The surprising answer to the most common question you've asked me
Over two decades working in talent, this is the question I have been asked the most.
And this is my honest answer.
Q: "What's the market like?"
A: It doesn't matter.
I'm not trying to be unhelpful, I promise.
I have answered this question thousands of times; for leaders and hiring teams and for candidates.
Here's the thing I want all employers to know. This is for:
people leaders
people and culture teams responsible for hiring
any leader in any organisation or business in 2025.
Forget what the market is doing. Competition for talent is a given.
Here's what I am assuming.
You want to attract the right person for the job and your team.
You want to hire someone who is aligned with your mission and purpose.
You want to bring someone into your team who wants to work with you.
You do not want to hire someone who 'just needs a job'.
You need your job opportunity and your organisation to stand out, in a crowded market.
You're not sure how it's possible to stand out in the sea of (mostly beige) ads on job boards.
You know what you offer needs to be competitive to attract the right person.
Here's what you may NOT know.
Competing for talent isn't simply about being 'better'.
This is also why it doesn't matter what the market is doing. Why?
People change jobs twice as often as they did a decade ago.
Average turnover is holding tight at 16%.
One third of employers have turnover of 20% or more.
Competition for talent is a given. It's not going away.
Rather than look externally at the market, leaders and people teams need to look internally for the answers to talent challenges.
Effective recruitment is intentional, proactive and creative.