeholders. This ensures that migration programmes remain aligned to business objectives while maintaining technical excellence throughout delivery.

From our experience, organisations that invest in the right capability early in the process are better positioned to manage risk, overcome technical challenges and realise value from their cloud investment more quickly.

6 – Take a Phased Approach

Large-scale migrations rarely succeed as “big bang” programmes. Incremental progress typically delivers better long-term outcomes, which is why we’d suggest having a phased roadmap to allow you to:

• Reduce operational risk
• Learn and adapt during delivery
• Demonstrate early value
• Minimise disruption to the business

Ready for a successful cloud and data migration?

We’re well placed to get you the talent you need, fast. Whether it’s Cloud Architects and Data Analysts, or DevOps and Infrastructure Engineers, Sanderson can ensure you’ve got access to the right specialist cloud and data talent.

So, if you’re about to embark on a cloud and data migration and would like to chat about how to successfully achieve this, please do get in touch.

Any other questions on Cloud Migration? Drop me a message at [email protected]

Now more than ever, businesses across the UK are prioritising cyber security to protect their operations from increasingly sophisticated threats.

And as demand for cyber expertise grows, the conversation is shifting from defence to resilience.

In this blog, we explore the evolving cyber landscape and why upskilling cyber capability is no longer a nice-to-have, but a business-critical requirement.

The 2026 Cyber Threat Landscape

The cyber threat landscape in 2026 can be defined by increasing sophistication and growing risk. Organisations are no longer dealing with isolated threats but instead are faced with the reality of cybersecurity becoming a strategic business issue.

With the pressure to adapt intensifying, the result is a market shaped by three fundamental shifts:

 AI vs AI

It’s no longer just human attackers that organisations need to defend against. Threat actors (that’s any individual or group that intentionally attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in systems) are increasingly leveraging generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for hyper-personalised phishing attempts and automated exploits.

This is forcing many organisations to race to build effective AI enabled Security Operations Centres (SOCs) that can use their own AI to automatically detect, prioritise and respond to cyber threats faster and more accurately than traditional, manual approaches.

Supply Chain Risk Now a Boardroom Issue

Supply chain security is now critical. This is a problem being elevated to a boardroom issue because vulnerabilities in interconnected partner networks can rapidly escalate into major businesses and cause national-level threats, all of which boards need to be on top of to ensure continued confidence in their organisations.

We’re seeing this especially in regions like Bristol, with its strong aerospace, defence and fintech ecosystems becoming increasingly interconnected meaning a vulnerability in any part of the supply chain can quickly escalate.

Regulatory Squeeze

With evolving frameworks like the UK Cyber Security & Resilience Bill, DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) and NIS2 (Network and Information Systems Directive 2), there are now stricter regulatory expectations around cyber risk management, incident reporting and operational resilience than ever before.

These regulations are making cyber security a core business obligation. They place legal accountability on leadership teams to protect not only their own systems but also their supply chains, critical services and stakeholder trust.

Why Upskilling Cyber Security is Now Non-Negotiable

To keep on top of these changing market conditions and to protect business operations from the evolving cyber threat landscape, organisations don’t just need to hire, they need to hire the right talent to build their capability to avoid risks like:

• Cyber insurance barriers: Without strong controls in place (e.g. MFA, internal capability), insurers may refuse cover entirely.
• Deepfake fraud: We’re seeing a surge in AI-driven impersonation attacks exposing gaps in human and technical controls.
• Operational downtime: The impact of ransomware can now mean weeks of disruption, something many SMEs simply cannot afford.

How are Organisations Building their Cyber Capability?

To up the ante on their cyber capability, we’re seeing organisations work to embed cyber-security skills and practices across their workforce by moving from isolated security teams to a more organisation-wide model of resilience. Examples of this are:

Managing Risk

Organisations are adopting Zero Trust models, requiring continuous verification for every access request (e.g. MFA), while also shifting to cloud-native security, where systems are built and run in the cloud. This includes embedding security talent into IT and DevOps teams to ensure systems are secure by design from the outset.

Retention Through Development

Rather than relying solely on hiring, organisations are building internal capability through training and clear career pathways. This upskilling then strengthens their security while also improving retention in a highly competitive talent market.

AI Governance

As AI adoption grows, we’re seeing organisations implementing governance frameworks and training to ensure their models are secure and their data is protected. This expands cyber responsibility beyond IT into a broader, cross-functional risk management effort.

