The upcoming year brings new opportunities and new challenges for recruitment in innovation and R&D for life sciences and consumer goods. Here are the top recruitment trends for 2025, and how they will shape the years to come.
Increased Use of AI, Despite Increased Awareness of its Limitations
AI and automation has transformed recruitment and talent acquisition in recent years. With increased awareness and familiarity, more and more recruiters are recognizing the ways that AI and automation are useful, but also becoming aware of its drawbacks and limitations. For example, AI recruitment tools can be an excellent way to streamline candidate screening, optimize scheduling, and increase productivity. However, there remains high risks of algorithmic bias, and AI struggles to correctly interpret social, non-verbal, and casual communications. In 2025, use of these technologies will become more specific and strategic, improving the candidate’s journey by incorporating the human touch.
Doubling Down on Skills-Based Hiring
Skills-based hiring was a huge focus in 2024, but many companies struggled to shift away from traditional models or to properly identify the critical skills they are looking for. In 2025, more companies and their staffing departments will have implemented a skills-based strategy, and shift their recruiting practices accordingly. Shifting the focus to demonstrable skills and away from formal education and work history creates more opportunities for diversity, creativity, and innovation in employment.
Shifting Focus to Long-Term Career Development
Successful recruiters in 2025 will improve acquisition and retention by identifying long-term career goals and development opportunities within the company. They will be helping candidates identify where they want to be in 5 or 10 years, and showing how this job moves them toward those goals. Companies with strong internal recruitment practices, lifetime learning programs, and employee skills training will continue to lead the pack.
Escalating Culture Commitments
Top talent continues to look for companies with a culture and values that align with theirs, making it an ongoing priority for recruitment. However, many people with the most experience and the most in-demand skills have noticed that talk of culture and values often doesn’t last beyond the hiring process. In 2025 and beyond, seasoned candidates will apply even tougher scrutiny to company culture, and look for deeply embedded values that are part of the daily employee experience. In many cases, this scrutiny begins at the top with company executives and leadership, rather than at the interview table or in the employee handbook.
Increased Specialization Within Recruitment Itself
Finally, companies are realizing that, even with internal departments, recruitment is not a one-size-fits all. In 2025, there will be an increased focus on dividing and specializing roles and tasks within recruitment and talent acquisition. Working with recruiters who are deeply familiar with the skills, qualifications, and experiences of specific roles and departments will help to improve the candidate experience while allowing recruitment staff to specialize and streamline their functions.
For more insights on how to recruit and retain the best life sciences and consumer goods talent in Europe, contact Grapefrute today. Our decades of experience with hard-to-fill roles in science, innovation and product development have provided top talent to some of the leading employers on the continent, and your company could be one of them.
