Recruitment Trends in 2024 and what to expect in 2025
Our team at Omni has looked back on the recruitment trends of 2024 and made predictions on what to expect in 2025. The recruitment and resourcing landscape is entering a transformative period, driven by economic adjustments, legislative changes and evolving workforce expectations. But it’s not new, we’ve seen it before. For the last four years, the market has had to overcome a number of obstacles, from pandemics to recessions, to too many changes in political leadership to count. One thing remains the same, however: it’s imperative to keep moving, act with agility and keep an eye on the horizon to steady the ship. And the best way to do so is to analyse trends from 2024 in order to predict the trends 2025.
As organisations navigate the future, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) providers will play an increasingly vital role in helping businesses adapt to these trends.
As we reflect on recruitment trends in 2024, a number of themes shaped the talent acquisition market.
Organisations increasingly shifted their focus from traditional qualifications to the specific skills candidates bring to the table. This trend not only helped address skill shortages but also opened opportunities for a broader and more diverse talent pool.
Flexible working models, including hybrid and remote options, became essential for attracting and retaining talent. These arrangements widened talent pools, attracted hard-to-reach candidates, and aligned with employees’ priorities for work-life balance and autonomy.
Data-driven strategies gained prominence, enabling employers to make informed decisions throughout the recruitment process. Talent intelligence provided actionable insights to optimise hiring efficiency and predict workforce trends, ensuring a competitive edge in talent acquisition.
In a competitive talent market, organisations leveraged employer branding and storytelling to connect authentically with candidates. By showcasing company values, culture, and employee experiences, businesses effectively used transparent communication to stand out.
While AI in recruitment remained a hot topic, its practical adoption lagged behind expectations in 2024, with organisations hesitant to fully embrace its potential. Despite this, AI tools promise to automate tasks and enhance the candidate experience. As these technologies mature, adoption is expected to accelerate in 2025.
Together, these trends highlight the evolving priorities of both employers and candidates, emphasising flexibility, inclusivity, and smarter decision-making. But will these trends gain traction in the new year? Or fizzle out to make way for others?
From sourcing to hiring, data provided actionable insights to optimise recruitment efficiency and predict workforce trends.
What is in store for Talent Acquisition teams in 2025? Predicting future trends isn’t an exact science but our team at Omni have looked ahead at what we believe will shape the 2025 talent acquisition market.
It’s no secret that the market is tough, organisations will undoubtedly have to be smarter about the way they approach their talent acquisition strategies. Recruitment will most certainly be seen as more of a strategic function and greater attention will be paid to maximising the return on investment of recruitment. RPO firms like Omni work flexibly to support your business, from managing your recruitment needs entirely, to deploying recruitment expertise that complements your internal TA function, helping you to manage short-term hiring peaks, spiking recruitment costs or source candidates for those hard-to-fill roles.
The UK’s labour market is undergoing significant changes influenced by policy shifts. The new Employment Rights Bill, designed to enhance worker rights, will likely emphasise flexibility, inclusivity, and fair pay. With National Insurance (NI) contributions and the National Living Wage (NLW) both set to increase in April, employers face heightened operational costs. These pressures will compel organisations to revisit their hiring models, ensuring compliance while maintaining cost-efficiency.
For SMEs, this shift presents unique challenges. Unlike larger organisations, SMEs often lack the resources to absorb financial or administrative burdens.
Legislative changes set for 2025 are poised to significantly reshape hiring strategies, making strategic workforce planning more critical than ever. Businesses will need to adopt a more holistic approach to recruitment, integrating permanent, fixed-term, and contingent hiring solutions to remain agile and cost-effective. Rising operational costs, including increased National Insurance contributions, will prompt organisations to reassess their workforce composition, prioritising internal talent development and better leveraging existing skills. By calculating the cost of your organisation’s recruitment
Hiring cannot and will not stop, but employers must be more strategic, ensuring recruitment delivers measurable ROI. Adopting more strategic approaches, such as leveraging RPO solutions, will be essential to align recruitment strategies with these legislative requirements. RPO providers, like Omni, can offer compliance support, process optimisation, and scalability to help businesses thrive in this new environment.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is set to become a strategic necessity in 2025 as organisations face mounting pressure to adapt to a rapidly evolving talent landscape. With labour market challenges such as rising costs, skill shortages, and increased competition for top talent, traditional recruitment methods will no longer suffice. RPO solutions offer a scalable, data-driven approach to talent acquisition, providing organisations with the agility to respond to market trends while maintaining efficiency and quality. By leveraging advanced technology, deep market insights, and a partnership-driven model, RPO enables businesses to future-proof their recruitment strategies, aligning talent acquisition with broader organisational goals. As resourcing demands grow more complex, RPO will play a critical role in helping organisations secure the talent they need to thrive.