How we Support Organisations Solve these Challenges with Contract Cyber Talent

In today’s world, speed and precision matter when it comes to hiring. That’s where contract expertise can deliver real value to organisations like yours through:

Speed to Market

Unfilled cyber roles leave organisations exposed, particularly during incidents or transformation programmes. We provide rapid access to pre-qualified, security-cleared professionals, significantly reducing time to hire and ensuring critical risks are addressed without delay.

Specialist Expertise

Cyber security increasingly demands niche, hard-to-find skillsets across areas like DevSecOps, cloud security, threat detection and incident response. We connect organisations with proven specialists who can immediately add value, bringing deep expertise that would take months to hire or build internally.

Flexibility

Organisations need to respond quickly to audits, incidents or regulatory change. Our contract talent model allows teams to scale capability up or down as needed, providing agility without the long-term commitment of permanent hires.

We’ve recently helped place roles like:

• Interim & Contract Leaders: CISOs, programme leads and transformation specialists.
• Cyber Transformation Teams: End-to-end project teams to modernise security environments
• Niche Skill Delivery: IAM, SOC Analysts, Cloud Security Architects (AWS/Azure/GCP).
• Governance & Compliance Experts: Supporting organisations through evolving UK and EU regulation.

Could we Help you Upskill your own Cyber Capability?

Cyber threats aren’t slowing down; they’re evolving rapidly and so should your strategy. If your security approach was built for 2024, you may already be behind.

But it’s not too late to change that.

At Sanderson, we combine deep market insight with a strong network across the UK, helping organisations secure the right talent, at the right time, getting them fully prepared for any cyber threat.

So if you’re keen to have a conversation around how you can build resilience through the right cyber capability, please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]

We recently brought together senior HR leaders from a range of industries in Birmingham for a focused discussion on building inclusive workplaces. The conversation centred on three key themes: the role of AI in truly seeing the real candidate, how organisations can maintain a sense of belonging amid growing societal polarisation, and the impact of rapid change on inclusion.

The conversation opened with a critical question: Will AI reduce bias in recruitment or risk amplifying it? And how can employers ensure they’re still seeing the “real” candidate? The group explored a range of perspectives and practical approaches.

HR leaders using AI

When it comes to vetting talent, HR leaders are using AI in very different ways. Larger organisations with thousands of frontline staff are increasingly exploring AI tools like Phenom for the first stage of screening. It helps them deal with higher volumes of candidates quickly and consistently. But as soon as they reach the second stage, or for shared services roles where specific skills or cultural fit really matter, human interaction really needs to come into play.

That said, employers are also experimenting with gamification at this second stage, asking candidates to respond to problem-based scenarios and is an approach one of Sanderson’s larger RPO clients is using. Psychometric testing also continues to play a big role in complementing AI and building a more rounded view of the candidate.

Meanwhile, for organisations hiring fewer people each year, the cost of a bad hire is simply too high. They feel AI can help, but not replace the human conversations needed to understand culture, behaviours and nuance.

That doesn’t mean these teams avoid AI altogether. Tools like Copilot are now everyday helpers for creating the right email tone, shaping interview questions or supporting hiring managers during assessments. One approach taken is to use Copilot to personalise candidate experience by generating challenging, behaviour-based interview questions, designed to distinguish those high performing candidates. Another approach is to use Copilot to transcribe and analyse candidate responses, freeing the hiring manager up to actively listen and build rapport and helping to identify the most authentic and insightful answers.

Candidates using AI

On the other side of the recruitment process, more candidates are using AI to polish their CVs and personal statements. This has led to a huge uptick in applications, often up 500 per role, and yet conversion to the next stage can be low, as there is a clear gap between an AI enhanced application and how a candidate presents in person. This presents a key challenge on hiring manager’s time. Nuance, communication style and attitude certainly come through best in human conversation.

No one felt that candidates should be penalised for using AI. In fact, many viewed it as a positive, being able to leverage AI to save time and communicate clearly is a valuable skill, especially as more organisations integrate these tools into their everyday tasks.

A key takeaway for this topic?  “AI can make us the best version of ourselves”

Across the diverse group of HR leaders in the room, the message was consistent: AI can genuinely enhance recruitment, but only when it works alongside people, not instead of them. Whether you’re a hiring manager or a candidate, the combination of AI’s efficiency and human insight is what leads to the best outcomes.

