For IT staffing firms, staying ahead means doing things differently. The market keeps evolving, and 2025 is going to look different than 2024. This means what worked last year won’t cut it anymore.
If you are a business owner, recruiter, or sales leader, adapting to these changes with the right responses is critical for maximizing ROI and staying competitive.
Industry expert Barb Bruno, founder of Good as Gold Training, shares her top 9 actionable strategies to overcome client and candidate challenges, develop stronger teams, and increase placements in 2025.
Her advice includes employee retention strategies, IT talent acquisition, training for recruiters, and much more.
1. Shift Your Mindset: Change Is Needed
The first rule for success? Stop repeating last year’s strategies. Many firms experienced stagnation because their processes (both recruiting and sales) didn’t evolve.
Bruno’s outlook: “You can’t do things the same way you did even this last year going into 2025 and expect better results.”
2. Fix Perceptions: Clients and Candidates Need Trust
The client’s view: “The only time you talk to us is when you’re making money on us.”
Clients often feel like staffing firms only care about making money. If your sales team reaches out only when there’s revenue on the line, you’re proving them right.
Instead:
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- Build genuine relationships by showing up as strategic partners, not vendors.
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- Provide consistent updates to demonstrate accountability and improve client relationships.
The candidate’s view: “Companies don’t care about us at all… All they care about is filling a job.”
Candidates think recruiters don’t care about them personally — they just want to fill roles.
To change this perception:
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- Stop pitching jobs upfront.
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- Start with general interviews to understand candidates’ career goals and aspirations.
3. Adopt Data-Driven Trends for 2025
Bruno mentions the biggest trends for this year, based on insights from LinkedIn’s data and real-world feedback:
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- AI and Automation can streamline processes, but it cannot replace the trust and relationships that human interactions build. Bruno emphasizes, “We’ve gotten way too high-tech…this is a relationship-building business.”
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- Flexible Work Models remain highly appealing, with hybrid and contract roles in demand.
4. Build Stronger Client Relationships
Elevating client engagement is essential for growth. Bruno encourages firms to move beyond being mere vendors and instead build trust and deeper partnerships with clients. Understanding both personal and professional goals can make all the difference.
Including performance objectives in contracts guarantees alignment between staffing firms and their clients. “How are they going to be evaluated in six months or 12 months?” Bruno advises asking this question to improve candidate matches and set clear expectations.
Weekly updates to clients aren’t just a courtesy either. They build trust and serve as an internal quality control system. Regular communication shows clients that their needs are being prioritized.
5. Encourage Recruiters to Drive Sales Success
Recruiters are more than just role-fillers. They’re key players in business growth. Bruno states that recruiters should collaborate closely with sales teams. They should share at least three leads per day to drive new client acquisition.
“Recruiters are the individuals that should be driving your sales process, she says. She urges firms to make sure their recruiters and sales teams work in tandem. This will maximize insights and opportunities.
6. Refine Your Recruiting Focus with Revenue Modeling
Many staffing firms spread themselves too thin. They try to cover too many industries and job titles. Bruno recommends narrowing your focus to areas where your firm truly excels.
Analyzing past placements can help identify key roles and clients worth prioritizing. Firms that focus on fewer, specialized roles often see greater success. As Bruno puts it, “The firms making the most money know who they are.”
7. Foster a Positive Culture to Increase Retention and Referrals
A strong workplace culture contributes to retention and growth. Employees who enjoy working for you are far more likely to refer others. This creates a natural pipeline for new talent. Gallup data shows that engaged workplaces are also 21% more profitable.
Bruno suggests conducting quarterly stay interviews to understand what keeps employees engaged and to keep them satisfied. Asking questions like, “Why do you stay here? What keeps you engaged?” can provide valuable insights.
Celebrating achievements is another factor in building a positive culture. Recognition programs like “Spotlight Fridays” or peer-to-peer platforms can create a sense of connection and motivation. “If your employees love working for you… most of your hires should be referrals from your internal team,” Bruno notes.
8. Update Training to Match Market Changes
The staffing industry changes faster than many industries. That means: training that hasn’t been updated in the past year is already outdated. Bruno stresses the importance of equipping recruiters with modern strategies to tackle challenges like ghosting, counteroffers, and poor matches.
Senior recruiters, in particular, often need additional training to adapt to new methods. As Bruno explains, “Senior recruiters need more training than new people because they’ve done things the same way for too long.” If this resonates, it might be time to familiarize yourself with the most effective training methods and modern recruiting methods for 2025.
9. Adapt to Candidate Priorities
Candidates’ expectations have shifted significantly in recent years. Recruiters must adapt by focusing on what candidates truly want for their careers. Conducting general interviews helps recruiters understand candidates’ goals and guide them toward long-term success.
“What I want to do is find out what’s most important to you before we talk about a job,” says Bruno. By becoming lifetime career agents for candidates, recruiters can build trust and build lasting relationships.
To A Year of Successful IT Talent Acquisition
Bruno’s message is clear: 2025 will bring new challenges, but the firms that evolve their strategies will thrive. Building trust, refining processes, using the right employee retention strategies, and investing in up-to-date training will help staffing firms have a record-breaking year.
“There is no reason why all of you cannot hit or surpass your goals next year,” Bruno concludes.
Now is the time to make the changes that matter — and to make sure your firm doesn’t just survive but thrives.
Don’t forget to register for Barb Bruno’s five-part training webinar series — Mastering Recruitment in Today’s Competitive Market. Register here. First webinar goes live on Jan. 14, 2025.
