Written by: Diana Doro, VP, Business Development, Orion Talent
In today’s tight and unpredictable labor market, Talent Acquisition (TA) leaders are under more pressure than ever before. The demands are clear: deliver faster time-to-hire, reduce costs, improve candidate quality, and do it all without burning out your recruiting team or compromising on culture fit.
It feels like expectations have never been higher, or the margin for error smaller. The workforce has shifted in fundamental ways, and TA leaders are being asked to adapt in real time, often with fewer resources and greater scrutiny.
Adding to the complexity, a wave of new tariffs and trade tensions are putting pressure on supply chains and corporate budgets, prompting companies to reevaluate hiring plans and organizational priorities. Meanwhile, major layoffs across sectors - including government, tech, and financial services - have created a paradoxical environment: more resumes, but also more uncertainty.
Recruiting is no longer a standalone function, it’s a central lever in your workforce strategy, shaping how organizations adapt, compete, and thrive in an environment defined by disruption.
The Labor Market: Still Competitive, Still Confusing
Despite headlines dominated by major layoffs - including in government, finance, and tech - and a wave of cost-cutting measures, the competition for qualified talent remains intense. For industries like healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and IT, demand continues to outpace supply, especially for roles that require specialized skill sets and strong culture alignment.
At the same time:
- Candidate expectations have shifted. Flexibility, transparency, and purpose now top the list.
- Budgets are tightening. Economic uncertainty, rising interest rates, and global trade disruptions like tariffs are forcing TA teams to do more with less.
- Retention remains a moving target. Even amid layoffs, top performers have options—and are taking them.
- TA is on the hook for everything from DEIB outcomes to employer brand, internal mobility, and workforce planning.
Recruiting today means navigating complex macroeconomic forces, unpredictable hiring freezes, and a workforce with evolving values and expectations.
5 Strategic Moves TA Leaders Should Prioritize
So how do you meet these demands without overloading your team—or compromising your hiring outcomes? Here’s what high-performing TA teams are doing now:
1. Embrace Nontraditional Talent Pools
One of the most effective ways TA leaders are responding to this challenge is by expanding where and how they find talent. Rather than relying solely on traditional sourcing in the old approach (such as fishing from the same networks or job boards) many are proactively engaging nontraditional talent pools. Status Quo isn’t cutting it. It’s a game of diminishing returns: you’re competing with every other company for the same pool of candidates who are already being bombarded with outreach.
Smart TA leaders are expanding their sourcing strategy to include:
- Veterans and Military Candidates
Military graduates represent the second largest, and one of the most consistently replenished, talent pools in the U.S., second only to traditional college graduates. Every year, over 200,000 service members transition out of the military, bringing with them a wealth of leadership experience, technical training, and a mission-first mindset. Unlike some sourcing channels that dry up or shift with market trends, the military-to-civilian pipeline is steady, structured, and full of high-potential candidates ready to contribute from day one. Organizations that proactively hire from this community often see higher retention, stronger leadership pipelines, and a boost in organizational resilience. But many TA teams struggle to reach this audience effectively. These candidates bring leadership, discipline, and adaptability from high-pressure environments. - Formerly incarcerated individuals
Organizations like Slack’s Next Chapter and Dave’s Killer Bread have demonstrated how second-chance hiring creates loyal, hard-working employees. - Career changers and bootcamp grads
These individuals often bring fresh perspectives and are driven to prove themselves. Their unconventional paths can add value that’s tough to teach.
2. Operationalize Speed—Without Sacrificing Fit
In addition to rethinking sourcing strategies, top TA teams are operationalizing speed, without sacrificing quality. Streamlining the hiring process has become critical. This includes reducing the number of interviews, using automation to handle scheduling and screening tasks, and leveraging data to quickly identify top candidates. But while efficiency is key, personalization still matters. Candidates don’t want a cold, robotic process. They want clarity, responsiveness, and human connection. Balancing these two forces - speed and experience - is essential. Speed still matters, but only when it’s paired with precision.
