Recruitment
2025 : THE YEAR OF SMARTER HIRING AND STREAMLINED THINKING
Robert Kenward predicts sea changes in the recruitment world
R ecruitment ’ 25 is set to leave behind the old ways of doing things – dragging out processes , leaning on gut feelings and inflated salaries . Next year , we ’ re looking at faster , sharper and more strategic hiring and it is way overdue .
One and done : single-stage interviews If you ’ re still doing three-stage interviews in 2025 , you ’ re going to miss out . While you ’ re stringing candidates along you could make a decision after one well-prepared meeting , like your competitors do . Decision-makers are busy , candidates are busy , and nobody ’ s got time for weeks of diary tennis .
The shift will be in doing the due diligence upfront . Internal hiring teams and external recruiters will have to step up their game – by creating detailed analysis , exhaustive screening and pinpoint shortlists . By the time someone walks into that interview room , you shouldn ’ t be asking , “ Can they do the job ?” That ’ s what the hiring process before the interview needs to be . The interview itself should be a final confirmation , a chemistry session – a two-way conversation , not a fishing expedition or a full-on grilling .
Everyone is busy , and candidates won ’ t wait around . From the thousands of conversations I have every year with employers and job seekers , the
Above : Robert Kenward
number one reason job seekers walk away is procrastination . Draw the process out too long , and you ’ ll lose your best talent to someone faster and more efficient .
Gut feelings and mates ’ rates are out 2025 will see the death of gut-based hiring . With the new employment laws giving workers more rights from day one , employers can ’ t afford to gamble on ‘ a hunch ’ or hire someone ’ s mate because ‘ They ’ ll be great , promise !’
Recruitment will ( finally ) get more focused on skills , experience and evidence , rather than how someone makes you feel in an interview . If you want to avoid costly mistakes , you need to base decisions on facts , not vibes .
Strategic over tactical hires Now for the great news … For the first time since the pandemic , employers are able to start thinking long-term . After years of scrambling with short-term panic hires , 2025 will bring more focus on strategic , medium-term planning . Leaders will have the breathing room to hire for where they ’ re going , not just where they are .
This also means MDs and the C-suite can finally go back to being what they ’ re supposed to be : leaders . The era of ‘ doing everything ’ is ending . Autonomy will become the buzzword of the year .
No more salary bumps Post-pandemic , throwing money at candidates was the only way to win them over . Now , employers know many senior industry people are paid for who they are and for how long they ’ ve done it , rather than the value they add , so they aren ’ t forking out massive increases to tempt candidates in . This may not matter so much anyway , because candidates in 2025 will care more about the whole package . Flexibility , wellbeing and decent benefits will matter far more than a bumper salary ( it also won ’ t be on offer ). Companies that can offer better holidays , healthcare for families , or support for travel costs etc ., will attract the right talent without breaking the bank .
The year of smarter recruitment In short , 2025 will be about ripping up the old rulebook . Faster hiring processes , better planning and smarter decision-making will define the year ahead . If you ’ re stuck in outdated ways of working , you ’ ll get left behind . It ’ s time to evolve – or watch your competitors do it better .
You heard it here first . n
70 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 134