CMO Challenges in 2026: Why Marketing Teams Are Overwhelmed (And How to Fix It)

There are plenty of things you can control in your career, and plenty you can't. You can't control restructures. You can't control budget cuts. You can't control when a business decides to change direction. What you can control is your network. After more than 20 years working in marketing and sales recruitment, I've lost count of the number of conversations that have started with, "I wasn't actively looking, but someone I met a few months ago suggested I give you a call." The best opportunities rarely arrive completely out of the blue. More often, they're built through relationships that have been quietly growing over time. That's why I'm always encouraging marketers to get out from behind the screen and into the room. Not because networking is about collecting business cards or awkward small talk. It's because the best careers are often shaped by conversations you weren't expecting to have. The strongest marketing careers are built in communities, not isolation One thing I've noticed over the years is that the marketers who stay resilient through changing markets aren't necessarily the loudest or the most connected on LinkedIn. They're the people who stay curious. They keep learning. They ask questions. They make time to hear how other businesses are tackling similar challenges. They build genuine relationships with people across different industries and stages of their careers. As a recruiter, that matters. When I'm working with clients, I'm not just matching skills to a job description. I'm thinking about people who are engaged with the industry, invested in their own growth and genuinely interested in what's happening around them. At New Chapter Talent, we've built our business around that philosophy. Yes, we recruit marketing and sales professionals across Australia and New Zealand, but the work has never been just about filling roles. It's about understanding people, teams and cultures. It's about long-term careers and long-term partnerships. I've always believed the industry is stronger when we create spaces for people to learn from one another. The market is changing, and conversations matter more than ever The marketing landscape doesn't stand still. AI is changing workflows. Data expectations continue to grow. Leadership roles are evolving. Commercial acumen is becoming just as important as creative thinking. It can feel overwhelming if you're trying to navigate all of that on your own. One of the easiest ways to stay ahead is to spend time with people who are having these conversations every day. You don't need to attend every conference or every breakfast event. You don't need to know everyone in the room. You just need to show up. Ask a question. Introduce yourself to someone you've been following online. Catch up with an old colleague. You never know where those conversations might lead. A few events I'd have in my diary this month If you're looking to build your network or sharpen your thinking, some fantastic events are happening around the country this month. Melbourne IAB Australia Affiliate & Partnership Marketing Summit Thu 11 June | 4pm–6pm | PwC Melbourne, Southbank Industry insights, partnership trends and plenty of opportunities to connect with peers. IAB Australia AdTech & Ops Summit Wed 17 June | 12:30pm–6pm | PwC Melbourne, Southbank A great event for marketers working across digital, product, commercial and technical functions. New Chapter Marketing Collective Club Lunch Thursday - 18th June - 12-2pm I'm looking forward to sitting down with Emma Graham for a live conversation about what it really takes to stay clear, confident and adaptable in a shifting market. We'll be talking honestly about future-proofing your marketing career and what's changing across the industry. Victorian Women's Lunch 2026 Friday, 12th June 2026 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm AEST | ZINC at Federation Square An opportunity to hear from impressive leaders and join broader conversations about leadership and business. Salesforce Agentforce World Tour Melbourne Wednesday, 17 June, 2026 | MCEC Melbourne Ideal for marketers wanting to understand where technology, customer experience and AI are heading. Tasmania Tomorrow Conference 2026 15-16 June 2026 | Launceston One of Tasmania's standout marketing events, bringing together professionals from B2B, B2C and not-for-profit sectors who are pushing their industries forward. Sydney IAB Australia AdTech & Ops Summit Dates throughout June/July | Sydney The Sydney edition is also on the calendar, so it's worth keeping an eye on upcoming dates if you're based interstate. Online Digital Analytics for Marketers May 12, 8:00 am - June 16, 5:00 pm If you've been wanting to strengthen your understanding of metrics, attribution and analytics, this is a practical way to build those skills. You don't have to be job hunting to build your network One of the biggest misconceptions I come across is that people only need a recruiter when they're looking for a new role. I don't see it that way. Some of the best relationships I've built with candidates have started years before they made a move. We stay in touch, talk about what's happening in the market and sometimes simply exchange ideas. The same goes for clients. The strongest partnerships come from understanding a business over time, not from a rushed conversation when a vacancy lands on my desk. A career is a long game. The people you meet today might become future colleagues, mentors, clients, hiring managers or trusted advisers. That's why I'd always encourage you to make room for these conversations, even when life gets busy. Final thoughts If you're a marketer looking to broaden your network this month, fill your boots. Go to the event. Reach out to someone you've been meaning to catch up with. Start the conversation. You don't need to leave with a new job or a new client to make it worthwhile. Sometimes one good conversation is enough to change the direction of your career. And if you'd like to chat about the marketing and sales market, your team, or your own next chapter, I'd love to hear from you. That's always been my favourite part of this job.

