The hiring landscape is evolving quickly. Jeremy Jenson, CEO of Encore Search Partners, says that companies that refuse to adapt will continue to fall behind if they don't make a change.

"Most companies are extremely reactive when it comes to hiring. They lose a high performer and scramble to backfill that person for the same pay with the same experience the predecessor had. That's not strategy—that's panic," Jenson says. "The winners are asking better questions, moving faster, and treating recruiting as an investment in growth."

Jenson's company continues to break revenue records while many others are downsizing. His outbound headhunting model, proactive outlook to hiring, and a strategic approach to AI-driven automation without replacing the human aspect of recruiting have been markers of Encore's success.

Here are the 10 hiring trends that shape standout companies in 2025:

1. Top Performers Move Fast.
   "If you're still dragging candidates through 4+ rounds of interviews, you're already losing to another firm that made an offer yesterday."
   
   
2. Strategic Firms Headhunt, Continuously.
   "Our clients view us as a strategic resource for them to grow their businesses and increase their enterprise value."
   
   
3. Impact Matters More Than Cost.
   "The sad truth is that that person left for a BETTER opportunity. More money, more responsibility, more flexibility - who knows. But if you want to replace the predecessor, you must think outside of the box on what the true business need is, and focus less on their job history and more on skills and expertise."
   
   
4. Adding Bandwidth to the Growth Strategy Team.
   "We function as Consultants and Advisors, much like an extension of our clients' leadership teams, in order to poach away top talent from their competitors."
   
   
5. AI Is a Tool, not a Crutch.
   "Access to AI Recruiting tools will force many less innovative recruiting firms to go out of business, but our strategy will solidify Encore Search Partners as the premiere search firm in the direct hire recruitment industry.
   
   
6. Smart Companies See Recruiting as an Investment Instead of an Expense.
   "We are positioned as THE industry-leader for recruiting revenue producers... professionals that increase our clients' top line revenue, [so] they see our recruitment fee more as an investment in their growth, rather than an expense from their profits."
   
   
7. Not All Growing Companies Are Created Equal.
   "Some companies struggle to find talent because their brand isn't positioned to attract high performers. Some struggle to keep talent because they aren't innovating in new technologies, culture initiatives, or competitive compensation structure."
   
   
8. Hire Values, Not Just Resumes. 
   "We have focused on hiring and training people that are new to the recruitment industry... This has given us the opportunity to focus more on Core Values alignment, and less on skills or experience."
   
   
9. Passive Talent Is Gold.
   "We don't check resume databases or inbound applications. We headhunt gainfully employed high performing professionals for our clients' open roles."
   
   
10. Quality Over Quantity. Always.
    "By focusing on professionals that increase our clients' top line revenue... we recognize that while new start-ups rely on AI and spam blasts... we will remain focused on recruiting candidates that are NOT looking for a new job."

"If you're not focusing on becoming a better version of yourself, each and every day, you get complacent. Complacency breeds mediocrity," Jenson adds.

Top talent isn't waiting around. Make sure your hiring strategy isn't either.