Demand remains high for HR professionals as we move further into 2025. Because of the ongoing talent squeeze and other challenging hiring trends, employers must work harder to recruit and retain top talent for both permanent and contract roles if they want to meet their goals in the months ahead.
As a manager, knowing the most in-demand positions allows you to better compete for promising candidates while reinforcing your retention efforts for roles at greatest risk of turnover. Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report can help. It highlights the latest data from surveys of hiring managers and our analysis of thousands of job postings to help you make informed hiring and management decisions.
Here are some key takeaways from the report.
2025 In-Demand Human Resources Roles and Hiring Trends
What does the HR hiring market look like?
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the Q4 2024 unemployment rate for payroll and timekeeping clerks was 1.1%, and for HR managers it was 0.6%. Other HR positions with unemployment rates trending well below the 4.1% national average in December include training and development specialists (1.3%) and compensation and benefits specialists (1.7%).
What are the major hiring trends in the HR hiring market?
HR leaders are managing evolving workplaces that demand more innovative solutions and strategic thinking than ever to navigate budget constraints, skills gaps and crucial employee engagement.
HR leaders named their top strategic priorities for 2025 as talent acquisition and recruitment, training and development, compensation and benefits, employee engagement, employee relations and performance management. Meanwhile, workplace technology is evolving rapidly and employee expectations are changing.
Organizations must invest in new systems while managing hybrid work arrangements and demonstrating measurable impacts on workforce performance, employee engagement and talent retention. These priorities reflect a holistic approach to human resource management, emphasizing the entire employee lifecycle.
This environment is fueling demand for professionals with more specialized skills, including cloud-based HR platforms. Organizations also seek professionals with expertise in HR analytics and workforce planning, employee experience design, regulatory compliance and risk management.
Which HR roles are in highest demand?
The growing complexity of HR functions, coupled with the rapid adoption of new technology, has led to a demand for professionals with more specialized skills, including cloud-based HR platforms and virtual collaboration tools. HR leaders are also looking for employees with expertise in HR analytics and workforce planning, employee experience design, regulatory compliance and risk management.
The following positions represent the top 25% of HR roles in demand, according to an analysis of thousands of job postings and Robert Half placements:
Benefits manager
HR coordinator
HR generalist
HR manager
Learn where the jobs are in demand
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Explore our Demand for Skilled Talent report to see what specializations employers need most.
Managers planning increased recruitment in first half of 2025
HR hiring managers are bracing for the challenges of securing top-tier talent in an improving job market, with 55% planning to hire for new and vacated roles and 42% hiring for vacated roles only. Chief reasons HR hiring managers plan to staff up in the first half of 2025 are company growth (57%), followed by employee turnover (53%) and new projects (41%).
However, 88% of HR leaders said it’s already challenging to find skilled talent. At the same time, 35% of these leaders plan to increase their use of contract professionals through 2025.
How to compete for HR talent in a challenging hiring environment
In today’s competitive hiring market, attracting and retaining top HR professionals requires a mix of strategies.
Salaries that meet or beat market rates are vital, but workplace flexibility, including remote and hybrid options, is prioritized by many candidates. In the HR field, 57% of new job postings have recently been for on-site positions, 35% for hybrid and 8% for fully remote roles. Policies promoting other ways to achieve work-life balance such as personal wellness days and parental leave can also set you apart from other companies seeking the same talent.
The opportunity to work with emerging technologies can be a magnet for today's HR professionals—and another way to compete for skilled talent. In particular, candidates see working with AI as an opportunity to develop highly sought skills that can enhance their career trajectory.
And don’t forget how important it is to streamline your hiring processes. Delays often result in losing top candidates to your competitors.
Beyond these internal measures, partnering with specialized recruiters can help you identify and access high-potential candidates who may not actively be job hunting.
Want to know more about hiring trends? Check out the Demand for Skilled Talent report.
About the Demand for Skilled Talent report
The Demand for Skilled Talent report by Robert Half is an authoritative source providing essential insights into employment trends. This report has offered a deep dive into the U.S. hiring landscape for over a decade, spotlighting challenges and strategies to attract and retain talent. It explores what employees seek in their careers, identifies common recruitment errors and suggests solutions. The report spans finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and human resources, proving crucial for business leaders and managers.
