Trends

Senior recruitment specialist Robert Kenward shares live insights from across events and experiential agency owners, HR professionals and C-suite decision makers. Q3 shows a market re-focusing on experience, settling into hybrid norms, accepting the AI reality, and quietly regaining confidence for 2026.

Below are the standout Q3 2025 trends, plus forecasts for the months ahead.

Trend 1: Experience Is Back (“Lived Experience,” not Lip Service)

The brief has shifted. Agencies are keen to employ seasoned professionals – leaders who’ve managed people face-to-face, handled crises and can read a room. “Call it lived experience: instincts you only earn by doing,” says Kenward. “To be clear: this isn’t about age; it’s about depth of leadership and people skills.”

Trend 2: Leaders Want to be Back in the Office, and Many Teams Do Too

Hybrid has now settled at three or four office days for senior leaders. It’s not about presenteeism; it’s about proximity. “You can’t properly support a team from a spare room. Personal reasons also play a role – loneliness, changing home set-ups, and the need for clearer boundaries. In short, being present is back in fashion.”

Trend 3: Hybrid Is Fracturing Cultures – Clarity Cures It

The “messy middle” is… messy. “Different working patterns (2 days vs 4 days, fixed vs flexible) are creating micro-cliques and “in-group/out-group” dynamics,” says Kenward. “Remote-only employees feel sidelined and fully in-office teams resent exceptions. Information spreads informally – over a coffee, on a quick lunchtime walk – and the people outside the room miss out.” The remedy is simple but hard: set a model, stick to it, and recruit to it. Hybrid can work brilliantly – if it’s intentional and consistently applied.

Trend 4: AI Is Here, It’s Not the Enemy

AI is now simply part of the toolkit. It’s not new, it’s not scary, and crucially, it hasn’t stolen everyone’s job. The panic has passed. “We’ve calmed down,” says Kenward. “It’s being used sensibly – to automate admin, summarise notes, draft job specs – but not to replace people.” Recruiters and employers alike are finding balance: letting AI handle the dull stuff so humans can do the bit that matters – connection, assessment, creativity and conversation.

Trend 5: Sales Talent—Consider Fully Remote (Seriously)

Most roles are now three or four days in the office. The exception? Sales. “The best salespeople are client-side, not desk-bound. If you want top performers, consider remote-first sales with clear targets, accountability and trust. Remote doesn’t mean “never leaves the house”; it means out delivering, not clock-watching.”

Trend 6: “Work Hard, Play Hard” Is Now a Red Flag

Friday drinks and “work hard, play hard” culture are no longer seen as badges of honour – they’re red flags. “With no/low-alcohol culture on the rise and a more inclusive focus on wellbeing, employers are moving away from the bar tab as a benefit,” says Kenward. “Similarly, stop shouting about “hybrid” as if it’s a perk – it’s expected talk about purpose, progression, wellbeing and credible leadership instead.”

Trend 7: Face-to-Face Interviews Are Back (Especially Finals)

Final interviews are back in person, often at the client offices or an event. “Candidates refusing to meet face-to-face at that stage are seen as red flags. Employers want to see real interaction – with presence, curiosity, and chemistry – without a screen filter.”

Trend 8: “Vibe Hiring” Is Out, Evidence Is In

Chemistry still matters – no one wants to hire a nightmare – but “we vibed” no longer justifies a decision. “Employers are now testing claims: “You launched the US office? Talk me through the business case, budget and client wins.” Expect structured assessment, scenario discussions and proof over banter. The result? Better hires and fewer false starts,” comments Kenward.

Trend 9: Salary Transparency Is Growing

“I will die on this hill, and it feels like its finally getting through – more employers are posting salary bands. It’s efficient, fair and honest. It reduces mismatches, speeds up the process and signals that pay equity is more than a press release,” says Kenward. Expect this to become standard across mid–senior roles.

Trend 10: The Industry Is Split – But the Loudest Voices Aren’t the Whole Picture

The third/third/third split holds firm: a third of businesses are thriving, a third stable, a third struggling. But those struggling are also the loudest, so the public perception feels worse than reality. “You wouldn’t believe how much quiet optimism there is,” says Kenward. “Lots of agencies are confident about 2026 – but they’re not shouting about it.”

Optimism doesn’t trend, but it’s everywhere in the background. “The industry’s mood is measured, cautious but quietly positive, built on better hiring, sharper propositions and leaner teams.”

Forecasts for the Months Ahead:

1) Pay Will Reflect Presence (by Office Days)

“This may be controversial, but employers are now thinking about offering pay based on office presence – not as a penalty for remote work, but as recognition of onsite contribution and overheads,” says Kenward. “It’s practical, transparent, and already quietly happening.”

2) More Consolidation Before the Next Uplift

Expect redundancies before recovery, mostly due to mergers and efficiency drives. “For founder-led agencies around £2–10m turnover, my advice is: run lean, stay smart, and scale cleanly. Acquirers are waiting for strong, focused businesses with clear margins.”

3) The C-suite Returns to Strategy

After years firefighting, the C-suite is back to leading, not doing. “There’s renewed demand for solid MDs and Operations Directors who can run the engine room – freeing execs to look outward at strategy, partnerships and growth.”

4) Leaders Are Talking to Each Other – And That’s a Good Thing

Senior leaders are finally comparing notes again. “Peer groups, invite-only lunches and proper, honest conversations are really popular. And the tone is very much collaboration over competition.”

5) Remote-First Will Stay Rare – With Sales the Outlier

“Outside of sales and a handful of technical roles, fully remote will remain niche. Hybrid is here to stay – but with clearer expectations, firmer boundaries and fewer grey areas.”

In short: Q3 marks a reset towards realism – steady leadership, sensible hybrid, human-first AI, and cautious optimism for what’s ahead. “It’s not doom,” says Kenward. “It’s direction. The smart ones are already building for next year.”

For more straight-talking insights from Robert Kenward and Jigsaw Talent Solutions, subscribe to Robert’s Recruitment Report for practical updates, live market intel and no-nonsense advice for employers and candidates.