The recruitment landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace as we enter 2025. There are new challenges and opportunities ahead of us that require forward thinking, adaptive strategies, and possibly a different approach from yesteryear.
Having recently engaged in discussions with our key partners, it is clear that the coming year will be pivotal for recruiters, employers, and job seekers alike. Below, I share our 2025 trends and predictions shaping the recruitment industry.
Recruiting Industry Trends In 2025
While recruitment trends are evolving compared to trends from 2024, specific challenges remain, especially regarding the selection process. Finding new markets with skilled blue-collar workers who meet employer expectations still remains an obstacle.
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The recruitment market remains heavily candidate-driven, posing a significant challenge in sourcing and engaging candidates. Despite a slowdown in some markets, job opportunities abroad continue to proliferate. One of the most important trends in 2025 will be a shift from Poland as a source market to southern European countries.
Recruiters Will Look For Alternate Sourcing Markets
The shortage of blue-collar workers is a pressing issue across developed nations, including the EU and the USA. As a matter of fact, according to an extensive Korn Ferry report, more than 85 million jobs can go unfilled by 2030 due to a lack of skilled candidates.
As such, the reliance on international recruitment will intensify with an ageing population and declining vocational school graduates. That’s most obvious in Poland, which was traditionally a great source of a quality workforce. But with rising salaries, Polish blue-collar workers are less interested in working abroad. Also, the Polish labour market is undergoing significant changes, with fewer young people willing to relocate due to tax advantages and competitive local opportunities.
Source: Shutterstock
Such shifts mean that recruiters must broaden their strategies and search for candidates from other regions where the cultural alignment with Dutch work environments is still strong. That’s why experts forecast that southern European countries will be pivotal in filling these employment gaps, offering a culturally compatible workforce for EU countries like the Netherlands. Tapping into these emerging talent pools effectively demands a strategic pivot, which may be challenging initially. What’s certain is that this shift will be key for successful recruiting in 2025.
The Dutch Market is Changing
Several key changes will slightly redefine the Dutch labour market in 2025. From rising minimum wages and more transparency in employing foreign workers, employers will also have to offer permanent work contracts after three consecutive fixed-term contracts. However, despite these hurdles, international recruitment will remain strong in the country, especially in the blue-collar sphere, to fill the shortage of skilled candidates..
Employer Expectations Are Changing
It’s vital to note that employers are more adamant in requesting interviews and the knowledge of the English language more than ever. More emphasis is placed on updated CVs and direct candidate interviews. While it’s understandable that employers want to find the best workers, this won’t help the business in the long run.
Why? Aligning these processes with workers’ growing expectations is difficult, and it slows down the recruitment process and often just complicates hiring. Most blue-collar candidates want to start working as soon as possible, and multiple rounds of interviews could discourage them.
Balancing these expectations with a seamless candidate experience will be crucial. That’s especially true for in-demand jobs where hiring workers as soon as possible is essential.
Jobs in High-Demand in 2025
The high demand for a quality workforce in key industrial sectors will force employers to change their hiring strategies. To meet requirements, foreign workers will have an easier way of applying for jobs.
- The logistics sector, particularly for supermarkets, is expected to maintain its current demand. However, a notable surge is anticipated in the need for truck, bus, and delivery drivers as employers increasingly turn to foreign talent to address shortages.
- The construction industry is poised for growth after years of decline. House shortages and prices are on the rise in the Netherlands, encouraging investors to plan new projects for 2025. While this trend may create opportunities for skilled labour in construction, the growth for 2025 is set only at 0.5% compared to last year. Still, after years of decline, this is a good sign for the construction industry.
AI in Recruitment Will Make a Difference in 2025
As we move into 2025, the role of automation and AI in recruitment will become even more important. AI tools will enable recruiters to sift through vast candidate pools efficiently, enhancing the precision of matching candidates to roles.
Additionally, new tools will emerge to assist candidates in finding the best job opportunities. They will improve the system, allowing recruiters to connect employers and foreign workers more efficiently.
Source: The British Institute of Recruiters
It’s important to note that artificial intelligence won’t replace recruiters. AI is here to improve the candidate journey, not to automate hiring. Leveraging AI and innovative assessment methods will make a huge difference in the recruiting industry.
- Game-Based Assessments: While larger corporations may slowly adopt game-based assessments, these tools promise to transform recruitment, particularly for blue-collar roles. As for white-collar positions, AI-driven assessments may prove more beneficial. Therefore, 2025 will likely be a year of experimentation, where industries will try to identify the most effective tools for their specific recruitment needs.
- Essential AI Tools for Competitive Edge: Recruiters must embrace technological advancements to remain competitive. Learning how to maximise AI technology to improve the matching process and enhance candidate assessment will be necessary for a candidate-driven market.
Candidate Trends in 2025
While salary remains a primary motivator for candidates seeking work abroad, secondary conditions like housing and transportation are gaining importance.
- Housing solutions: With high rents in the Netherlands, a job abroad with accommodation is a big bonus for workers. Getting accommodation abroad is the most crucial condition after getting a salary. Sometimes, it can even sway workers to accept a job offer with free or cheap housing instead of a bigger salary.
- Transportation/Location: The workplace location is not just related to costs. Commuting may affect quality of life if a worker needs a long time to come home. While the best solution is to offer accommodation close to work, the second best option is providing efficient transport.
- Job security: Traveling to another country is a big step, so it’s important to understand the importance of job security to future workers. When an industry slows, employers who guarantee jobs will have the edge over the competition.
- Private health benefits: Additional health insurance is vital to foreign workers, especially for blue-collar jobs with increased risk of injury. If a worker has a family, they’ll appreciate additional health insurance for their children.
Major Prediction for Recruitment in 2025
Constrained by limited resources, traditional recruitment agencies will struggle to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving marketplace. The future belongs to those who embrace platformisation and AI, enabling more efficient, scalable, and sustainable recruitment practices. As a result, we anticipate consolidating the industry, with smaller agencies (that do everything themselves from A to Z) either adapting or exiting the market.
To thrive in such an environment, employers and recruiters must adopt new technologies and reimagine their recruitment strategies to accommodate the changing market and candidate preferences.
Hire Abroad Will Continue To Evolve
As we look ahead, the landscape may be challenging, but it also presents an exciting opportunity to reshape the future of the recruiting industry. You may find that increased platformisation can be a beneficial solution to tackle the challenges of the future.
In that sense, Hire Abroad is well-positioned to adapt to changing market dynamics. It is very future-proof, as it’s independent of local legislative changes. Moreover, it fits exactly the needs that recruiters and employers are looking for.
Our focus for the coming year is to introduce Hire Abroad’s platform to new markets, diversify our reach, and capitalise on the growing demand for international recruitment solutions. We aim to support various industries and regions and ensure our clients can access the best talent available.
