Today’s workforce is not like it used to be. In fact, the work ethics and expectations of the modern workforce are drastically different to the way people worked before the pandemic.
New and old generations are entering the workforce in 2025, and those in-betweens have gone through a shift in what they expect from employers. HR managers need to re-adjust their hiring processes if they want to bring in — and retain — high potential employees.
A Changing Workforce
The current workforce shift stems from a time of uncertainty and employee dissatisfaction during the pandemic. When the world started to return to the office, workers demanded better treatment and a focus employee wellbeing. This mindset still reigns true in 2025, with many companies responding by updating policies and implementing new practices to boost employee retention.
The labor force is also growing — albeit slightly slower than average — with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that Gen Z will make up about 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030. On top of that, the oldest of Gen Alpha are setting up to enter the workforce in the next two years and retirees are returning to the labor force. But those aren’t the only reasons the hiring pool has gotten so large. Unemployment rates in the United States have also slightly increased to 4.2% as of March 2025 and the EU Commission reported unemployment rates at 5.7% in February 2025.
There is no doubt that the workforce will continue to diverge from the norm, but that doesn’t mean companies have to fall behind.
Five Hiring Strategies for 2025
With more people joining the labor force with modern expectations, creating a hiring process that applies to these modern values can be difficult. That’s why it’s important to know how to navigate the mindset change of today’s workers to find the right candidate for the job. Here are five modern strategies that HR personnel should keep in mind before starting the hiring process.
Prioritize skills over education with skill-based hiring.
Skill-based hiring focuses on a candidate’s relevant skillset rather than the traditional requirements like experience and education. This hiring method broadens the candidate pool and allows for potential employees to show off their transferable skills as well as their job specific skills.
You can start utilizing this method by identifying the needs of the job description and adjusting the requirements based on the outcome. Hiring managers can also place skill-based assessments at the beginning of the hiring process to gather an understanding of the candidate’s knowledge.
Interested in pivoting to skill-based hiring but not sure where to begin? Here’s a helpful explainer from LinkedIn.
Highlight impact and purpose as a way to drive employee engagement.
Surveys show that employees want meaningful and engaging work that aligns with their values. When companies invest in training and “upskilling” opportunities, employees can gain a personal sense of growth and simultaneously learn new skills or update preexisting ones.
This could be accomplished through online courses, training workshops, mentoring opportunities or even by attending industry conferences.
Curious how these have worked for others? See how these methods helped the popular hotel chain Hyatt.
Offer flexible work arrangements and competitive compensation.
Employees today value work-life balance, financial wellbeing, and employee autonomy. Often times they require potential employers to be transparent about some of these benefits before even applying. When potential candidates see job positions with the mindset they are looking for, they are more likely to stay with a company longer if they are hired.
Hiring managers can attract candidates by offering hybrid work accommodation, condensed work hours, investing in mental health resources, or by offering increased time off or parental leave.
See how offering these kinds of benefits helped other companies like Starbucks and Microsoft here.
Consider hiring retirees and recent graduates.
These candidates are often overlooked, when in reality they can be very dedicated workers when given the chance. Both of these age groups bring their own perspectives into an industry and are highly motivated. New grads are eager to jump into their new careers and be more proactive in training and taking on projects. Retirees offer a similar mindset but have the added bonus of decades worth of experience and fine-tuned skills. While both have certain risks and benefits, it is important to give these candidates a full chance during the hiring process. They might even surprise you.
Embrace AI and data driven decision making.
Using AI to help with the tedious parts of the hiring process can help lighten the workload and make the process faster. AI can be utilized through interview scheduling or communications like notices and answering candidate questions. While more controversial, AI can also be used for processes like candidate sourcing and screening.
It can also be used to help with data-driven decision making, which can analyze recruitment data to identify trends and optimize sourcing strategies. Using these tools can help hiring professionals make more confident decisions and hire higher-quality candidates.
Sources: EU Commission, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, USA Facts, LinkedIn