Flexibility has transitioned from being a benefit to a baseline expectation. According to the CIPD, over 70% of employers now offer hybrid or remote roles. This shift is particularly pronounced among younger workers, who prioritise work-life balance and autonomy.
Organisations that fail to adapt to this reality risk alienating a significant portion of the workforce. Omni can enable organisations to embrace flexibility by designing agile recruitment strategies, conducting role-specific flexibility assessments, and offering guidance on managing remote teams. These adaptations will be essential for enhancing employer brand appeal and improving retention rates.
In a labour market experiencing hard-to-fill roles, offering remote and flexible working immediately widens the talent pool. Candidates continue to drive the market and if employers don’t offer flexible / remote work will lose talent to those who do.
Skill shortages continue to challenge sectors such as healthcare, construction, and technology. The ONS Labour Market Report reveals that over half of UK employers report difficulties in filling vacancies due to technical skill gaps. These shortages are further exacerbated by stricter visa policies and declining interest in key professions, such as teaching and engineering.
To combat these shortages, organisations must prioritise upskilling and reskilling their workforce. Talent Strategy teams, like Omni’s, are uniquely positioned to assist by identifying skill gaps, designing training programmes, and facilitating partnerships with educational institutions. Additionally, recruitment campaigns focused on early talent and apprenticeships can help address long-term skill shortages.
The conversation around AI in recruitment has evolved from hypothetical to practical. AI tools are being adopted to enhance candidate experience, streamline processes, and reduce administrative burdens. However, as Katie Noble emphasised during the recent CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition, HR leaders must move beyond discussing AI’s potential and focus on embedding it into everyday practices.
AI can be used to automate repetitive tasks, such as CV screening and interview scheduling, allowing HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives. RPO providers like Omni can lead the way by integrating AI tools into recruitment strategies, ensuring both efficiency and a human-centric approach – especially for those organisations that don’t have access or budget for expensive recruitment tech. However, caution is needed to prevent AI-driven systems from perpetuating bias or overlooking diverse candidates.
As the labour market becomes increasingly candidate-centric, employer branding has never been more critical. Candidates are prioritising not just salary but also company culture, career development opportunities, and alignment with personal values. Employers must communicate their brand effectively to stand out in a crowded market.
Resourcing specialists play a crucial role in shaping and promoting employer brands. From crafting compelling job descriptions to managing candidate relationships, an effective RPO strategy ensures that an organisation’s values resonate with potential hires. By prioritising transparency and authenticity, organisations can attract talent that aligns with their mission.
Environmental sustainability is emerging as a key consideration for both candidates and employers. Younger generations, in particular, are drawn to organisations that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. Incorporating environmental goals into recruitment strategies can help organisations differentiate themselves and potential win more business.
RPO providers can assist organisations in highlighting sustainability efforts, whether through green certifications, eco-friendly workplace policies, or ESG initiatives. This alignment not only attracts environmentally conscious candidates and clients but also reinforces a company’s broader commitment to social responsibility.
Recruitment will most certainly be seen as more of a strategic function and greater attention will be paid to maximising the return on investment of recruitment.
The recruitment landscape in 2025 will be shaped by a confluence of factors: evolving workforce expectations, economic pressures, legislative changes, and technological advancements. To navigate these challenges, organisations must adopt agile, inclusive, and strategic recruitment approaches.
RPO providers will be indispensable partners in this journey, offering expertise in compliance, diversity, employer branding, and workforce planning. By leveraging these capabilities, businesses can not only adapt to the changing landscape but also seize opportunities to build resilient and future-ready workforces.
At Omni, we are committed to helping organisations thrive in this complex environment. Through bespoke recruitment solutions, cutting-edge technology, and a deep understanding of market trends, we enable our partners to attract, retain, and develop the talent they need for sustainable success.
RPO, or Recruitment Process Outsourcing, is a strategic approach to talent acquisition where organisations outsource some or all of their recruitment processes to an external provider.
In traditional hiring, organisations typically manage recruitment processes in-house, from sourcing candidates to onboarding. This often requires significant time, resources, and expertise from internal HR teams or hiring managers. However, traditional hiring methods can sometimes struggle to keep pace with changing talent demands, especially in industries facing skill shortages or rapid growth.
