Talent Outlook: Hiring Cautious in Today's Climate

Senior hiring isn’t about filling a role — it’s about securing leadership that delivers outcomes. Yet many searches still start with outdated role descriptions or surface-level shortlists. Research by McKinsey shows that organisations with rigorous, capability-focused executive hiring processes see stronger leadership performance and retention compared to those using traditional CV-led approaches. What effective search requires: • Role definition linked to commercial outcomes • Market mapping beyond familiar networks • Assessment that looks at decisions, not just history If your current search model is built around CVs instead of capability, Next Gear HR can lead the process end-to-end — from scoping and mapping to selection and onboarding. #ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipHiring #NextGearHR #TalentAcquisition

🔄 34% of small businesses cannot fill open positions, but the solution might be right under your nose. While everyone is fighting over external talent, smart companies are building their talent pipeline internally. The data is compelling: businesses that invest in “rising talent" (employees without college degrees stuck in low-paying roles) create more resilient, loyal, and skilled workforces. Consider this approach: • Identify high-potential employees in entry-level or underutilized positions • Partner with L&D consultants to develop targeted upskilling programs • Create advancement pathways that keep talent engaged and growing Organizations that focus on workforce development see significantly higher retention and promotion rates, proving that internal investment can be just as impactful as external hiring. At SkillWell Strategies, we help SMBs identify hidden potential in their existing workforce and design development programs that turn retention challenges into competitive advantages. 💡 Leaders: Have you identified employees who could grow into bigger roles with the right development? What is holding you back from investing in their potential? #TalentDevelopment #EmployeeRetention #Upskilling #WorkforceDevelopment #SkillWell #BusinessGrowth

One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is that talent is often already in the room. When businesses invest in their existing employees, the results are remarkable: stronger loyalty, higher retention, and future leaders who already understand the culture. Development is not just about filling roles, it is about unlocking the potential that drives long-term growth.

💡 Adopting a skills-based hiring approach doesn’t require a full process overhaul – but it does demand shifts in mindset, behavior, and how organizations approach talent. A recent study shows: 37% of organizations have fully implemented skills-based hiring 45% made changes in name only 18% have regressed For many, the journey can feel more complex than expected. Some of the most common challenges include: 1️⃣ Changing mindsets – Moving from credentials and experience to capabilities requires a cultural shift. 2️⃣ Mitigating risk & subjective measurement – Ensuring assessments are fair, valid, and reliable. 3️⃣ Prioritizing the right skills – Identifying which skills truly drive success in each role. 4️⃣ Gaining internal buy-in – Getting leaders, hiring managers, and teams aligned on new approaches. 5️⃣ Measuring effectiveness – Tracking whether skills-based hiring improves performance, engagement, and retention. Understanding these challenges is the first step toward building a more effective, fair, and future-ready hiring process. #SkillsBasedHiring #TalentStrategy #itstartswithtalogy #Talogy #WorkforcePlanning #HiringInsights

You can feel it everywhere right now. Job postings stay open for months. Teams are stretched thin. Middle managers are holding everything together with duct tape and heart. Talent scarcity isn’t just about empty seats. It’s about overcapacity, burnout, and misalignment...signs that the system needs rebalancing, not just recruiting. Here are three steps to navigate talent scarcity with strategy, not panic: 1. Redefine capacity. Before hiring, ask what actually needs to be done and what could be redesigned. One client replaced two open roles by simplifying workflows and clarifying ownership. 🟢 Try this: Map every task to your business priorities. Anything that doesn’t drive impact should be paused or reassigned. 2. Invest in the people who stayed. Retention beats recruitment every time. Middle managers, especially, are quietly burning out while leading through the gap. 🟢 Try this: Provide coaching, skill-building, or cross-training. A 2-hour investment in growth can save months of recruiting time later. 3. Strengthen your feedback loops. When people feel unseen, they leave. When they feel heard, they stay—even through uncertainty. 🟢 Try this: Start monthly “pulse conversations,” not surveys. Ask, “What would make your work feel more sustainable this month?” Then act on what you hear. You don’t fix talent scarcity by hiring faster. You fix it by making your organization a place people don’t want to leave. Save this post to revisit before your next hiring decision, and share it with a leader who’s managing through the gap. #PeopleStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment #ConstructThePresent #EmployeeEngagement #FutureOfWork #MiddleManagersMatter #CultureDesign

