Recruiting Trends: Learning from 2024 to Lean Into 2025
Before we go forward, let’s take a look back
2024—3 enduring recruiting trends
There’s no denying 2024 was a year of caution and restraint in recruiting. Yet, amidst the careful planning and measured momentum, three trends found their footing:
- Return to office mandates: a continuing shift from 100% remote work to hybrid or onsite work, changing the available talent pool, especially in regional markets.
- AI in hiring: maturation and continued development as it relates to process and automation, candidate sourcing, and content optimization.
- Growth in specializations: continued demand in contingent labor for specific IT specialties, including AI and data analytics.
What this means for organizations looking to hire in 2025
From what Chris Rehmann, VP of our Philadelphia Office, has been seeing, the demand for quality talent will not waiver: “Tactical companies aim to stay ahead of anticipated growth, and having a pulse on the labor market makes them more agile in finding top talent when the time is right.”
But he does anticipate that, “As the talent pool shrinks due to a continued appetite for hybrid and onsite workers and as the demand for niche skills surges, delivering quality talent in 2025 will require innovative strategies and a more competitive approach.”
Interestingly, AI maturation within recruiting looks to help offset talent delivery challenges by streamlining the sourcing of candidates and creating greater efficiencies in filling unique roles—which makes aligning with the right recruiting partner an essential part of your talent strategy.
IT hiring trends: IT and life sciences roles in greatest demand
Data, data, data. Within business, data is the driving force—whether that’s securing it, uncovering it, or analyzing it.
More than ever, the robust tools used to capture and display data are allowing companies to make more educated and strategic decisions.
So it’s no surprise the most in-demand IT roles we’re seeing have one thing in common: a data analytics lens.
According to Chris, ”From cloud computing and cybersecurity to systems analysis and AI, organizations are seeking talent capable of mastering diverse, interconnected data-driven skill sets.”
In the life sciences sector, this focus on data extends to a supply chain perspective. Additionally, with a new administration in place, compliance and regulatory adherence will continue to be top priorities.
Chris explains, “Similar to other heavily regulated industries, life sciences organizations are re-evaluating data management practices and their impact on production, processes, and the specialized skill sets needed to enhance client outcomes.”
2025 hiring trends—shifts on the horizon
Will the economy and market remain risk averse? Clients tell us they are still hedging their bets. But we’re seeing signs that point to cautious advancement in IT and life sciences, both in the projects organizations decide to push forward and in the roles job seekers choose to pursue to advance their careers and skill sets.
As Chris outlines, “2025 will be about modernizing and upgrading, dusting off shelved projects, and intentionally spending on mission-critical business necessities. This includes modernizing CRMs, revamping reporting capabilities, and responsibly improving internal processes.”
Chris also sees 2025 as a year of contingent labor growth. He notes, “While not replicating the aggressive growth we saw back in 2021, 2025 is still poised to bring steady and strategic opportunities for connecting skilled talent with evolving workforce needs.”
It won’t be a case of hiring at all costs. Rather, the focus will be on building robust talent pipelines in core areas around specific skill sets.
Three tips for 2025 hiring
For organizations looking to fill IT and Life Sciences roles in 2025, we share the following advice:
- Find a great recruiting partner. Be open to partnering with a staffing firm and leaning in to their experience. As industry experts, outside firms understand how to bring in, interview, and find the best resources. Look for one that prioritizes open and honest communication, keeps its finger on the pulse of the market and in-demand skill sets, and offers a robust candidate pipeline for your must-fill roles.
- Be flexible in hiring requirements. Focus on the abilities a candidate brings to the table vs. having a hard-and-fast rule for years of experience. In the same vein, try to avoid rigidity in expected skills. We’ve often found that “less experienced” resources (as defined by conventional terms) have just as much aptitude for a role. If you concentrate on finding talent with skills that touch on multiple areas, you’ll expand your talent pool and stretch your resources further.
- Look for candidates who upskill unconventionally. When reviewing resumes and candidate submissions, be on the lookout for those who go about upskilling in creative ways. For example, an individual aspiring to become a Project Manager, but lacking professional experience, can build relevant skills by volunteering to manage projects for a nonprofit organization or by taking the lead on initiatives within their condo association. The “extracurriculars” a job seeker pursues says a lot about the initiative they’ll take in your organization—paying attention to these is a great way to find the resources you can trust to go above and beyond.
As you begin your hiring journey in the new year, remember that we are here to help. Reach out to us anytime to see how your organization can improve and accelerate recruiting efforts in the face of 2025 challenges.