Maintaining a sense of belonging amid growing societal polarisation

We then turned to the theme of belonging and asked: How can organisations maintain a sense of belonging amid growing societal polarisation?

This topic enabled HR Leaders to reflect on how the workplace can be a mirror to society and the challenges associated with aligning a multi-generational and increasing polarised workforce with common goals and values. Over the last few years, increasing societal polarisation has made it harder for HR teams to determine the right approach to DE&I.

To build deeper understanding across differences, one senior HR leader is using reverse mentoring, pairing apprentices with executive leaders to encourage mutual learning and broaden perspectives.

Another organisation is piloting internal “speed networking” sessions, enabling senior leaders to meet employees from across the business through short, focused conversations aimed at improving connection and understanding.

Inclusive culture through the lens of organisational transformation

Our final topic extended the themes of belonging and inclusive culture through the lens of organisational transformation.

The discussion naturally leant itself toward the challenges of maintaining inclusivity during mergers and acquisitions. Rapid or extensive change can risk undermining inclusion efforts, particularly when integration happens at pace.

When acquiring an organisation larger than your own, a key question emerged: do you retain your culture, adopt theirs, or establish a new shared culture? One HR leader emphasised the importance of grounding decisions in the three pillars of organisational design, organisational change and organisational development, while maintaining clarity on the purpose and intent of the acquisition.

In many cases, pre‑planning is shortened once a deal is completed, making it harder for affected employees to feel included. This highlights the need for deliberate, early planning and transparent communication to support an inclusive transition.

Conclusion

The future of inclusive workplaces depends on how confidently we blend human insight with technology. AI can sharpen decisions and widen perspectives, but real connection still comes from conversations.

At Sanderson, we were left with the feeling that inclusion isn’t a project, it’s a craft. It takes intention and a genuine commitment to creating workplaces where people feel seen and valued. As organisations navigate change, it’s these human centred choices that determine whether people simply work somewhere or truly belong.

Would you like to be part of the Inclusive Workplaces conversation?

We are planning more round tables across the regions, creating relaxed, open spaces for HR leaders to connect, share experiences and learn from one another.

If you’re looking for a supportive place to swap ideas with peers who are navigating similar challenges, and gain fresh perspectives along the way, just drop us an email. We’d be delighted to have you involved.

Cyber-attacks are no longer just an IT concern; they’re a strategic business issue that can impact any organisation.

In fact, recent surveys by The Guardian found that more than 25% of UK businesses have already been hit by a cyber-attack during 2025, and 73% of surveyed business leaders believe a cyber-security incident will disrupt their business in the next 12 to 24 months…!

These sobering statistics are now prompting many businesses to take action. Fast.

With this increased demand for cyber-security professionals a critical talent gap is emerging leaving businesses exposed if not addressed. And that’s where we come in.

How we help build your cyber resilience

The Sanderson Projects team works with you to ensure your organisation is set up to defend itself. And we’re pleased to have helped multiple business improve their capability by:

• Providing niche technical skillsets through our full selection service to reduce client overhead time
• Provide candidates with the right cultural fit thanks to our experienced SMEs
• Shared the financial risk ensuring value beyond delivery

All at a highly competitive price point thanks to not passing on any overheads to clients.

Why cyber resilience should be a priority in your hiring strategy

Safeguarding Critical Data

Businesses now handle vast amounts of sensitive information. Whether it’s customer data, intellectual property, or financial records, a breach can have devastating consequences.

Skilled cyber security teams are vital for:

• Identifying vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them.
• Implementing robust data protection protocols.
• Ensuring compliance with regulations such as the UK GDPR.

Mitigating Financial Risks with AI

The financial impact of cyber-attacks extends beyond immediate recovery costs. Downtime, lost revenue, legal liabilities, and regulatory fines can all add up.

Strengthening Customer Trust

A strong cyber security team isn’t just about defence; it’s a competitive advantage. Consumers are increasingly scrutinising how companies handle their data, and so investing in cyber resilience builds trust and helps protect your brand’s reputation.

Navigating Emerging Threats

The rise of AI-driven cyber-attacks requires a new level of expertise. Cyber security professionals with skills in AI and machine learning can:

• Develop predictive analytics to identify threats before they materialise.
• Create automated defence mechanisms to counter evolving attacks.

