Today's Recruiting Market: ‘Lil Bit Hunger Games, ‘Lil Bit Business as Usual
The 2025 recruiting scene is a perfect example of the both/and dynamic (multiple things can be true). Employers want to sell why their company is the best place to work, and engagement rates have never been lower. They want to be sure that when they make a hire, it sticks. And they’re also getting called out for corporate catfishing. Recruiters face a stressful pile of resumes, hoping that one person is the right fit. And they may be prioritizing a candidate meeting 100% of the qualifications instead of spotting potential. Job seekers spend hours looking for and applying for jobs, only for their customized CV to land in the application portal abyss because it lacked keywords. This can all feel immensely stressful 🫠
For Recruiters: Prioritize people > AI, tech, & data
We know that recruiting can be a marathon of navigating relationships with hiring managers, compensation teams, and job candidates in hopes of finally filling a position with an exemplary employee. It’s exhausting! But in that race to the finish line, it can be easy to lack some recruiting finesse: relationship building, getting to know the person behind a resume, and seeing every candidate as a human, not a number. In a tense market where so many are job-seeking, we recommend that recruiters remember the toll that job-hunting takes on a person. It’s painstaking to apply for a job today: you filter by the most recently updated job posting, enter in all your resume info after already sending in your resume, customize each resume and cover letter for keywords in applicant tracking systems, immediately get back to a request for an interview, spend hours prepping for interviews(s), wait with bated breath until you see if you’ve got the job only to be ghosted or told “we went in another direction” with no further explanation, and then see the job posted again a week later. Oh, and that’s on top of managing the uncertainty of unsteady income. And life. And the world! There are simple ways to stay human-centered in your day-to-day:
Test your ATS (applicant tracking system) for what you’re missing. What about people who are career-changing and eager to jump into a new role? What about people who are exceptionally teachable no matter their technical skills? What about people whose presence drastically enhances an office?
Destigmatize the resume gaps. The seemingly simple question “What have you been up to since you left your last job?” could be heavier than you think! And honestly, the reality is that the person has probably been networking and job searching their butt off just to find their next gig. Eliminate any expectation of grandiosity in a break in the resume. These are hard times we’re living through, and as human beings we should have more grace for job lapses anyway.
Send regular updates to your candidates (even if it’s simply “we’re still deciding”). Ghosting happens both ways in the job search process, with a percentage of workers ghosting and a percentage of folks being ghosted by recruiters! Living in the uncertainty can be painful as a job seeker. Especially when hiring younger candidates, a quick text message update of “application received!” can go a long way.
Remember, you’re human too. Your job is so challenging, and we know that it can feel like you need to always be on, updating every applicant, and ready to make the next call. And sometimes, all you need is a little help. This is where technology can be a helpful tool, we totally understand. And please, for the sake of your future self: take breaks, celebrate wins, and extend yourself a heavy dose of self-compassion
For Job Seekers: Platinum Rule to the Max
We see you. Looking for a job is often not the most fun endeavor. The one thing we know will level up your persona to recruiters is to make their job easy; they want to be confident that they’ve found the most qualified candidate in you. Our hot tip: lead with the platinum rule mindset in every step of communication. It’s about them, and how your skills can help them (not just to hear about how amazing and talented you are and, oh, in dire need a job.) Ask yourself: what are they looking for in a candidate? What is tough about their job or industry right now? How do they want to be communicated with? What would make their lives easier? This doesn’t exclude your wants and needs. It's smart to look beyond the shine of an employer webpage and ask the real questions: "Why is this position open?" "How do you support professional development?" It's okay to advocate for yourself while still being gracious. The best candidates blend confidence with kindness.
For Employers: The job starts with the first interaction with your company
The moment a candidate sees your job posting, the relationship has begun. And just like a good ol’ Instagram deep dive before a first date, job seekers are scouring the internet to see what current and past employees think about you. From Reddit to TikTok to Glassdoor, there are numerous sites where people can gain an impression of who you are. But no impression is more important than that first interaction with your company. How quickly did they hear back? Are they given an understanding of the organizational culture within the application or phone screen stage? When they interact with the team, is the interaction one they’ll positively speak about later? Does the culture description on the website match the experience of connecting with you and your team along the way?