In the recruitment marketing industry, change is the only constant. This blog explores ten key predictions that will shape the future of recruitment marketing, providing valuable insights to help businesses stay competitive in a rapidly changing labor market.
Despite increasing demand for remote work, some companies, like Amazon, are pushing for a return to the office (RTO). According to the State of Flex Report (Q3), the number of companies offering full flexibility has decreased from 29% to 27%, with 25% of large corporations (over 25,000 employees) now requiring full RTO.
Meanwhile, many workers and job seekers continue to prefer full-time remote work, citing benefits such as saving money on expenses and avoiding the commute as top drivers, according to the U.S. Career Institute. Flexibility is another factor, and it is especially critical among younger workers, with 77% of Gen Z and 75% of Millennials saying they would consider leaving their jobs if required to return to the office full-time. Lastly, 50% of employees say they will skip a pay raise for a flexible working schedule.
Regarding flexibility, more workers are also increasingly opting for gig, freelance, and fractional work opportunities. Understanding the characteristics and motivations of these workers is crucial for marketers aiming to engage this audience. Daily or frequent pay is a top priority for gig workers, with 75% expressing a preference for daily payments.
Fractional workers, typically highly skilled professionals, seek variety in their projects. This type of work is rapidly expanding, particularly in the startup sector, with demand growing in areas like marketing, finance, HR, and executive leadership.
In 2025, employee-generated content will continue to be vital for showcasing company culture. Employees sharing their personal career stories and daily experiences will become even more common, positioning them as influential voices in the talent acquisition process.
Companies may shift some focus away from traditional corporate messaging to authentic, employee-driven content. With authenticity and transparency being top priorities for job seekers, companies that empower employees to share their experiences candidly will attract top talent.
Additionally, video content will remain a crucial component of recruitment marketing. Expect an increase in behind-the-scenes footage, employee testimonials, and live-streamed events, as employees freely share their stories. Tools like Jamyr will help employees capture and share content, amplifying their role as workplace advocates.
Although the rate at which companies offering Quick Apply on Indeed has slightly declined over the past 15 months (refer to the chart below), it remains essential for businesses to adopt solutions that streamline the application process to align with candidate expectations. Candidates expect job applications to be quick and efficient. They want to know how long it will take before they complete the application, and 60% have abandoned an application due to its length or complexity.
As companies strive to balance quality over quantity in their hiring, we expect continued technological innovation in this area, addressing potential challenges associated with Quick Apply while maintaining efficiency and improving applicant quality.
Source: Public Insight
The responsible use of AI in talent acquisition is becoming increasingly important as companies define more precise strategies for its implementation. In 2024, around a quarter of companies leverage AI for recruitment, a significant increase from the previous year. This trend indicates a shift toward integrating AI to streamline and enhance various aspects of talent acquisition. On average, AI tools already save talent acquisition teams approximately 2.39 hours per week, allowing recruiters to focus more on relationship-building and strategic initiatives.
For talent acquisition teams, adopting AI responsibly means keeping hiring human. The focus should be on transparency, ethical use, and alignment with company values. Companies must ensure that AI integration respects candidate privacy, avoids bias, and improves the candidate experience.
Media diversification in recruitment marketing will continue to be a top priority for companies in 2025 to reduce dependency on one or a few channels. Companies will use alternative channels like Reddit and TikTok to reach diverse talent pools. This shift allows businesses to target specific demographics, such as more entry-level candidates on TikTok or specialized professionals on Reddit. Reddit, in particular, is innovating around its ad offerings. It is currently testing a lead generation ad type, which may be a viable option for recruitment marketers when it moves out of beta.
With TikTok’s future still uncertain, many companies are in the process of making a plan B for video content diversification. Although TikTok is the most preferred social media site for viewing short-form videos, YouTube takes second place ahead of Instagram and Facebook Reels, according to Statista. YouTube also takes second place in terms of average time per day spent on the platform, but the channel has the highest reach of any channel, with 234 million users in the US.
Source: Statista, Social Media Usage In the USA Report, 2023
It's also worth mentioning that Google recently made important updates that will impact recruitment marketing teams as we head into 2025. The update's implications include niche job boards receiving better placement in the SERP, SEM becoming even more competitive, and focusing on SEO remaining important.
