by Robert Kenward
Senior recruitment specialist Robert Kenward shares his latest insights into the shifting recruitment landscape, based on conversations with agency owners, hiring managers and senior industry leaders across the events and experiential sectors. As economic uncertainty looms and hiring confidence wavers, Robert’s first-quarter analysis highlights growing tensions between employers and job seekers, the pitfalls of DIY recruitment, and the inevitability of change in how we work.
Here are the key trends from Q1 2025, along with Robert’s forecasts for the rest of the year.
Q1 Trends
Trend 1: Employers Are Pushing Back
After several years of feeling they have agreed to candidate-led concessions – such as remote working and pay increases – employers are starting to say, enough. With a tightening job market, rising National Insurance contributions, and global economic pressure (particularly from the US), many companies are feeling pushed into a corner, and they’re pushing back. “I’m seeing agencies telling prospective hires: ‘This is what we need. If it doesn’t suit you, this role isn’t for you.’ It’s a tougher market now,” Kenward explains. “The days of pick-and-mix job offers are fading. Employers are being less flexible and more demanding because they feel like they’ve been subservient for too long. It’s a reset moment and it’s changing the tone of recruitment.”
Trend 2: The Rise (and Risks) of LinkedIn Recruitment
With budgets squeezed, some employers are turning to DIY recruitment via LinkedIn, but the results are often chaotic. “LinkedIn is flooded with inane job posts that lack any strategy,” Kenward says. “If your only social content is the odd International Women’s Day post or a black square for Black History Month, then suddenly a job advert pops up with no salary bracket, no compelling reason to apply, and no sense of brand, you’ll be overwhelmed with irrelevant CVs.”
A well-planned social recruitment strategy can be powerful, but Kenward warns that most employers don’t invest in the basics. “It’s not just about posting a job; it’s about understanding your audience, having a clear employer proposition, and actually knowing how to write an advert. Right now, too many companies are just throwing it out there and winging it.”
Trend 3: Working patterns will change
While many employers are holding firm on employee expectations, beneath the surface there’s growing momentum for a sizable structural change in the way we work. “The conversation is no longer if things will change; it’s what that change will look like,” Kenward observes. “The four-day week is still in the mix, but we’re also hearing more about the six-hour day which I think will be the future of work. Either way, we’re reducing the time we expect people to be ‘on’ as we focus more on output. Employers that cling to rigid schedules will be left behind because this isn’t a passing trend, it’s a shift in social behaviour and mindset.”
Forecasts for 2025
2025 is already seeing some important shifts in attitudes and delivery for our industry:
Rethinking the Rules in 2025
2025 is shaping up to be the year that challenges everything we thought we knew about work. “It’s not just about how we hire, where we work, or even who’s leading the charge—it’s about completely rethinking the rules,” says Kenward. “Flexibility isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the foundation of smarter, more effective business practices. If you’re only shouting about flexibility as your USP, you’re clinging to old models and you’ll find yourself left behind by competitors who are quicker to adapt to the shifting landscape.”
The UK Employment Bill Will Be Watered Down but still has teeth
While the government’s proposed Employment Bill has sparked plenty of conversation, especially around NI increases, improved worker protections and flexible working rights. Kenward believes we’re unlikely to see the legislation land in its current form. “There’s no political appetite to implement the bill in full,” he says. “What we’ll get is a watered-down version, delayed implementation, and lots of vague commitments that look good on paper. Employers should stay alert, but don’t expect a seismic shift in 2025, however be aware that gut feel and ‘give ‘em a go’ recruitment will land you in hot water.”
It’s Not About Where You Work, It’s About When
Flexibility’25 will be less about location and more about time. The pandemic made hybrid, flexible and remote work the norm, but the next step is rethinking when we work. Weekend schedules, staggered hours, and project-based timeframes are becoming key to productivity. “The traditional Monday to Friday, 9-to-5 doesn’t fit everyone, and clinging to it alienates talented people who work better in alternative patterns,” says Kenward. “If a team member wants to knock out a project on a Saturday morning and take Monday off, why not? It’s about output, not clock-watching. Businesses that embrace this shift won’t just see happier employees—they’ll see better results.”
Senior Leaders Are Back in the Office
Senior leaders are spearheading the great return to the office. “After years of remote work, many MDs and C-suite execs want to be where the action is – three, four, or even five days a week. They’re craving the buzz, the collaboration, and let’s face it, the pub on a Friday, social aspect,” comments Kenward. “After years of makeshift home setups, glitchy Zoom calls, and the isolation of remote work, many MDs and C-suite execs are eager to dive back into the heart of their businesses. For them, it’s not just about working – it’s about reconnecting with the buzz of the workplace. They want to lead from the front and to set the tone for their teams.”
Clinging to the Office Obsession? Say Goodbye to your Team
But even if your leaders want to be in the office, if you’re demanding your team be there more than three days a week, brace yourself – you’ll likely be waving goodbye to most of them within 18 months. “Insist on four or five days in the office, and you’re just accelerating the exodus, says Kenward. “The talent pool is drying up for businesses stuck in the “bums-on-seats” mindset. Employees have had a taste of flexibility, and they’re not going back. Keep clinging to the office-first approach, and the only people left in your workforce will be those too disengaged to care, or worse, those just waiting for a better offer.”
Collaborations and Acquisitions, Not Mergers
In 2025, acquisitions will dominate. The idea of a “merger of equals” is dead; now it’s all about buying success. “Being acquired is no longer a mark of failure; it’s a badge of honour. Smaller companies doing well are becoming hot targets for bigger players, and that’s reshaping the landscape,” says Kenward. At the same time, smaller agencies are banding together to fend off the big guns. “Think partnerships, collaborations, and communities working as one,” states Kenward. “It’s survival of the smartest, not the biggest. These shoal-like strategies, where smaller entities band together to out-manoeuvre the ‘sharks,’ will be increasingly common.”
For more insights from Robert Kenward, subscribe to his Recruitment Report, where he shares no-nonsense updates, industry trends, and advice for employers and candidates navigating the changing world of recruitment.
Remote = never in the office
Hybrid = Fixed set number of days WFH/office
Flexible = Set number of days WFH/office fluid
The next quarterly recruitment report will be published in July 2025.
