What Q1 hiring data tells us about the road ahead

We all knew this year would be full of policy changes – and whether you were excited or dreading them, there’s no denying that uncertainty abounds. As of writing this, the overall economic outlook feels muddled. Here's how we move forward after reviewing the first quarter of the year:

• Uncertainty demands clarity. Strategic, data-driven decision-making isn’t just a best practice; it’s a necessity.
• Collaboration is a force multiplier. Treat strategic partnerships with vendors as a competitive advantage.

Signals in the data

As we closed Q1, Hirevue platform data surfaced several trends shaping the talent landscape. We saw strong signals that candidate volume is climbing, and fast:

• 1.46 million interviews were completed on the platform from January through March.
• Interview efficiency surged, with more than 15,000 interviews conducted daily.
• The time to complete an interview dropped to 2.6 days, suggesting candidates are moving with urgency, possibly anticipating fewer job opportunities.
• Sector activity varied, with transportation, consulting, insurance, and healthcare all showing growth. 
• Retail remained volatile but showed signs of stabilizing by March. Energy and education also experienced modest rebounds.
• 22 million messages were exchanged - a 3% increase from the previous quarter, indicating that candidate interest is accelerating.
• 6 million assessments, including Virtual Job Tryouts, Game-Based Assessments, and other assessment products.

We’ve seen this pattern before. When the broader economy contracts, job seekers flood the market. If the downturn deepens, we expect a surge in candidate volume that will overwhelm unprepared talent teams.

It’s time to start asking yourself a big question: How resistant is your application process to shocks in candidate flow? 

Responding to macro uncertainty 

Speaking firsthand as a leader, there isn’t a clear answer for the uncertainty we’re all living through right now. 

With inflation inching up, job growth cooling, and almost certain further regulatory upheaval, leaders have difficult decisions to make. Now’s the time to ask: what does the data actually say? 

For talent leaders: Are you benchmarking candidate drop-off rates, quality-of-hire metrics, and recruiter capacity? Are you tracking time-to-fill by role type and location? Leaders who lean into workforce analytics, scenario modeling, and real-time labor market data aren’t just surviving—they’re sharpening their edge. 

Strategic partnerships and collaboration are the key to success

Of course, as the CEO of a skills intelligence company, I will tell you that collaborating with your tech vendors is essential. But put aside the obvious incentive I have, and hear me out when I say that we’re doing this ourselves. We’re sitting down with our own vendors to pressure-test our tech stack, identify opportunities for greater ROI, and game plan for different market scenarios.

Our team can help you plan for scaling up or down when those inevitable shocks to candidate flow arise. Times like these demand systems-level thinking; how do your tools, people, and processes interact and evolve? 

Collaboration, internally across departments and externally with trusted partners, is a powerful differentiator.

Integrating AI with trusted vendors

At a time when applicant volume is going up and teams are doing more with less, there’s a need to integrate AI across the business. The benefits are too great to ignore, and it’s smart business to consider automation and AI where it makes sense in your organization. Respondents in the 2025 Global Guide to AI in hiring report 63% greater productivity and 52% enhanced business efficiency. 

At Hirevue, we have various products that allow you to leverage AI to bring efficiency to your processes while maintaining high quality and safety.

For talent teams, you can learn more about some of our most recent announcements around more intelligent workflows, conversational Match and Apply agents, Interview Insights, and more applications to free up significant time, allowing greater focus on building relationships with top candidates. 

Looking ahead

In uncertain times, agility isn't optional. It's a differentiator. The companies thriving despite the volatility are those investing in resilience now: scenario modeling, data transparency, and adaptable hiring processes that can flex as candidate volume shifts.

When the volatility passes arrives—and it always does—the labor market won’t favor the companies that waited to act. It will favor the ones that were already in motion.