The Future of Skills and
Hiring in the age of AI 

A leadership benchmarking report from The Industry Club & Spark AI

Skills • Training • Hiring • Capability

63% of agency leaders feel confident they're ready for AI.

But 37% admit they're still using it sporadically, with no formal strategy. That confidence–capability gap is already changing how UK creative agencies train, hire and build teams for 2026 and beyond.

This report reveals how agency leaders are tackling that gap — from training investment to hiring priorities to capability building. It’s the first partnership of its kind between The Industry Club (skills & hiring) and Spark AI (AI specialist consultancy), giving a complete picture of how AI is transforming agency talent.

INSIDE THE REPORT

✓ Why the confidence–capability gap exists — and how to close it

✓ Eight strategic priorities for moving from experimentation to optimisation

✓ The Spark AI Maturity Model™ to benchmark where your agency sits

✓ How leaders are building capability through training, partnerships and hiring

✓ Panel insights from senior creative-agency leaders

✓ What’s changing in 2026 — from efficiency to growth

Actionable insight • Training + hiring strategies

FEATURING INSIGHTS FROM

Robin Garton (Sky Creative) | Natalie Winford (Jellyfish) |

Laura Jackson (Not Actual Size) | Adrienn Major  (POD LDN) | Stu Tallis (Taxi Studio)

“Having a plan — even a light one — suddenly made it feel manageable. People knew what was expected and what was okay to try.”

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Talent Specialists    |   AI Specialists

Together: the complete view of how AI is transforming creative-agency talent.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT

Get the full analysis, benchmarks and strategic recommendations for the future of agency talent.

Free 40-page PDF  •  Instant access  •  No credit card required