Slow hiring isn't just a US phenomenon—Europe's consumer goods and retail sectors are recalibrating too. But here's what the headlines miss: the real story is about retention, not recruitment. I've been reading about slow hiring lately, and honestly? I think we're asking the wrong question. Everyone's focused on "when will hiring pick back up?" But here's what I'm seeing: the organizations thriving right now aren't waiting for the market to change—they're investing heavily in the talent they already have. The retention advantage is real. When external hiring slows, your high performers have fewer exit options. But that doesn't mean they're staying engaged. The companies getting this right are using this moment to deepen relationships, accelerate development, and build the kind of loyalty that outlasts any market cycle. What's working: 💡 Mentorship that actually matters - Not checkbox programs, but genuine connections between senior leaders and emerging talent. When people feel invested in, they invest back. 🔄 Internal mobility as strategy - Your best retention tool isn't a counter-offer, it's a compelling next role. Organizations creating clear pathways for lateral moves and skill diversification are keeping their top performers engaged and curious. 🎯 Development over stagnation - If hiring is slow externally, it's slow internally too. Use this time to upskill, cross-train, and prepare your teams for the capabilities you'll need in 18 months, not the roles you filled last year. 🤝 The relationship investment - Every conversation with a high performer right now is a retention conversation. Career check-ins, visibility on strategic projects, connecting them with your network—these aren't HR tasks, they're business imperatives. This slower hiring moment is actually a gift. It's giving us the space to focus on what we should have been prioritizing all along: making our current teams exceptional rather than constantly looking elsewhere. #TalentRetention #CareerDevelopment #InternalMobility

Why do some hiring managers still place more weight on experience than potential? This article highlights why that approach could be limiting long-term performance. In a market where agility and adaptability often outweigh tenured know-how, some organisations are shifting focus. 🔹 Hiring for potential encourages a wider, more inclusive talent pool. 🔹 It often brings in fresh thinking and stronger alignment with company culture. 🔹 High-potential hires may reach higher performance levels more quickly when given the right support. That doesn’t mean experience has no value. But it does raise questions about how we assess future impact compared to past achievements. What matters more in your hiring process: proven track record or long-term growth potential? Would you change your mind if you had data showing high-potential hires outperform traditional candidates over time? https://lnkd.in/e-3TDhex

🎯 Why Recruitment Teams Deserve Recognition- Not Just Results Recruiters aren’t just filling roles, they’re shaping futures. Every day, they navigate bias, decode business needs, and champion potential. They’re the unsung architects of tomorrow’s leadership. Yet, in many organizations, their efforts go unnoticed beyond metrics. It’s time we change that. 🌟 Recognition Fuels Excellence Rewarding recruitment teams isn’t about perks—> it’s about purpose. When we celebrate their wins, we reinforce the value of strategic hiring. We acknowledge the emotional labor behind every offer accepted, every stakeholder aligned, every future leader discovered. 💡 What Recognition Looks Like Spotlight Stories: Share success journeys of hires who became game-changers. *Performance Bonuses: Tie rewards to quality, not just quantity. *Career Pathing: Elevate recruiters into strategic talent roles. *Public Praise: Celebrate milestones on internal and external platforms. 🚀 Legacy Begins with Talent If we want to build organizations that last, we must honor those who build them - one hire at a time. Let’s move from transactional hiring to transformational impact. #RecruitmentExcellence #TalentAcquisition #EmployerBranding #StrategicHR #FutureOfWork #HRLeadership #PeopleFirst #HiringMatters #RecognitionCulture #GlobalHR #LinkedInTalent #WorkforcePlanning #RecruiterLife #LegacyBuilding #UnbiasedHiring #HRStrategy

🚀 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 Hiring the right people isn’t just about filling seats, it’s about building strong, future-ready teams. But in today’s market, the journey isn’t always smooth. Here are a few challenges we’re navigating: 🔹 Finding the right skill match for evolving roles. 🔹 Ensuring cultural fit alongside technical expertise. 🔹 Tackling longer hiring cycles that risk losing top talent. 🔹 Balancing high expectations on both sides — from flexibility to growth opportunities. 🔹 Addressing retention concerns, as competition for talent remains fierce. Each challenge also pushes us to improve, whether that’s strengthening our recruitment strategy, building our employer brand, or creating a workplace where people truly thrive. 💡 Because at the end of the day, hiring isn’t just recruitment, it’s shaping the future of our teams. #HiringChallenges #TalentAcquisition #Recruitment #EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #HRInsights #TeamBuilding #Leadership