Next steps

As cyber threats continue to rise, the question is no longer whether to invest in cyber security teams, but how quickly organisations can scale up their defences.

For businesses aiming to remain competitive, resilient, and trusted in an increasingly digital world, the answer lies in prioritising the recruitment of top-tier cybersecurity talent.

Do you fancy a chat about how we can help get you the skills on board to safeguard your own business against cyber threats?

Get in touch with Victoria King today and let’s get started.

[email protected]

In case you missed it, we recently launched a Spotlight Report focussing in on the world of Product Owners.

And with this role surging in popularity, can we take this to mean there is a growing demand for more Agile skill sets in general?

In this blog we get stuck into why our data is demonstrating a broader openness to Agile methodologies and job functions across the UK, as well as highlighting how Scotland in particular is becoming a hotspot for this talent pool.

Are you ready to take advantage of this surging demand? Let’s find out…

The rising demand for Agile skill sets

We’re now seeing that a lot of these skills are required for Product Owners (which we discussed in this blog), a job function that’s had undeniable growth. To put this into perspective, LinkedIn has reported a 2% nationwide increase in headcount for Product Owners, and as a role it’s now ranking in the Top 5 in VacancySoft’s 2024 Financial Services Review – a 30% year-on-year increase. Plus, Sanderson’s own data has shown that our hiring volume for Product Owners has gone up by a whopping 50%! This is clearly a hot market right now.

But it’s not just product focused roles that are surging. In Scotland (especially in tech hubs like Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen) we have found that Agile roles in general are picking up pace, particularly across the development, software engineering and testing space.

A distinct trend here is also how the candidates themselves are seeing the value of agile skills for their own self-development. We’re talking to candidates who want to be able to move seamlessly into different roles, “hit the ground running” and be an effective conduit between different business units and teams thanks to amassing an arsenal of agile skills.

Which industries are leading the way?

The Banking industry is leading the charge here with a 60% surge in demand for Agile roles like Product Owner, followed closely behind by the Information and Media industry where demand has risen by 52% and a 36% rise in demand in the Insurance sector.

This can be seen as a clear reflection of highly regulated industries showing a significant shift from favouring traditional project management skills and attributes to looking for more agile focused and diverse skill sets as they hope to become more efficient and capable in their future business operations.

Where is this agile talent based?

So, looking across the UK market, are there any hotspots for this Agile talent, and in particular Product Owners?

In a nutshell, yes.

London has a significant chunk boasting 33% of the total talent pool. A huge proportion as this is followed up by Manchester with 5%, then Edinburgh with 4%, Glasgow and Bristol with 3%, and Cardiff having just 2% of the total talent pool.

Changing trends in agile talent location

But while London does have the largest share of this agile talent, is there better hiring opportunity elsewhere in the UK?

We think so!

Other UK hubs, and especially in Scotland, are worth exploring for agile talent thanks to the high competition you’ll face in the capital making hiring extremely costly, not to mention the fight for talent amongst your competitors.

But which hubs in particular?

Data from LinkedIn Talent Insights identifies Northern hotspots such as Edinburgh and Leeds as the strongest opportunity markets for this talent pool.

While London has high demand for agile talent, both Edinburgh and Leeds are currently only experiencing medium to low demand. These cities have also experienced a recent growth in their agile talent populations by at least 4%, whereas our data has shown that growth in London is starting to stagnate. This means lots of candidates for you to choose from and little competition from other companies – good news for businesses wanting to expand their agile capabilities with their pick of the talent!

Combine this with the fact that there’s been an obvious push for growing agile skills across the Scottish digital and tech sectors shown by meet ups like Agile Scotland and Product Tank Edinburgh, we believe that Scotland isn’t just “adopting” agile as a fad, but have fully embraced it for now and the future – a positive sign for hiring for these skills here in 2025 and beyond.

Looking to find out more?

If you’re interested in ramping up the agile skillsets in your team, and want to dive a little deeper into these trends to make sure your offer stands out in the crowd, then why not check out our full Report which is chockers full of market-leading salary data and industry trends. Just fill out the short form below.

If you have any further questions on this topic, want to find out more about agile skillsets and their prevalence in the Scottish market, or are looking for a bit of help in expanding your team then please do get in touch with me on [email protected]

We recently launched our Q1 2025 Technology & Digital Insights Report which delves into the latest trends we’re seeing of businesses shifting their priorities and now looking to invest in more specialist skill sets such as data engineering and cloud technologies.

