Recruitment
Mohamed Samir
October 9, 2024Staying updated with trends and statistics about talent acquisition helps HR professionals and managers make informed decisions.
It also helps them achieve their hiring goals, while being aware of what’s happening in the market.
Keeping an eye on the latest stats and trends, especially in recruitment, removes uncertainty in developing strong, data-driven recruitment strategies. It may also uncover opportunities to help companies outperform their competitors.
In this article, we’ll explore the latest talent acquisition statistics and trends to help you make better decisions in the remaining months of 2024 and in 2025.
Talent acquisition trends
The process of finding and hiring talented employees is undergoing rapid changes. In order to attract, engage, and retain top talent, organizations must adapt and embrace creativity.
Here are some key talent acquisition trends to watch out for:
1- Prioritizing the candidate experience
Providing a positive candidate experience remains an important talent acquisition trend.
Candidates expect employers to respect their time and effort in applying for vacancies.
The candidate experience involves maintaining regular communication throughout the hiring process, avoiding excessive interviews and work samples, and ensuring a smooth onboarding experience for successful candidates.
Improving the candidate experience means prioritizing quick hiring to gain a competitive edge and prevent frustration. Done right, a positive candidate experience can speed up the time-to-hire metric, an important recruitment metric and KPI for talent acquisition professionals.
2- Using AI-generated content
One of the top trends in talent acquisition and in HR is the growing use of AI technologies. We’ll continue to see this trend in 2025. From using AI to create and post jobs quickly to use AI-powered HR software.
AI use is not limited to HR professionals, as many candidates are using AI to write their resumes and cover letters.
While some hiring managers disapprove, an MIT study found candidates who used AI tools to flag or correct grammatical errors in their resumes were 8% more likely to be hired.
3- Digital recruitment marketing
Modern recruitment marketing leverages digital platforms, including social media and online advertising, to reach a wider audience and engage potential candidates.
Understanding candidate behaviors and tailoring job advertising strategies can improve the alignment of hires with organizational needs.
4- Employer branding
It’s no surprise that a strong employer brand will positively affect talent acquisition and long-term employee retention.
One trend we expect employers to focus on building their employer brand to attract skilled talents and for passive hiring.
5- Skill-based hiring
Globally, more recruiters are prioritizing skills and learning potential over degrees, with many choosing online learning over expensive college degrees.
In tech, companies are dropping degree requirements and opening opportunities for non-traditional candidates.
6- Increasing global talent access
Over the past few years, more companies have embraced fully remote operations, leading to a surge in hiring highly skilled talent from overseas at more competitive rates.
In 2022, global business spent $700 billion on outsourcing and recruitment. Similarly, spending on IT outsourcing was expected to reach $519 billion in 2023.
Furthermore, the emergence of new tech companies dedicated to facilitating global hiring, like Tawzef, further underscores the opportunities presented by this shift towards remote work.
7- Virtual recruitment and onboarding
Since 2020, companies have been forced to adopt and adapt to virtual recruitment and onboarding.
Virtual job fairs, video interviews, and remote onboarding programs have become vital, offering increased flexibility and accessibility for both candidates and employers.
This trend is expected to continue in 2025. We will likely see a mix of virtual and in-person recruitment events.
Top Talent acquisition statistics
As the recruitment industry continues to undergo changes, staying updated with the latest recruitment and talent acquisition statistics remains crucial for making informed decisions and streamlining the hiring process.
98% of recruiters use social media platforms
It’s no surprise that recruiters are turning to social media to improve their recruitment efforts. New research by Content Stadium has found 98% of recruiters relying on social platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to find candidates.
Although LinkedIn is seen as the top platform for recruitment and networking, Facebook groups and company pages are another option for sourcing candidates.
Social media is indispensable in modern recruitment for all involved.
50% of job seekers believe the candidate experience matters
A positive candidate experience significantly impacts a company’s reputation, including its hiring process.
Research by CareerBuilder indicates 50% of job seekers believe a candidate's experience reflects the company's employee values.
Candidate experience can change minds for better or for worse as it can directly impact your company.
Glassdoor research also indicates that investing in candidate experience can improve new hire quality by 70% and positively impact a company's reputation.
70% of employers believe in the power of referrals
Employers increasingly rely on referrals, with 70% considering it one of the most effective ways to find candidates who align with the company’s culture.
Referred candidates are more likely to be hired and exhibit a 30% higher retention rate compared to candidates from other sources.
Diverse teams 33% more likely to outperform peers
An important talent acquisition statistic related to the growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
According to McKinsey, companies with diverse teams have a 33% higher chance of outperforming their peers in terms of profitability.
Diversity helps foster innovation and improve business results.
86% of recruiters use AI in the hiring process
AI continues to impact recruitment around the world. Nearly 86% of recruiters using AI are reporting faster hiring processes.
AI can quickly score candidates, conduct background checks, screen resumes, schedule interviews, and assess candidate fit using natural language processing.
Some AI systems can even analyze facial expressions and body language during video interviews to gauge candidate reactions.
98% of workers want to work remotely
Remote work isn’t going anywhere. Even though many companies are returning to the office.
Roughly 98% of workers expressed the desire to work remotely ‘at least part of the time.’ This indicates a strong preference for the flexibility and work-life balance that remote work offers.
Research by Owl Labs found 16% of companies being fully remote, while 40% offered hybrid and remote work options
Every year, HR industry trends indicate remote work is here to stay and that more employees are embracing it.
57% of job seekers lose interest due to long hiring processes
Time is valuable, especially in recruitment. The longer it takes to fill a position, the more money and productivity organizations lose.
Similarly, the longer the hiring process is, the more frustrating it is for candidates. Plus, it creates a negative perception of the organization.
Research by Robert Half indicates 57% of job seekers lose interest in a job over a prolonged hiring process. This highlights the importance of time in your talent acquisition efforts and improving your time-to-fill metric.
73% of recruiters prioritize hiring based on skills
Skills-based hiring is the most effective way for global enterprises to build strong workforces.
According to LinkedIn, 73% of recruiters prioritize skill-based hiring to reduce bad hires, cut interview workloads, and boost sales.
Conclusion
Recruitment is constantly evolving due to technology, demographics, and workforce changes. Looking at data and understanding current talent acquisition trends is crucial for success.
Need help finding local and global talent? Get in touch with Tawzef.