2025 candidate engagement predictions in talent acquisition

Multiple forces are shaking up talent acquisition, from the dynamic market to the growing presence of AI. These impacts are pushing TA leaders to get even more creative with candidate recruitment – or risk losing out.

Cielo experts weigh in on what it’ll take to win top talent in the coming year: 

Transparency & personalization 

AI will drive many of the communications during the hiring process – and candidates know this. They’ll expect AI-generated messages to be transparent, hyper-personalized and relevant. Candidates appreciate AI's efficiency and real-time feedback, but they’ll also demand authenticity and human oversight across all hiring stages.  

Additionally, candidates will continue prioritizing flexibility in their roles and expect AI to help facilitate. Employers must consider tailored work arrangements, allowing for personalized schedules, hybrid work options and benefits that prioritize mental health and work-life balance, aligning job offerings with individual lifestyles.

– Jared Best, Vice President – Customer Technology

Authentic social media presence 

Potential employees will want to know what it’s like to work at your company. They’ll want to see the good, the challenging and how they’ll grow with you. Social media is the best way to give an unfiltered peek behind the curtain and showcase your team in action: how they innovate, collaborate and celebrate. This approach has been shown to reduce turnover by 28%.  

A strong employer brand will be crucial for engaging the workforce of tomorrow, particularly Gen Z, who are reshaping workplace expectations. Candidates in this generation love quick, engaging content, so short-form videos will be a goldmine. And creating a connection is key. Video content helps bring your brand to life and makes that all-important first impression.

– Jemma Karle, Director – Global Social Media

Recruitment on their terms 

Candidates continue to desire to be sought out and further dictate their own engagement journey. This will only increase as the next generation enters the workforce. Integrating AI to identify and capitalize on strategic moments of the recruitment process will help talent seekers spend their time on personal engagement. The advancement of recruitment to meet those candidates in the mediums and with the messaging they want will be paramount in driving unique experiences and winning talented individuals.  

– Stephen Byrd, Vice President – Candidate Generation

Discovering new ways of connecting and making the most of innovative HR and TA technology: that’s the recruitment of tomorrow. With these candidate engagement predictions, you can design a talent strategy that’s set to impress and boost your company above the competition.