Senior recruitment specialist Robert Kenward shares his insider insights into what’s happening with recruitment in the events and experiential world, based on live conversations with agency leaders, hiring managers, c-suite stakeholders and senior job seekers.
From AI burnout and brand-damaging interview behaviours to sales talent scarcity and the rebirth of face-to-face trust, Q2 reveals a market caught between evolution and exhaustion.
Here are the key trends from Q2 2025, plus what to expect in the second half of the year.
Q2 Trends
Trend 1: AI overload Is breaking the system
We’ve hit peak AI. From AI-generated job posts to AI avatars doing live interviews, the recruitment process is buckling under the weight of automation.
Kenward said: “There are candidates feeding ChatGPT answers in real time while staring blankly at the screen as their avatar fronts up the interview. It’s madness. There’s even a standard interview test now where you’re asked to wave your hand in front of the camera to prove you’re human.”
LinkedIn is already pulling back, as AI posts, AI comments, and scheduled AI engagement collapse into a pointless content loop.
Kenward added: “There’s still a smart use for AI – taking down tasks, automating admin for example, but right now, recruitment is drowning in it. Human connection is more important than ever.”
Trend 2: Meetings are back
Face-to-face is having a renaissance. With trust in digital waning (thanks, deepfakes), senior leaders are getting on planes and trains again to seal deals and build relationships.
Kenward said: “People want to sit in front of the people telling them stuff. The meeting space – not necessarily big events – is where this is growing quickest. In-person is becoming a trust signal, and because of this, candidates with B2B or a corporate event background are in demand.”
Trend 3: Confidence Is flat, not the market
Q2 is usually a quieter quarter for recruitment at senior level, but this year it’s been stronger than expected. Still, confidence hasn’t caught up. “Nobody’s popping corks, but nobody’s panicking either.”
Kenward observes. “The mood is cautious. One day I’m talking to someone asking if I know any £10m agencies for sale, the next I’m helping someone plan 14 redundancies. It’s that third/third/third split—some stellar, some surviving, some struggling.”
Trend 4: The Middle East is up, the US is down
The Middle East continues to boom as a global events hub, while the US faces a confidence and demand crisis.
Kenward said: “For international work, the US feels increasingly uninviting – politically, economically, culturally. The Middle East? Still a magnet for big budgets and bolder briefs,”
He added: “There has been a substantial shift in recruitment practises from those already in-country, to the need for outsider ideas and experience to move to the area. Salaries, weather and standard of living doesn’t hurt either!”
Trend 5: Sales talent is gold dust
Salespeople are back in demand – but nobody wants to admit it.
Kenward says: “Everyone’s saying, ‘Let me know if you come across someone,’ but they won’t formally brief me until ‘someone’ pops up on the market. The second a high performing, experienced professional is available, suddenly there’s a six-figure budget for hiring.”
There’s a difference between project sales, strategic growth, and shiny ‘opportunity’ chasers. “Bringing in £6m in ‘opportunities’ is not the same as converting £2m of new business. Let’s stop pretending it is. If you want top tier sales talent, they won’t just become available, you need someone to find them for you.”
Trend 6: Interview processes are undermining your brand
Agencies are tightening up processes; but sometimes too much. Kenward said: “Turning up late, cancelling last minute, ghosting candidates… it’s happening more than you’d think. What employers forget is every interaction shapes how your brand is perceived.”
In a tight market, talent won’t tolerate being messed around. He added: “Candidates drop out when they feel disrespected. You’re not just interviewing them, they’re interviewing you as well.”
Trend 7: Jobseekers are asking smarter questions
Salary will always matter, but candidates now ask about the whole package. Kenward says: “Pension, bonus structures, private healthcare, flexible hours – these are the opening questions now,. They’re looking beyond the headline number.”
Wellbeing, hybrid working and retention culture are just the basics. He adds: “If you’re still shouting about flexible working as your USP, you’ve missed the boat and will miss out on talent.”
Trend 8: EDI Isn’t dead – but it’s gone quiet
Some employers are quietly relieved that EDI isn’t trending anymore. Kenward says: “There are businesses who put up their Black History Month square annually and ticked it off. Now they’re glad no one’s asking.”
But real candidates are still watching. Kenward says: “Diversity and equity are part of how people assess workplaces. Just because it’s not in the headlines doesn’t mean it’s not in their decision-making. Performative EDI isn’t enough; people want proof, not pledges.”
He adds: “What people are demanding now though is action. Not words, not continuous surveys, not shiny social media posts for attention, but real-world measurable results. Take a look at the REACH Scholarship if you’re an employer who wants to do something in this space.”
Trend 9: The rise of communities (but don’t just lurk)
Communities are becoming trusted networks in recruitment. From FastForward15 to Delegate Wranglers, Opps Nest and the CN Agency 100, industry groups are doing what big platforms can’t: creating connection, building advocacy and surfacing talent in trusted, engaged spaces.
But these aren’t job boards. Kenward says: “You can’t just post a job ad and expect results. You’ve got to be part of the conversation. If your name only shows up when you’re hiring, people switch off. You’ve got to contribute, support, and show up consistently.”
In a noisy, sceptical market, trust lives in communities – and it’s earned, not assumed. These spaces are where people find their tribe with shared values, shared goals, shared standards. If you want to access the talent inside them, you need to be a genuine part of them.
Forecasts for 2025
Retention will define the winners
The businesses that retain their people will be the ones that evolve. Kenward says: “Retention is about recognising how the world’s changed – not trying to reverse it. You can’t run a modern business with a 1998 playbook. If someone says they’re struggling with their mental health, you don’t roll your eyes, you give managers the tools to support them.”
Attrition is also key. “This is the employees who leave in year one as they were sold a dream that didn’t materialise. It’s hard work finding the right person, losing them due to mistakes when hiring is criminal.” says Kenward.
Work-life blend
Six-hour days, truly flexible work and yes, the four-day week isn’t about clocking off early or not delivering. It’s about managing energy, not time. “Work-life blend is where it’s heading. I don’t work Mondays, but I’ll do a couple of hours every night or Sunday afternoon. That’s how I work and it suits my needs. Others need full switch-off time. The point is, it’s personal and it must fit real life,” says Kenward.
Managers need training – Not just pressure
Work is not a crèche – but it’s not a bootcamp either.
Kenward says: “Leaders can’t support their teams if they don’t have the tools. You can’t expect them to manage modern challenges with no guidance. Retention isn’t solved by vibe alone; it’s solved by practical, trained, human leadership.”
Companies are now seeing this and taking the time to support their leaders and give them the tools to deliver with a disparate and ever-changing workforce culture.
The world has changed. Move with it.
Kenward says: “Moaning about how Gen Z work or longing for the ‘good old days’ is just noise. If you don’t move with it, you’ll lose people. Maybe not today, but soon – and then it bites. As a more experienced professional myself, yes there are times when I have to bite my tongue, but that’s where we are now and you can either swim with the tide or be pulled under.”
In short.
Recruitment in the sector is truly evolving, “It’s exciting to be a part of it and I feel privileged to have a front row seat,” concludes Kenward.
For more insights from Robert Kenward, subscribe to his Recruitment Report, where he shares no-nonsense updates, industry trends, and advice for employers and candidates navigating the changing world of recruitment.
