Utilities faces communications talent flight as trust pressures intensify

More than half of communications professionals in the utilities sector are considering a move within six months, according to new research, raising concerns over how suppliers, networks and regulators will manage public trust at a time of mounting scrutiny

Utilities organisations are at risk of losing a large share of their communications talent just as the sector comes under heavier public, political and regulatory pressure, according to new research.

Murray McIntosh’s Strategic Communications Report 2026 found that 52 per cent of strategic communications professionals in the sector plan to change roles within the next six months, while more than two-thirds (64 per cent) have interviewed for a new position in the past year.

The figures point to a sector under growing strain as communications teams deal with rising regulatory complexity, sustainability demands and sharper public and media scrutiny. 

Murray McIntosh said the loss of experienced communications staff could further weaken already fragile relationships between utilities providers and the public, at a time when affordability, environmental performance, resilience and customer trust remain under close watch.

The research also suggests the job itself is changing. Alongside traditional communications skills, employers are placing greater weight on data literacy, AI, data science and coding as utilities organisations rely more heavily on digital systems, predictive analytics and data-led decision-making.

Murray McIntosh said 82 per cent of communications professionals believe AI has already affected, or will imminently affect, their role — the highest level recorded across all industries covered by the survey.

Lauren Maddocks, associate director, policy and public affairs at Murray McIntosh, said: “Utilities organisations are operating in one of the most scrutinised environments of any sector, yet they are at real risk of losing the very communications talent needed to navigate that scrutiny. When public trust is fragile, and expectations around transparency, sustainability and accountability are rising, experienced communications professionals aren’t a ‘nice to have’, they are fundamentally critical.”

She added: “Firms that don’t address the upcoming exodus in time and effectively pipeline communications professionals risk a revolving door of talent at precisely the wrong time. At a time when public trust in Utilities is already fragile, employers that fail to recognise just how crucial communications talent pipelining is will find themselves exposed, not just to skills shortages, but perhaps more importantly to reputational and operational risk.”

READ MORE: ‘Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey cuts nearly half of Block staff, says AI is changing how the company operates‘. Block, the owner of Cash App, has reduced its workforce from more than 10,000 to just under 6,000, with Dorsey arguing that AI tools and smaller teams are reshaping how the business is run. 

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