As 2025 hiring gets underway, both candidates and recruiters could find a hiring process that is more frustrating than ever, according to new research from LinkedIn.

New LinkedIn research released last week found that almost 60% of employees will be on the job hunt this year, but about half said applying for roles has gotten harder. At the same time, almost two-thirds of hiring managers surveyed said they had increasing trouble in 2024 finding qualified talent.

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“There’s a real mismatch right now between job seekers and hirers,” says Erin Scruggs, vice president and head of global talent acquisition at LinkedIn.

How can HR tackle this disconnect? A two-pronged solution, according to the LinkedIn research: infusing more tech into HR processes while at the same time zeroing in on the skills needed to support the organization in the future.

AI’s role in improving 2025 hiring processes

Although hiring and recruiting managers have long been cautioned to keep open communication with candidates, the LinkedIn research found that few can achieve that objective: Nearly 40% of candidates said that, despite putting out more applications, they’re hearing back less from prospective employers.

Why the silence? HR professionals may not have the time, according to the study. Nearly a quarter of HR pros surveyed said they spend between three and five hours every day looking through job applications.

It’s a problem that also surfaced in HR Executive’s recent What’s Keeping HR Up at Night? research. About a quarter of the approximately 400 HR professionals surveyed said they’re spending most of their time on HR administration and operations, the most common answer. This comes as hiring and retaining key talent again ranked as HR’s most pressing challenge, cited by nearly one-third of respondents.

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