In today's volatile market, the old rules of talent acquisition feel broken. Leaders are struggling to find strategies that actually work as hiring forecasts shift, candidate expectations change, and economic uncertainty makes long-term planning seem impossible. Relying on conventional wisdom now guarantees extended vacancies, mismatched hires, and frustrated teams.
This article cuts through the noise. Synthesized from RPOA interviews with top talent leaders for the Talent Leader Council blog series, it reveals five surprising and impactful takeaways that challenge conventional thinking. These are the new rules for winning talent in a game where the old playbook no longer applies, offering a clearer path forward for those ready to adapt.
In an era of deep candidate skepticism, the instinct is to present a perfectly polished employer brand, a tactic that is now fundamentally broken. The surprising truth is that radical transparency is far more effective. With 83 percent of candidates, according to a 2025 TA Trends Study from Lighthouse Research & Advisory, admitting they don’t believe employers are honest, a flawless image is immediately met with distrust.
Instead of only selling the positive aspects of a position, leading companies are embracing honesty about the challenges. Talent leaders Zack Flippo and Emily Gordon of Randall Reilly argue that organizations should be upfront about the difficult parts of a role and even be willing to explain why a candidate wouldn't be a good fit. This counterintuitive approach does three things: it builds immediate trust, effectively filters for candidates with the resilience and cultural alignment to succeed, and attracts professionals who are prepared for the realities of the job, significantly reducing turnover.
This transparency isn't just a tactic for the active interview process; it's a long-term brand-building strategy. As Zack Flippo, Director of Sales Enablement at Randall Reilly, notes, earning a candidate's consideration long before they apply is the ultimate goal.
"Mind share precedes market share. Before you can sell something, someone has to think about you. The same applies to recruiting.” — Zack Flippo
Read Flippo and Gordon's insights on the Talent Leader Council.
Military hiring in the U.S. represents significant untapped potential, with approximately 200,000 service members transitioning to civilian careers annually. Employers demand military talent due to their proven work ethic, technical skills, and leadership capabilities. Despite 75 percent of employers reporting that veterans outperform civilian peers, the veteran hiring benchmark tracked by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) continues to decline.
The core mistake is that most organizations treat veteran recruitment as standard diversity hiring rather than a strategic competitive advantage. This critical talent pool requires specialized branding strategies distinct from standard diversity hiring approaches. Organizations fail to resonate with military candidates when they believe they must choose between broad talent appeal and military-specific messaging.
Diana Doro of Orion Talent notes that while many talent acquisition leaders acknowledge the value of veterans, they struggle to reach them in the marketplace because they are doing very little, if anything, to specifically appeal to that audience. Military talent is the second-largest unique talent pool and requires a clear message within the overall employer brand. Companies must prioritize leveraging existing military employees as authentic brand ambassadors and position military talent as business drivers, not charity cases. Authentic employer brand failures in reaching military candidates are signaled by declining hiring benchmarks despite their recognized value.
Read Doro's insights on the Talent Leader Council.
In high-pressure hiring environments, there is a common belief that organizations must sacrifice a quality, brand-focused candidate experience for speed. According to Hilary Jarman, Vice President of Talent Marketing and Product Strategy at Hueman People Solutions, this is a false choice. In reality, efficiency and employer branding are "two sides of the same coin."
A fast, respectful, and efficient hiring process is one of the most powerful reflections of an organization's values. It tells candidates that the company is organized, respects their time, and is decisive. Conversely, a slow, disorganized process actively damages the brand. Given that candidates are already primed for distrust—with 83% doubting employer honesty, as noted earlier—a slow and disorganized process doesn't just seem inefficient, it feels like confirmation that the company's polished brand is a facade. In a market where only 17 percent of candidates trust employers to communicate honestly about their brand, a streamlined process doesn't sacrifice the brand; it strengthens it by demonstrating competence and respect.
"Efficiency and employer branding constitute two sides of the same coin. When you have an efficient process, it benefits everyone involved, specifically the candidates. And that is a reflection of your core values." — Hilary Jarman
Read Jarman's insights on the Talent Leader Council.
When a data-driven talent strategy fails, the instinct is to blame the technology. The real issue, however, is almost always human. According to Jordan Morrow, Senior Vice President of Data and AI Transformation at AgileOne, the primary obstacle to successful implementation is not the tool, but a lack of skills and data literacy among the workforce.
In a typical organization of 10,000 employees, an estimated 99 percent lack formal data training. Morrow notes that the success of any analytics initiative depends 80 to 90 percent on "people factors" like skill development, cultural readiness, and comfort with data. This skills gap is a critical amplifier of the "Data Mirage" problem; leaders are not only resistant to hearing uncomfortable truths, but their teams often lack the literacy to confidently analyze the data and advocate for change in the first place. Simply purchasing a new platform without investing in the training and change management required to succeed is a recipe for failure.
Read Morrow's insights on the Talent Leader Council.
In an era of economic uncertainty, the traditional model of building a fixed, internal recruiting team has become both obsolete and risky. Unpredictable hiring needs mean companies are either overstaffed during downturns or overwhelmed during surges.
The modern solution, as described by Chip Holmes, Internal Consultant at Randall Reilly and a global leader in recruitment process outsourcing, is to use on-demand recruiting (or "Project RPO") as a "relief valve." This flexible model allows companies to scale their recruiting capacity up or down to handle specific projects (such as a new facility opening, a product launch, or a seasonal hiring surge) without committing to permanent overhead. The growth of this model, which increased 7 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to RPOA’s 2025 RPO Buyer Trends Report, is a direct response to economic volatility. This represents a crucial strategic pivot: from viewing recruitment as a fixed operational cost to managing it as a variable, on-demand investment aligned with real-time business needs. It is the de-risking of the talent acquisition function.
"Project RPO becomes the relief valve because you bring in people who are good at hiring and ramping up and down quickly... when it's done, you disengage until you need them. You haven't disrupted your team or put too much on their plate." — Chip Holmes
Read Holme's insights on the Talent Leader Council.
The playbook for this new era rests on two foundational pillars: unshakeable integrity and strategic agility. Unshakeable integrity is achieved through the radical honesty that builds trust in a skeptical market and the efficient, respectful processes that prove your brand is more than just words. Strategic agility is driven by the courage to act on uncomfortable data, the commitment to investing in your people's skills, and the wisdom to adopt flexible resourcing models that match the volatility of the world around you.