With the ever-increasing need to keep up with data security requirements, enable scalability and stay on top of emerging methodologies, businesses need people who can work across specialised platforms.

And one of the specialist skills sets we’ve seen emerge, with significant growth across the UK, is Python Engineering.

Why is demand for Python Engineering surging?

As a beginner-friendly language, Python is a popular choice among aspiring developers and is widely taught across academia, meaning there are more candidates with skills in this area entering the talent pool.

Also, its dominance in data analytics and modelling has made Python the backbone of programming libraries for data science, machine learning, and AI. As a result, many AI and machine learning products are now built using Python. This coupled with a strong community of developers and researchers has further contributed to its widespread adoption.

In my opinion, another reason why Python has very quickly become one of the busiest markets is because it really is everywhere. The software isn’t limited to traditional development thanks to its vast libraries.

Why is Python a good option for businesses?

Python is an attractive option for businesses due to its flexibility, ease of learning and cost-effectiveness, offering a free alternative to licensed languages like Java and .NET.

This is particularly the case for start-ups looking to invest in skills without unnecessary added costs.

Also, a bonus for data science and engineering companies is that Python’s prevalence means professionals they hire are likely already well-versed in the language, so they can hit the ground running.

I think Python can also be a good option for businesses because, thanks to it being an open-source platform, it can run on everything and can easily be integrated with other languages and systems your business may already be using.

The popularity of Python

According to our data, we’ve seen an increasing business demand for Python engineering as a skill.  In fact, Python is being featured in 71% of job posts compared to Java Engineers which is now only featuring in 49% of roles.

Also, when it comes to the candidates and talent pool, a recent study by Stack Overflow saw Python listed as the third most popular programming language and the first most popular programming language out of those candidates that are learning to code. A clear indicator that Python is set to continue in popularity as different generations enter the talent pool.

Python Developer profiles

If you’d like to dive a little deeper into the role of Python Engineers and get data into experience and gender breakdowns as well as talent pool location data, you can get it all at your fingertips by downloading our latest Technology & Digital Insights Report for Q1 2025.

This report is also jam packed with data on the latest trends across the whole Technology & Digital recruitment market, including the latest stats to see how your salaries are stacking up.

See how your salaries are comparing to others in your region and set your business up for success by downloading the full report today.

Have any more questions?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me on [email protected]

We’re pleased to present Sanderson’s brand-new Technology & Digital Insights Report for Q1 2025.

With signs of growth on the horizon we get stuck into latest trends so you can get ahead of the curve and win the best talent in what’s shaping up to be a competitive market place.

Have you noticed the shift in businesses looking to invest in specialist skill sets?

According to our data the demand for Data Engineering roles specialising in Cloud Technologies like Azure is surging as many companies integrate big data, AI and machine learning into their operations.

But if you want to keep up with data security requirements, enable scalability and stay on top of emerging methodologies, you’ll need people who can work across multiple platforms with a focus on:

⚠️Python
⚠️JavaScript
⚠️Node
⚠️Typescript Languages

With these trends set to continue through 2025, you’ll want to download the full report via the link below to ensure your Tech, Data and Cyber salaries are stacking up against others in your region and set your business up for success.

Sanderson have recently been featured in the Financial Times following new research suggesting that half of UK businesses plan to prioritise investment in artificial intelligence (AI) over hiring staff due to the decision of chancellor Rachel Reeves’ to increase employers’ tax bills.

Commentators have suggested that many companies are beginning to see more of the potential that AI can offer them in terms of productivity, and a recent poll from BCG has even revealed that 44% of responders from the 251 UK businesses surveyed are investing in AI as a priority this year.

Staff with AI skills

This rise in the use of AI has led companies to look for staff with skills related to this technology.

Our data has suggested that demand for AI engineers in the UK jumped in the first half of 2024, despite lay-offs in the wider tech sector over the preceding 18 months.

James Corcoran, head of recruitment in our Government and Defence practice went on to say “AI will replace some jobs, support some jobs and generate some jobs, it will balance itself out.”

To read the full article in the Financial Times, please click here.

If you would like to access more data around the emergence of AI related skillsets, you can download our Tech & Digital Insights Report here.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you would like to discuss the use of AI in your business, or are interested in hiring staff with skills in this area of technology.