WorkNest HR Guidance • Last updated: 2025
Challenges in hiring | 3 ways to bridge the recruitment disconnect
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New research presented at Indeed’s recent FutureWorks conference has shed light on several recruitment trends that employers and HR teams can’t afford to ignore. The global job site surveyed over 9,000 job seekers and employers worldwide, uncovering striking disconnects that are making hiring harder than it needs to be.
As recruiters, we see these challenges in hiring employees daily, and for our clients seeking the right talent, the lessons are clear: closing the gap between what you believe candidates want and what they actually value can mean the difference between securing top talent or losing them to a competitor.
Here’s a brief summary of the key insights discussed at the event – and how you can adapt your hiring strategy accordingly.
Struggling to attract the right candidates?
Employers want leadership, candidates don’t highlight it
The study found that 40% of employers feel they lack leadership and “future-ready” skills internally, yet many external candidates focus their applications on industry-specific experience and the job specification, not leadership potential.
To bridge this gap: Be explicit about the skills you’re looking for. If adaptability, initiative, or leadership matter, highlight this in the job description. Then probe for examples in interviews to help surface hidden potential that could otherwise be overlooked.
Don’t underestimate how quickly candidates move on
Most employers think two to four weeks is a reasonable hiring timeline. The reality? A quarter of job seekers will move on if the screening and interview process drags on for longer than two weeks. Many employers don’t realise just how quickly candidates will lose interest, putting them at risk of losing top talent to faster-moving competitors.
To bridge this gap: Audit your hiring pipeline and timelines, and leverage tools like automated scheduling or pre-assessments to minimise delays and keep candidates engaged. At the same time, maintain human communication, don’t just rely on automated messages, as silence is the number one reason candidates drop out.
Flexibility beats pay (sometimes)
Employers consistently underestimate the importance of flexibility and work-life balance, often assuming that salary and benefits are the primary motivators. In reality, candidates increasingly rank these factors as top priorities – sometimes even ahead of pay – when choosing where to work. This fundamental misalignment can make it harder to attract and retain talent, as organisations that fail to offer flexible working arrangements risk losing high-quality candidates to competitors who do.
To bridge this gap: Take an honest look at what flexibility means in your organisation. Is it hybrid working, flexible hours, compressed weeks, or something else? Whatever it is, define it clearly – vague promises won’t cut it, and mismatched expectations are a recipe for high turnover.
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Top tips for putting this into practice
Define the less obvious skills. Don’t assume candidates will highlight adaptability or leadership unless you ask.
Streamline the process. Time kills talent; move faster than your competitors.
Be transparent. Whether it’s timelines, flexibility, or expectations, clear communication builds trust.
Listen to feedback. Track why candidates drop-out or accept/decline offers. These insights will help you refine and strengthen your recruitment processes.
Balance requirements. Too many ‘must-haves’ scare people off, but vagueness creates confusion. Find the middle ground of highlighting the must-haves which are needed, if something can be trained or developed, this can be left out.
The hiring market has been highly competitive in 2025, and this is expected to continue as we enter the final months of the year. Candidates are making faster decisions and prioritising different things than many employers traditionally expect.
If you want to attract and retain the best, your process and offers need to reflect what people value most today, not what worked five years ago in a different job market.
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Bridge the hiring gap with specialist recruitment support
Organisations that thrive are those that adapt quickly, communicate clearly, and move fast. WorkNest offers a range of solutions to help you achieve this:
- End-to-end recruitment management to take the pressure off and ensure your hiring process runs smoothly, minimising delays and candidate dropouts.
- Recruitment audits to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement, making your hiring process more effective.
- Expert flexible working advice to help you implement arrangements compliantly and balance business needs with candidate expectations.
- Optimised communication strategies to ensure timely, personalised contact, keeping candidates engaged throughout the process.
- Compelling job adverts that showcase your organisation and emphasise what candidates really value, helping you attract more high-quality applicants.
If you want practical, hands-on support to secure the best talent, get in touch today on 0345 226 8393 or request your free consultation using the form opposite.