As businesses race to keep up with regulatory changes across the globe, hiring strategies are being reshaped, and demand for privacy professionals is skyrocketing.
In recent months, we’ve seen a flurry of privacy and data protection regulations emerge and evolve, including:
- GDPR updates and enforcement in the EU and UK
- The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (DPDI) in the UK
- US state-level laws like CPRA, VCDPA, and more on the horizon
- Global frameworks like the EU AI Act, India’s DPDP Act, and China’s PIPL
- A growing emphasis on privacy by design and algorithmic accountability
Each new development increases the compliance burden and with it, the need for specialist talent who can translate legal requirements into practical, scalable policies and systems.
What This Means for Hiring
1. Surge in Demand for Privacy Experts
Many organisations come to us to help them find talent because of chronic skill shortages. The roles in highest demand include:
- Data Protection Officers (DPOs)
- Privacy Analysts & Managers
- Privacy Engineers
- AI Ethics & Compliance Consultants
Organisations are increasingly looking for evidence of hands-on experience in cross-border compliance and regulatory implementation – and these people are hard to find.
At Leonid, we don’t simply push out a job ad and wait for applications. We proactively seek out professionals from our extensive network – including those who aren’t currently looking for a new role – because as we all know, many of the best in their game will already be happily employed….but potentially swayed by a compelling opportunity.
2. Hybrid Skill Sets Are Now Essential
Regulators are demanding accountability across legal, operational, and technical fronts. As a result, employers are no longer looking for legal professionals alone.
Today’s ideal privacy candidate often combines:
- Legal and regulatory knowledge
- Strong technical understanding (e.g., data architecture, AI systems)
- Risk management expertise
- Business acumen and stakeholder communication
Hiring managers are increasingly turning to multidisciplinary talent or restructuring their privacy teams to include both legal and technical expertise.
3. Hiring Timelines Are Slipping - and So Are Candidates
The hiring process for privacy roles has become fiercely competitive. Talented candidates are receiving multiple offers, often within days of interviewing.
If your business is slow to act, you're likely to lose out. Companies must have streamlined recruitment processes, clear salary benchmarks and flexible working models if they want to win the talent war. At Leonid, we work incredibly hard to ensure that the hiring process is as swift and efficient as is humanly possible – because we don’t ever want our clients to miss out on their preferred candidates.
4. Contract & Interim Talent on the Rise
With regulatory changes hitting in waves, some companies are opting for interim hires or project-based consultants to tackle compliance projects, such as overdue GDPR compliance audits, AI-related impact assessments and realignment of internal policies to meet new regulations (e.g. DPDI, CPRA)
Recruitment agencies with specialist privacy networks are now a go-to resource for this flexible expertise.
At Leonid, we help organisations build privacy teams that are fit for today and future-proofed for tomorrow. If you are looking to hire top tier privacy talent or you are seeking your next career move in data privacy, please do get in touch with Phil Redhead for a friendly chat.
