What are the hiring trends in publishing right now? Jack Farrell and Fiona Foley share their thoughts

Jack Farrell

Go on, admit it, we all look at the job ads page on the ALPSP LinkedIn group and website and wonder if our dream job is there (of course, I already have my dream job at ALPSP...). But have you noticed how the titles, roles and responsibilities have changed over the past few years? Does it make you wonder if you can keep up with the changing skills?

For those hiring, how do you balance the need for traditional 'core' publishing skills and those related to new emergent areas? Who should you look for? Can you find the mix within the existing talent pool or do you need to look further afield? It's a recruitment nightmare in the making...

Jack Farrell and Fiona Foley work for Jack Farrell Associates, a talent recruitment firm working in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. We asked them what the most common post is that they are asked to recruit for at the moment. "It's typically a sales position... National Sales Manager or Regional Sales Manager." says Jack. Proof perhaps that everything hasn't migrated online and removed the need for human intervention.

Picking up on the impact of technology on jobs and skills, Jack says "The migration to digital is now reflected in job titles such that Editors are now 'Content Development Experts' and Project Managers are now 'Solution Architects'." Why do they think that is? "Digital delivery of content has erased the need for people to be organized by silo or delivery mechanisms (e.g. book, CD, journal)." Jack explains. "Titles are reflecting the need for talent to be "delivery agnostic." Fiona adds.

Fiona Foley

When asked about whether there have been changes to where they find talent, it's a clear "no" from Jack. "We rely on our proprietary database which continues to grow each day. We'll use various online resource to build out this database, but most of the contacts in it are those with whom we have a relationship. I don't see that ever changing." There's value in having a strong professional network for either recruiting or job-seeking then.

When asked about the emergent skills on the horizon, Fiona mentions "open access and digital delivery" perhaps unsurprisingly. Jack neatly brings the interview full circle: "Consultative selling and consortia selling are going to be really important now and in the future as well!"


Jack Farrell is Managing Director and Fiona Foley is Director for UK, Europe, Asia and Latin America at Jack Farrell Associates. They are taking part in the ALPSP webinar Hiring Trends in Publishing: Finding and keeping the right talent for your organization. along with Sarah Tegen, Vice President for Global Editorial & Author Services, American Chemical Society. Further information and booking online now.