RPO offers a holistic and strategic approach to talent acquisition. RPO providers like Omni act as an extension of an organisations brand, assuming responsibility for recruitment activities such as candidate attraction, sourcing, screening, assessment, and even onboarding. By outsourcing these functions to specialised experts, organisations can benefit from industry knowledge, resources, and technology to give access to the best talent at pace.
One of the key differences between RPO and traditional hiring lies in the level of specialisation and scalability offered by recruitment RPO providers. RPO partners often have dedicated teams of recruiters who specialise in specific industries or skill sets, allowing them to access niche talent pools and identify high-quality candidates more efficiently. Additionally, RPO solutions are highly scalable, meaning they can quickly adapt to fluctuating hiring needs, whether it’s scaling up recruitment efforts during peak periods or adjusting to changing market conditions.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) can significantly enhance your Talent Acquisition strategy by providing specialised expertise, scalability, and strategic partnership. Here’s how:
Specialised Expertise: RPO providers have dedicated teams of recruiters who specialise in various industries, roles, and skill sets. These experts possess in-depth knowledge of the labour market, industry trends, and sourcing techniques, allowing them to identify and attract high-quality candidates efficiently. By leveraging their specialised expertise, RPO partners, like Omni, can access niche talent pools and ensure high-quality people for your organisation.
Scalability: One of the key advantages of recruitment RPO is its scalability. RPO providers can quickly scale recruitment efforts up or down based on your organisation’s hiring needs. Whether you’re experiencing rapid growth, seasonal fluctuations, or project-based hiring spikes, RPO can adapt to accommodate your changing requirements. This flexibility ensures that you have the right resources in place to meet demand without overburdening your internal HR team or sacrificing recruitment quality.
Cost-Effectiveness: RPO recruitment can offer cost savings when compared to traditional hiring methods. While there may be an initial investment in outsourcing recruitment to an RPO partner, the long-term benefits often outweigh the costs. RPO can help reduce time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and turnover rates, resulting in overall cost savings for your organisation.
Strategic Partnership: RPO goes beyond transactional recruiting by forging a strategic partnership between the RPO partner, like Omni, and your organisation. At Omni, we become an extension of your employer brand and we work closely to understand business objectives, culture, and talent requirements. This collaborative approach allows RPOs to tailor recruitment strategies that align with your organisation’s goals. By working as an extension of your HR team, RPO providers can provide valuable insights, leading practices, and innovative solutions to help achieve talent acquisition objectives.
There are several key advantages:
Access to Specialised Expertise: RPO providers have dedicated teams of recruiters who specialise in various industries, roles, and skill sets. This expertise allows them to identify and attract high-calibre talent more efficiently than internal HR teams or traditional recruitment agencies.
Scalability: RPO recruitment solutions are highly scalable, meaning they can quickly adapt to fluctuating hiring needs. Whether your organisation is experiencing rapid growth, seasonal fluctuations, or project-based hiring spikes, RPO can flexibly adjust to accommodate your changing requirements.
Cost Savings: RPO can offer cost savings compared to traditional hiring methods. By outsourcing recruitment processes to an external provider, organisations can reduce time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and turnover rates, resulting in overall cost savings for the business.
Strategic Partnership: RPO recruitment goes beyond transactional recruiting by fostering a strategic partnership between the RPO provider and the organisation. At Omni, we work closely with our organisations to understand their organisation’s objectives, culture, and talent requirements, allowing us to tailor recruitment strategies that align with the organisation’s goals and values.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is a strategic approach to talent acquisition where organisations outsource some or all of their recruitment processes to an external provider, like Omni. The partner is known as the RPO provider and assumes responsibility for various aspects of the recruitment process, including candidate attraction, candidate sourcing, screening, assessments, interview coordination and onboarding.
Recruitment RPO is about leveraging specialised expertise, technology, and resources to streamline the recruitment process and improve hiring outcomes. Rather than relying solely on internal HR teams or traditional recruitment agencies, organisations partner with RPO providers to access a broader range of talent to enhance efficiency and drive better results.
The specific services offered by RPO providers can vary depending on the needs and preferences of the organisation. That’s the beauty of RPO. Some organisations may opt for end-to-end RPO, where the RPO provider manages the entire recruitment process from start to finish. Others may choose to outsource specific elements of the recruitment process, such as candidate sourcing or interview scheduling, while retaining other aspects.
