20 Surprising Recruiting Statistics You Should Know for 2025
If you have not downloaded a copy of our 2025 Recruitment Trends Report, then you are missing out on some useful pieces of information that could help you navigate recruiting talent in the new year. Within this report, we share a LOT of data about recruiting. Here are 20 of the most surprising statistics our research team came across when uncovering information for the report.
20 Surprising Recruiting Statistics for 2025
1. 🌊 Retirement Wave: Over 10,000 Baby Boomers are retiring DAILY in the United states, leaving tomorrow’s workforce in a precarious position. If left unaddressed, there will be a critical talent shortage by 2030.
2. ↔ Skill Gaps: 70% of executives believe that identifying skilled talent in their industries is a problem. These skill gaps are only projected to increase as Baby Boomers retire and technology evolves at an accelerated rate.
3. 🚪 Attrition Risk: Between 1-3 years after employment, employees tend to feel diminishing positivity about their future at their current organization. It’s when they are most “at risk” for leaving a job. This is a great time to check in with your employees and conduct ongoing retention meetings.
4. ⏳ Long Executive Fill Times: It can take up to 4 months to fill an executive role that’s vacant. Specifically, 120 days is the national average time to fill an executive role. Having a talent pool you can call can reduce this wait time.
5. 📉 Skill Shortages: In 2024, only 10% of managers did not report difficulty in finding skilled labor. This means 90% have reported issues in finding qualified candidates. At Corporate Navigators, we can identify these individuals on your behalf and make your candidate search easier.
6. ✍ Better Recruitment Strategies: In 2024, 43% of HR managers and talent acquisition leaders believe they need an enhanced recruitment strategy.
7. 😊 Good Management Pays off: Great managers result in a 72% reduction in employee attrition compared to employees who are not happy with their managers. Invest in leaders and everything runs more smoothly!
8. 💰 Salary Transparency Matters: 40% of job candidates lose interest in the job when the salary isn’t stated on the job description.
9. 🌎 Active Global Engagement: In light of talent shortages, around 66% of hiring managers have made global recruitment part of their strategy in 2024. If you’re not doing it, other companies are. Currently, 81% of companies are actively engaging with global recruitment strategies.
10. 🌎 Expanding to Global Talent Pools: The local talent pool is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Today, you need to cast a wider net. Right now, 72% of leaders are open to hiring talent from other countries.
11. 🛑 RTO as Reason to Quit: Almost half of employees (47%) would quit or look for a new job if they were required to return to the office (RTO). Flex work is still an amenity that attracts top talent.
12. 🤝 Caring Workplace = Retention: Employees who think their employers care for their total well-being are 69% less likely to look for a new job.
13. 🫱🏻🫲🏾 Diversity Matters: 80% of corporations surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers said their organization has formal diversity recruiting efforts. DEI has been linked to less burnout, helping employees feel like they belong and are heard.
14. 👍 Flex Work Rocks Our Socks: 77% of recruiters affirm flexible work leads to more applicants, a wider talent pool, and better brand image.
15. 🩺 Needing More Sick Days and Healthcare Benefits: Companies collectively lose $42 Billion in yearly productivity loss in the United States due to health inequities. This loss is projected to reach $1 Trillion annually by 2040 if not addressed.
16. ⏳ Long Director Level Fill Times: It takes around 90 days, or three months, on average to source and onboard a new director into a company. Having a talent pool you can call can reduce this wait time.
17. ♟️ Talent Pool as Recruitment Strategy: 46% of talent acquisition leaders believe building a better talent pool is a top priority for their recruitment strategy into the new year.
18. 🚀 A New Generation Rises: Gen Z will encompass 27% of the American workforce for the first time in 2025, an 11% increase from 16% in 2020, and make up around 30% of the workforce by 2030.
19. ❤️🩹 Mental Health Matters: 61% of employees report that their productivity at work was negatively affected by mental health issues in recent years. Having plans in place to improve total wellness can boost overall productivity, retention, and workplace happiness.
20. 🤖 Spending More on Recruitment Tech and Tools: In 2025, spend on AI tech and recruitment software is projected to increase to 35% of a company’s annual recruitment budget.
This includes emerging recruitment technology like AI, chatbots, screening tools, predictive analytics, automated tools, data analytics, ATS (applicant tracking systems), and digital recruitment platforms. This is a 10% increase from 25% in 2024.
Navigating 2025 with Recruiting Statistics
Staying informed about the latest trends and data in recruitment is essential for any organization looking to attract and retain top talent in 2025. For even more tailored recruitment research and guidance, consider partnering with Corporate Navigators, where we specialize in helping companies like yours optimize their recruitment efforts for success.
