How HR Leaders Are Redefining Talent Acquisition and Retention in 2025

• Click here and listen to this full episode (and other episodes)
• Hosts: Matt Burns, CEO and Co-Founder of atlas copilot and Christopher Rainey , CEO and Co-Founder of HR Leaders
• Guest: Tim Young , Senior Vice President, HR Operations at Pearson

Brought to You in Partnership with Joveo

Joveo offers a high-performance, AI-led recruitment marketing platform, which combines best-in-class programmatic job advertising, career sites, landing pages, candidate engagement, and conversational AI, to deliver 50% more relevant applicants and 33% lower cost. They power talent attraction for large global businesses, such as Uber, Wells Fargo, Verizon, Adecco, Korn Ferry, and others.

Click here and listen to this full episode (and other episodes)

Overview

On Episode 10 of the FutureWork Show, in partnership with Hacking HR, HR Leaders, and atlas copilot, HR experts Christopher Rainey and Matt Burns sat down with Tim Young, Senior Vice President of HR Operations at Pearson, to discuss how HR leaders are redefining talent acquisition and retention strategies in 2025.

The conversation focused on how organizations can rethink traditional hiring practices, employee engagement, and skills-based career mobility in a rapidly evolving work environment. Our guest emphasized that talent strategies must shift from reactive hiring to proactive workforce planning, integrating digital tools and strategic employer branding to attract and retain top talent.

A key theme that emerged was the growing role of AI-driven talent marketplaces and skills-based career architectures. As organizations move away from rigid job descriptions and focus on skills-based hiring, they must develop frameworks that empower employees to take control of their own career growth. The discussion underscored that retaining talent in today’s market is not just about offering competitive salaries but about creating personalized career pathways, fostering engagement, and ensuring employee well-being.

The speakers highlighted that while technology is reshaping talent management, the core principles of successful people strategies remain rooted in human experience, career development, and meaningful work. As HR leaders navigate 2025, organizations that embrace agility, personalization, and strategic workforce planning will be best positioned to thrive.

Redefining Talent Acquisition and Retention for 2025

On the latest episode of FutureWork, HR leaders and talent experts explored innovative approaches to recruitment, employee engagement, and workforce planning in a rapidly evolving job market. Here are the main takeaways from this insightful conversation.

From Reactive Hiring to Strategic Workforce Planning

Traditional hiring models, focused on filling roles as they become vacant, are becoming obsolete. Instead, organizations must embrace strategic workforce planning, which includes:

• Identifying critical skills needed for the future and building talent pipelines accordingly.
• Leveraging data-driven insights to anticipate hiring needs before openings occur.
• Aligning talent acquisition strategies with long-term business goals.
• Prioritizing internal mobility and skill development over external hiring whenever possible.

This approach allows organizations to move beyond short-term recruitment challenges and create sustainable talent ecosystems.

The Rise of Skills-Based Hiring and Career Mobility

A major shift in workforce planning is the transition from job-based hiring to skills-based career development. Organizations that succeed in the future of work will:

• Move away from rigid job descriptions and focus on core competencies and transferable skills.
• Develop internal talent marketplaces where employees can explore new career opportunities.
• Provide continuous learning resources and credentialing programs to upskill employees for emerging roles.
• Encourage managers to co-create personalized career paths with their teams to drive engagement and retention.

This shift empowers employees to take control of their career growth while allowing organizations to optimize their workforce for long-term success.

Employer Branding and Talent Attraction in a Competitive Market

To attract and retain top talent, organizations must invest in building a strong employer brand. The discussion highlighted the importance of:

• Clearly articulating a compelling employee value proposition that aligns with organizational purpose.
• Showcasing career growth opportunities and company culture across social platforms, especially LinkedIn.
• Engaging in industry events and networking to increase visibility among high-potential candidates.
• Maintaining a strong presence in both digital and in-person recruiting spaces to build trust with prospective employees.

By enhancing their employer branding strategies, organizations can stand out in a competitive job market and attract the best talent.

Enhancing Employee Engagement and Well-Being

Employee expectations have evolved, with well-being and flexibility ranking among top priorities. The panel shared several strategies for fostering engagement and retention:

• Offering hybrid work models to support work-life balance.
• Investing in employee mental health through accessible therapy and wellness programs.
• Encouraging leaders to create a culture of psychological safety and open communication.
• Providing clear career development pathways to keep employees motivated and engaged.

The discussion underscored that companies that prioritize well-being and career growth will see stronger retention rates and higher employee satisfaction.

Looking Ahead

The conversation emphasized that talent acquisition and retention strategies must evolve alongside workplace expectations. Organizations that proactively build skills-based talent pipelines, invest in employer branding, and prioritize employee engagement will be well-equipped for the future of work. As one panelist noted, "Success in 2025 will come from balancing innovation with a people-first approach—leveraging technology without losing sight of the human experience."

By implementing these strategies, HR leaders can create agile, resilient, and forward-thinking organizations that attract and retain top talent in an increasingly dynamic job market.

Watch the full episode by clicking below ⬇️

Find Out More About Joveo

Joveo offers a high-performance, AI-led recruitment marketing platform, which combines best-in-class programmatic job advertising, career sites, landing pages, candidate engagement, and conversational AI, to deliver 50% more relevant applicants and 33% lower cost. They power talent attraction for large global businesses, such as Uber, Wells Fargo, Verizon, Adecco, Korn Ferry, and others.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to our guest: Tim Young.

Also, thank you to our episode and series sponsor, Joveo and their brilliant team:

• Kshitij Jain, Founder & CEO
• Yazad Dalal, Chief Growth Officer
• Shehzad Karkhanawala Chief Marketing Officer
• And: Hacking HR , HR Leaders , Christopher Rainey & Matt Burns.

Previous Episodes

Click here to access all videos.

• Episode 1: Wagner Denuzzo, LCSW (He/Him/His) (How to Build Talent Pipelines for Seasonal and Surge Hiring)
• Episode 2: Horst Gallo (How to use AI to Attract & Retain World-Class Talent)
• Episode 3: Christopher Lind (Recruitment Automation: What Do You Do with the Savings?)
• Episode 4: Mercedes Escala (Continuous Hiring in High-Turnover Industries)
• Episode 5: Sofian Lamali 🌍 (Building a Talent Strategy for Hard-to-Fill Regions & Roles)
• Episode 6: Ian OKeefe (How Analytics Supercharges Your Talent Strategy)
• Episode 7: @Britton Bloch and Richard Gregory (The Future of Work is Now: How HR Leaders Can Navigate the AI Revolution)
• Episode 8: Dani Monaghan and Cher Murphy (Creating a Magnetic Employer Brand: Lessons from Top Companies)
• Episode 9: @Jennifer Moore and Rupert Brown own (How to Realize Change Resilience in Digital Transformations)

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