Key Hiring Trends For 2025

January 30, 2025 – As we are now well into 2025, the future of hiring is shifting quickly, according to a report from Ontario-based executive search firm The Verriez Group. “To stay competitive, companies must engage passive talent, offer attractive salaries, and invest in career development,” the firm said. “Smart employers are adapting by prioritizing skills over traditional qualifications, focusing on both technical and interpersonal abilities. And with AI playing a bigger role in recruitment, transparency will be key. The organizations that adapt to these changes will thrive in 2025 and beyond.” Verriez lays out trends not just effecting Canada but the global search industry.
Employers are increasingly shifting toward skills-based hiring, prioritizing candidates’ technical and interpersonal abilities over formal qualifications alone, according to the report. “To adapt workforce hiring strategies, organizations should focus on identifying and recruiting talent with the right mix of hard and soft skills needed for success,” Verriez said.
Additionally, offering employees opportunities to develop new skills and pursue internal career growth can help build a more dynamic, adaptable, and capable workforce while fostering long-term employee retention.
Career Development Will be a Key Component of the Recruitment Process
- Focus on Employee Growth: With rapid technological changes, employers must decide whether to reskill existing employees or hire new talent, according to the Verriez report.
- Building Reskilling Programs: Offer employees opportunities to transition into new roles and upskill to remain relevant in the changing job market.
- Balanced Hiring Approach: Smart organizations will blend internal reskilling with external recruitment to create a more adaptable workforce.
- Candidate Expectations: Top candidates will increasingly want to know how they can develop their skills within the organization, placing a greater emphasis on potential growth over past accomplishments, the Verriez report explained.
Salary Will Be a Primary Factor in Attracting Talent
- Salary as a Major Motivator: Many are still seeking higher pay, with salary being the leading reason they might change jobs.
- Impact on Recruiting: Companies will use salary offers to entice top talent, while also using salary increases to retain current employees, creating upward pressure on wages.
Attracting Passive Talent Will Be Crucial
Verriez highlights the growing significance of the passive talent pool, as more professionals adopt a “wait-and-see” approach to their careers but remain open to better opportunities. Engaging passive candidates is becoming increasingly important, with 83 percent of recruiting professionals predicting it will be a critical focus over the next five years.
Related: Top 5 Hiring Trends for 2025
To attract this talent, employers can adopt proactive engagement strategies by maintaining regular, personalized communication to keep potential candidates interested, according to Verriez. The firm notes that by strengthening the employer brand by showcasing organizational culture, values, and growth opportunities is equally vital. Additionally, leveraging employee networks for referrals can be effective, though it’s important to avoid over-reliance on this approach to minimize potential bias.
Transparency Around AI in Recruitment Will Increase
- AI in Hiring: Most candidates are comfortable with AI speeding up recruitment but still value human judgment to assess their unique qualities and potential, according to the Verriez report.
- Transparency in AI Usage: Employers should be upfront about how AI is integrated into recruitment to ensure fairness and reduce the risk of bias in hiring processes.
- Balanced Recruitment Approach: While AI will help streamline recruitment, human recruiters will remain essential in making final decisions.
“The central focus of future recruitment will be on skills—engaging passive talent, offering competitive salaries, prioritizing development, and ensuring transparency in AI-driven hiring,” the Verriez report said. “Companies that adapt to these evolving trends will be better positioned for success in 2025 and in the coming years.”
Founded in 1985 by Paul Verriez, The Verriez Group has grown to become a trusted boutique executive search firm in Ontario. The team at Verriez offers retained executive search services for all types of C-Suite and senior finance roles. The firm has specialized in finding CFOs and other senior financial officers since its founding.
As an executive search specialist in senior management and executive level accounting and finance disciplines, as well as a broad array of job functions, Mr. Verriez has built relationships in markets including the U.K., Canada, the United States and Mexico. Some of his searches have identified candidates located in Belgium and Ireland. His firm has recruited Canadian senior financial executives who were looking to get back to Canada for these specific roles. One of the positions was located in Yellowknife, NWT. One of Verriez Group’s most recent searches was for an operations manager in Acuna, Mexico. Other senior searches outside of finance have included VP and general counsel searches for clients located in the GTA.
Related: 2025 Talent Trend: New Leaders Focusing on Team Alignment and Impact
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media