By leveraging multiple platforms, companies will gain broader reach and better engagement through varied content formats like videos and community discussions. This multi-channel approach is key to staying competitive in attracting top talent.
Marketing budgets declined in 2024 but will likely bounce back for many companies in 2025, which may spark recruiting teams to focus on larger projects like Employee Value Propositions (EVP) or tech stack changes. According to Criteria’s 2024/2025 benchmark report, 44% of hiring professionals expect their hiring and recruiting budget to increase next year, while 48% expect it to stay the same.
There are many different ways to approach budgeting. In general, having a bucket of funds for innovation and pilots is essential Recruiting professionals should have money set aside for fixed costs like contracts or technology, fluctuating costs, like monthly media spend, and for things that may pop up, like new locations opening.
For larger projects, like EVP development, expect the process to be lengthy and an investment. The general consensus is that an EVP shelf life is 3-5 years, sometimes shorter if massive leadership swings, mergers, or a consumer rebrand has taken place. While updating an EVP or changing a tech stack is resource-intensive, both are critical for driving efficiency and quality.
Job seeker activity typically peaks every January, as shown in the chart below, where search interest for new jobs reached its highest point in the first week of January 2024, with January 2022 and 2023 closely behind. This trend is expected to continue in 2025, as many individuals set New Year’s resolutions related to career changes. Additionally, with the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates in September, hiring will likely increase, offering job seekers a broader range of opportunities. Many companies also begin the new fiscal year in January, allowing them to post new job openings and allocate fresh budgets toward recruitment efforts.
Source: Google Trends
Recruitment marketing teams should have their January plan in place before the holidays. Many vendors in the recruitment marketing space close the week between Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s best to jump-start on finalizing everything before Christmas break.
According to ICIMS' 2024 Candidate Experience Report, 45% of respondents say they know someone who has “unretired” and re-entered the workforce after 55. And 72% of recruiters report actively recruiting employees over 55. From an internal perspective, holding on to baby boomer talent by offering reduced shifts, more flexible scheduling, or opportunities to mentor younger workers may be tactics to try.
Recruiting across generations is not always easy, as candidates have different priorities. One similarity is that candidates, in general, prefer email communication over text. However, Gen Z expects more frequent communication than Baby Boomers, who only want communication if there is an update in the process.
Now that Gen Z has officially overtaken Baby Boomers in terms of the number of workers, companies must consider this generation’s preferences. Many great studies exist on what Gen Z wants. In general, they care about finances, as they are burdened with student debt, and want to work for a company whose values align with theirs.
Developing effective sourcing strategies that resonate across age groups is a TA professional’s greatest concern when hiring multi-generationally. There is an opportunity for recruitment marketers to build personas across different age groups so that messaging will resonate. Learn more about building personas here.
Skills-based hiring has been trending over the last few years and is expected to continue into 2025. Fifty-two percent of hiring professionals said they implemented skills-based hiring the previous year. And another 27% said they plan to implement it within the next year. Larger companies, with 2500 employees or more, are the most likely to move to a skills-based approach. Hiring for skills opens up broader talent pools, and according to Criteria’s benchmark report, 58% of hiring managers say it also helps with quality.
In practice, implementing skills-based hiring looks different for each company. For recruitment marketers, it often means rewriting job descriptions to focus more on skills while removing years of experience or certain education requirements. It can also mean that recruiters must be trained to assess skills and leverage new technology, like assessment-based tools, in the interview process.
The top 3 reported priorities for 2025 all have one thing in common: a focus on current employees. Upskilling, improving engagement, and reducing turnover are all top of mind for HR leaders. For recruitment marketing, this could lead to an increased focus on internal mobility programs. 50% of TA teams in Hirevue’s Trends Report said they’re now turning to their internal talent for roles, compared to 44% the year prior.
LinkedIn has recently innovated in this space and now offers the ability to serve ads on its platform directly to current employees. These new Work With Us ads may be an effective strategy for companies focused on internal mobility.
The recruitment marketing landscape in 2025 will require adaptability, emphasizing responsible AI use, skills-based hiring, enhancing quality, and driving retention. Teams prioritizing innovation and diversification will be better positioned to attract, engage, and retain top talent in the new year.
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Contact Recruitics today to learn more and leverage these predictions in your recruitment strategy.
