2025’s Great Hiring Paradox: Where Everyone's Happy But Everyone's Leaving

The results are in from our annual UK Hiring Trends Survey, and they paint a fascinating picture of the challenges facing businesses in 2025. Perhaps most striking is this: 60% of professionals are actively seeking new roles, with a further 19% open to the right opportunity. That's potentially 79% of your talent pool in play this year. 

The Compensation Conundrum 

At first glance, the data seems contradictory. While 52% of respondents report satisfaction with their current salary, compensation remains the primary motivator for job changes. In fact, 22% would consider a move for a 5-10% increase, and 27% for 10-15%. 

This presents a complex challenge for employers. Even when businesses make counter-offers (only 16% currently do), they're often unsuccessful. Why? Because 55% of professionals would still leave due to cultural factors, even if their salary was matched. 

The Evolving Workplace 

The landscape of work continues to shift. While businesses are increasingly requiring 2-3 days minimum office presence (some pushing for 4-5), flexible working has more than doubled in importance for job seekers year-over-year, from 11% to 26%. Interestingly, there's a generational divide here – candidates in the 21-28 age bracket strongly prefer office environments over remote work. 

Market Challenges Ahead 

Economic factors are dominating hiring decisions, cited by 47% of respondents. We're seeing this play out across sectors, with even the traditionally resilient IT/tech sector experiencing its first serious decline this century in 2024. 

The focus for 2025 is clearly on revenue generation, with the highest hiring activity in Sales, Business Development, and Bids and Pursuits roles. HR specialists with skills in change management have also been in high demand as businesses battle with ever-changing external pressures. However, with 80% of employers failing to offer dedicated career paths (despite career development being a key motivator for one in five departures), businesses risk losing their best talent to competitors. 

The Hidden Costs of Hiring 

The data reveals a market in flux, where attracting and retaining the right talent requires more time, effort, and strategic thinking than ever before. With 63% of pay rise requests being successful in the past 12 months (albeit mostly modest increases of 0-5%), it's clear that businesses are trying to retain talent. However, with such a high proportion of professionals open to opportunities (79%), maintaining stability while driving growth presents a significant challenge. 

Looking Ahead 

These insights merely scratch the surface of our comprehensive report. For senior leaders and hiring managers navigating these challenges, understanding the complete picture is crucial. Our full report includes: 

- Detailed salary benchmarks across key roles 

- In-depth analysis of tenure and attrition rates across key roles 

- Future hiring forecasts from leading organisations 

- Comprehensive workplace culture insights 

Want to discuss how these trends might impact your hiring strategy? Our team of specialist consultants is ready to help you navigate these challenges. We’d love to get to know you, so start a conversation today. 

Contact us at hello@weareadam.com or why not give us a call on 0161 359 3789? We'd love to have a chat!