As part of our ongoing series on Agentic AI and the rapidly shifting dynamics of AI hiring, one thing has become clear — this is the most extraordinary talent market we’ve seen in over two decades of recruitment.
Every week brings new developments, fresh challenges, and unexpected obstacles. The pace of change is relentless, and the resulting tension and volatility in what was once a stable UK hiring landscape are unlike anything we’ve experienced before.
At Omnis Partners, we’re working closely with clients who are weighing a critical strategic decision:
Should they outsource Agentic AI development to external consultancies, or begin building in-house teams to experiment with proof-of-concepts and early deployments?
What’s striking is how the focus of hiring has evolved in less than a year.
- Ten months ago, most briefs were centred on research-heavy, innovation-led AI roles — think experimentation and theoretical exploration.
- Six months later, the market pivoted sharply toward AI architecture, deployment, and orchestration, where deep software engineering expertise became paramount.
Looking ahead to 2026, we see a new wave forming: the rise of the AI Product Manager — the connective tissue between strategy, engineering, and delivery. This role will be key to scaling Agentic AI across the enterprise.
We’re also starting to see the shape of the market take form:
- Smaller organisations will lean on specialist consultancies for agile, fit-for-purpose AI solutions.
- Large enterprises will rely on their management consulting and IT partners for enterprise-scale frameworks, governance, and orchestration of multi-agent systems.
As these layers crystallise, so too do the talent pools and defining skill parameters. Yet one variable remains unpredictable — compensation.
The specialist skills required to deploy Agentic AI successfully are rare and in high demand. Not everyone can do it — and not everyone should. Those who can are commanding eye-watering salaries and equity packages, with some candidates seeing 100–200% pay increases in a single move.
And it’s not just Silicon Valley driving this inflation. UK and European clients are fighting to stay competitive, lobbying for specialist budgets and re-forecasting hiring plans to avoid losing out to OpenAI, DeepMind, and other global players.
Agentic AI isn’t just redefining technology. It’s rewriting the rules of the hiring market itself.