Everywhere you look, the narrative is the same: AI is coming for our jobs. Automated tools, smart algorithms, and generative AI are supposedly streamlining workflows so efficiently that human teams should be shrinking.
Yet, looking at things from the operations and recruitment side, it's a completely different story. We are still deeply struggling to find the right people.
At XEN, the last couple of years have been a real test for our recruitment efforts. I’m heavily involved in our hiring processes, from screening technical talent to interviews - and for a long time, we just couldn't seem to find the right fit. Fortunately, things have improved. We adjusted our rhythm and brought fantastic new creatives onto the design team this year.
But while the design side is looking up, there is one role we are constantly on the lookout for: a HubSpot Specialist/Strategist.
Because we are an agency managing a diverse portfolio of clients, this is a position we keep permanently open. We have the capacity to hire multiple people for this role to help support our workload. Yet, over the last couple of years, we’ve only been able to track down and interview a tiny handful of candidates. For an ongoing talent search, that number is mind-boggling.
Reflecting on those interviews, the mismatch became clear very quickly:
The trickiest trend we noticed was candidates claiming to possess "advanced" HubSpot skills, only for us to discover during the interview that their knowledge was fairly basic.
To put it into perspective, our Account Managers (AMs) are incredibly well-versed in the platform. At XEN, even though our AMs focus primarily on client relationships, they are required to know HubSpot inside and out, and we constantly encourage them to keep learning. Testing an applicant who brands themselves an "expert" only to realise they know less than our client-facing management team is always a bit disappointing.
So, why is finding a true HubSpot expert so difficult?
Here is the truth about HubSpot: it is not a tool you can study for a few months, master, and then just check off your resume.
HubSpot was founded back in 2006. While it has been around for two decades, the way the platform operates today is entirely different from its early inbound marketing roots. It has grown into a massive, sophisticated Smart CRM platform that handles everything from data operations to advanced workflows.
Because of this, HubSpot is a living, breathing ecosystem. If you take a peek at their product changelogs, they push out at least 150 to 200+ updates per month. Think about that. The navigation menus change, tools are rebranded, new Hubs are launched, and old features are deprecated constantly, most existing tools often get new or updated features.
HubSpot is never a "set and forget" software. You have to be on top of it daily. If you learned HubSpot last year and haven't logged into a heavy pro or enterprise portal since, you are already drastically behind.
While I have been hands-on with HubSpot for years now, I still have to dedicate time to keeping up with it. It’s a continuous learning curve for all of us.
The root of the hiring struggle comes down to simple supply and demand. True HubSpot specialists/strategists are operating in an incredibly niche market, and there just aren't many of them out there.
And the ones who are genuine experts? They usually aren't browsing job boards. There’s an old saying in recruitment: "If they're good, they're not hunting for a job." You often have to go out and hunt for them.
We’ve tried every avenue. We’ve poured resources into job ads, social media campaigns, LinkedIn sourcing, and specialised job sites. It’s a highly competitive market, and honestly, we've hit a point where we've dialled back the active pursuit. We're keeping the listing live on our careers site, but we aren't actively hunting anymore. If a great candidate happens to come across it and apply, fantastic, but we aren't exactly holding our breath.
I experience the demand firsthand from the other side, too - my inbox gets inbound job invites from companies looking for HubSpot talent.
When a professional reaches that level HubSpot mastery, they are usually very well taken care of by their current employers. They are happy with their salary, secure in their role, and satisfied with their work environment. When you find a workplace that checks those boxes, you don't look elsewhere.
AI might be changing the landscape of execution, but it hasn’t replaced (yet) the need for deep, strategic platform architecture!
We aren't actively pushing the search anymore, but the door isn't locked. If you're a HubSpot specialist who actually loves the daily grind of 200 updates a month and wants to work with a solid team, our careers page is always there if the right fit comes along.
P.S. If you’re wondering what the featured image of a Batman paddleboard in paradise has to do with HubSpot recruitment... absolutely nothing. But since finding a real HubSpot expert feels as rare as spotting a unicorn, I figured I’d share a glimpse of my recent vacation instead. Consider it a reminder that when you build a great team, you actually get the freedom to unplug and enjoy the water!