There’s something I’ve noticed more and more lately when speaking with hiring managers. People are trying so hard to present the “perfect” opportunity that they end up avoiding the reality of the role altogether. And I understand why. No one wants to admit their team is stretched. Or that stakeholder alignment is messy. Or that the business is under pressure. Or that the role they’re hiring for exists because things haven’t quite worked the way they hoped. But here’s the thing I always tell clients: The right marketers are not scared of challenges. What they are scared of is being blindsided. The Problem Isn’t the Challenge — It’s the Surprise I’ve worked in marketing recruitment for more than 20 years now, and one pattern has stayed remarkably consistent. Most experienced marketers actually want to solve problems. They want to lead transformation. They want influence. They want complexity. They want to build things properly. What they don’t want is to walk into a role expecting one thing and discovering a completely different reality three weeks in. That’s where trust breaks down early. And once trust is gone, retention becomes very difficult. Why Hiring Managers Hold Back A lot of hiring managers worry that honesty will scare good people away. So instead of saying: “The team needs rebuilding” “The culture has become fragmented” “The business is going through change” “There’s still confusion around marketing’s role internally” …they soften the edges. The job ad becomes polished. The interview process becomes overly optimistic. The challenges get wrapped up in vague corporate language that nobody really understands anyway. But strong marketers can usually sense when something’s being left unsaid. The irony is that trying to make a role sound “safe” often creates more hesitation than simply being upfront. The Best Candidates Lean Into Transparency Some of the best placements I’ve made over the years started with incredibly honest conversations. I’ve had clients say things like: “We’ve had high turnover because the structure hasn’t been right.” Or: “Marketing hasn’t had a strong voice internally, and we need someone who can help shift that.” Or even: “The business is under pressure, but leadership is committed to investing properly now.” That level of honesty doesn’t repel great candidates. It attracts the right ones. Because senior marketers aren’t looking for fantasy-land businesses where everything runs perfectly. They know that doesn’t exist. What they’re looking for is clarity. They want to understand: What they’re walking into What success actually looks like Where the friction points are Whether leadership genuinely supports change And whether they’ll be set up to succeed Those conversations build credibility immediately. Transparency Creates Better Long-Term Hires One of the biggest reasons hires fail isn’t capability. It’s misalignment. Misaligned expectations. Misaligned culture. Misaligned understanding of the role. When businesses aren’t transparent during the hiring process, candidates end up making decisions based on incomplete information. And eventually reality catches up. That’s usually when I get the phone call six months later. The strongest hiring processes create alignment from day one. That means being honest about both the opportunities and the challenges. Especially in marketing, where so many roles today involve transformation, change management, commercial pressure, stakeholder complexity, or rebuilding trust internally. None of those things are red flags on their own. But hiding them can become one. Good Recruitment Should Create Honest Conversations This is actually a huge part of how we work at New Chapter Talent . When I started the business, I wanted it to feel far more human and personalised than traditional recruitment often does. Not transactional. Not overly scripted. We spend a lot of time understanding the real dynamics of a business — the personalities, leadership styles, team culture, internal pressures, and growth ambitions — because that context matters just as much as the role itself. A position description alone rarely tells the full story. And honestly, the more open clients are with us, the better outcomes we can create for everyone involved. That transparency also underpins the broader community work we do through initiatives like the CMO Chapters Podcast , Marketing Leadership Awards, CMO Collective Lunch Club, and the Marketing Mentorship Program. The conversations that matter most in this industry are usually the honest ones. The Employers Winning Great Talent Right Now The businesses attracting strong marketing talent right now are not necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the slickest employer branding. They’re the ones communicating clearly. They’re realistic about where they are. They’re transparent about expectations. And they treat candidates like adults throughout the process. That approach creates trust early — and trust is still one of the strongest predictors of long-term retention I’ve seen. Especially in this market. A Final Thought for Hiring Managers If you’re hiring right now, don’t feel like you need to present a perfectly polished version of the role. You don’t need to hide the challenges to attract good people. In many cases, the challenges are the opportunity. The key is being honest enough for the right person to recognise themselves in the role. That’s what creates alignment. That’s what builds trust. And ultimately, that’s what creates longevity. If you’re navigating a marketing or sales hire and want a more transparent, human approach to recruitment, I’m always happy to have a conversation. You can connect with me via New Chapter Talent or reach out directly on LinkedIn .