High-performing TA teams are:
- Streamlining interviews (think 2–3 focused touchpoints)
- Maintaining silver-medalist pools and pre-vetted pipelines
- Automating admin-heavy tasks like scheduling and initial screening
But remember, Candidates still expect a human touch. Even in a fast process, clarity and connection matter. Efficiency shouldn’t feel robotic.
3. Activate Employer Brand from the Inside Out
Equally important is the role of employer branding. In today’s market, job seekers do their homework. They look beyond job descriptions to see what a company truly stands for. Does it treat its employees well? Does it offer growth opportunities? Is it socially responsible? TA leaders are increasingly working with marketing and internal communications teams to ensure the employer brand is consistent, authentic, and reflective of employee experiences. This means amplifying real employee stories, being transparent about company values, and ensuring the hiring process reflects the same experience candidates would have once onboarded. Your employer brand is a trust signal in a skeptical job market. Today’s candidates want proof, not just promises.
TA leaders are:
- Showcasing employee stories in recruiting content
- Refreshing messaging in collaboration with internal comms
- Auditing the end-to-end candidate journey for consistency
Especially in a time of layoffs and restructures, candidates are asking: Can I trust this company to invest in me? Your employer brand needs to answer with a resounding “yes.”
4. Get Ahead of Attrition with Internal Mobility
While attracting external talent is critical, TA can’t ignore what’s happening internally. As companies pause or reduce external hiring in response to economic pressure or headcount freezes, internal mobility becomes not just a retention play, but a survival strategy. In this market, retention and internal mobility have become just as important as external hiring. Every time an employee leaves, it adds to the load TA is already carrying, and the entire company feels the ripple. That’s especially true during economic turbulence or restructuring. By partnering with learning and development teams, TA leaders can identify high-potential employees and create clearer career paths to retain them. Talent marketplaces, succession planning, and internal job boards can all help employees visualize a future within the organization, reducing turnover and keeping institutional knowledge in-house. With internal hiring:
- You keep knowledge in-house
- You reduce backfill pressure
- You signal that growth is possible - even when budgets are tight
Smart TA leaders are working with L&D to create visible, accessible career paths, using talent marketplaces and internal job boards to match employees with opportunities before they look elsewhere.
5. Build Capacity Without Burning Out Your Team
Of course, all of this requires capacity, and many TA teams are already stretched to the limit. In the wake of massive layoffs and cost-cutting initiatives, many TA teams are operating in survival mode. Recruiters are juggling increased applicant volume from laid-off workers, navigating outdated systems, and trying to maintain candidate experience amid economic uncertainty. That’s why the smartest leaders are investing in recruiter enablement - whether through technology, training, or outsourcing high-volume roles to trusted partners like RPO providers. These strategies allow internal teams to focus on high-value, strategic hiring while maintaining quality and avoiding burnout.
To stay sustainable:
- Outsource volume or specialized hiring to trusted partners like Orion Talent
- Automate the repetitive and focus your team on high-impact efforts
- Invest in recruiter enablement -tech, training, and systems that lighten the load
This isn’t about working harder. It’s about scaling smarter.
Talent Acquisition Is Business-Critical
Ultimately, the role of TA has never been more important. In 2025, Talent Acquisition isn’t just about hires. It’s about shaping the workforce, driving culture, and enabling growth. TA leaders are no longer order-takers, they’re business partners, storytellers, and strategists.
So yes, the pressure is real. But so is the opportunity. Companies that empower their TA teams with the right tools, mindset, and support will be the ones who emerge stronger, more resilient, and better equipped for whatever comes next.
Start by asking a simple question: Are we hiring for today’s needs, or building for tomorrow’s workforce? If you’re rethinking your talent strategy this year, let’s talk about how to optimize your hiring engine - without compromising on quality, equity, or team well-being. With the right strategy, partnerships, and mindset, today’s TA leaders can become tomorrow’s most valuable business architects.
Ready to Strengthen Your Workforce?
Navigating today’s complex hiring landscape requires more than just filling open roles, it demands a strategic partner who understands your unique challenges. At Orion Talent, we specialize in helping organizations build resilient, high-performing teams through expert recruiting solutions, including veteran talent, RPO, and skills-based hiring strategies. Contact us today to get started!
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