Recruitment and Hiring Trends for 2025

RECRUITMENT AND HIRING TRENDS FOR 2025

If you are seeking to be a ‘stand out’ employer in 2025 below are 7 predictions with hints and tips to get ‘ahead’ of the game.

1. The rise of AI

In 2024 the use of AI was at the forefront of talent acquisition, marketing and business development and is set to continue in 2025.

AI has the potential to streamline the hiring process, allowing an employer/recruiter more time to spend on the human aspect of the process and to enhance the recruitment experience.

The best uses of AI include -

1. Communication with candidates
2. Data Analysis including skill matching
3. Recruitment/HR Training
4. Business Development and marketing

To avoid the risk of bias and errors using AI, employers should be transparent about its use and ensure interviews and final decisions are always made by the hiring team.

2. Passive candidates

With a limited number of available and suitable candidates, recruiters and hiring managers will need to ‘think outside the box’. Many candidates are happy in their current role but maybe open to the right opportunity.

This talent pool represents a large percentage of potential candidates within the market. Passive candidates allow a recruiter a more proactive approach focusing only on those with the right skill set. To spike interest with these candidates an employer will need to ensure the role and company are in line with the candidate’s career goals.

3. Skills based hiring

Skills-first hiring strategies emphasise candidates' abilities rather than their formal qualifications or past job titles. By prioritising what applicants can actually do, employers can more efficiently identify top talent and reduce the potential for bias in the hiring process.

Multi-measure assessment tools are the most effective way to implement a skills-first hiring approach. By combining tests of cognitive abilities, job-specific skills, personality, and cultural fit, these tools provide a comprehensive view of a candidate's suitability for a role. They offer deeper insights than CV’s and help minimise bias in the decision-making process.

4. Attract and retain

While salary, flexible working, and professional development are important to candidates, it's also crucial to consider your company culture, ethics and values when recruiting the next generation of employees.

Make sure your company has a clear mission and set of goals that are communicated to candidates throughout the hiring process. Many organisations include a link in their job adverts to a website outlining their values, diversity strategies, and concrete examples of their commitments to social responsibility and sustainability initiatives.

5. Candidate Checklist

To remain competitive, organisations must stay attuned to candidates' evolving priorities. Given the growing importance of salary and benefits to employees, hiring teams must offer competitive compensation packages through pay-transparent job advertisements. More candidates apply to job adverts with a salary range than those without.

In addition, addressing flexible working arrangements, training and development opportunities in a job description are more likely to entice the best talent.

6. Hybrid Working

Over the past couple of years, more and more employers are asking the workforce to return to the office full time. This has been met with some resistance from those who have been used working from home during the pandemic.

2025 is set to be the year of the hybrid worker, with a balance of office and home working. For a Hybrid working policy, strategies must be implemented to support business outcomes.

1. Set clear guidelines
2. Ensure transparency
3. Apply consistent employee expectations
4. Encourage employees to make decisions on which environment suits best for individual performance

 

7. Future proofing for 2025

The changing employment landscape and evolving talent pools in 2025 may pose challenges for employers, but they also present significant opportunities.

To stay ahead, consider integrating AI into your hiring processes, engaging passive candidates, and adopting a skills-based approach to recruitment. These strategies are most effective when supported by a solid foundation: pay transparency, flexible work options, professional development opportunities, and a culture of inclusion and purpose.

By combining these elements, you'll be better positioned to tap into a broader pool of skilled candidates, ensuring your business is future-ready for 2025 and beyond.

If you are looking for a career move, and you are a Manager or Exec in UK Care Homes then please get in touch to see how we can help. Contact Sophie Reeves (sophie@experts2care.com) at Experts2care www.experts2care.com