New data shows what candidates want in 2025. Why you need to tailor hiring strategies

LinkedIn is the most popular job search website in the world. 

Surprising? 

Not really. LinkedIn is one of the world's most popular social media sites, and what do most people do day-to-day on their phones? Doom scroll at work. 

While LinkedIn competes with other sites in Australia like SEEK, Indeed and Glassdoor, it’s the most popular site. And with its popularity comes plenty of data—and with data comes valuable hiring insights you can leverage to find talent. 

Last year, LinkedIn conducted a survey and collected a whopping 70,000 responses to reveal what different candidates in 2025 prioritise at work. Interestingly, HR professionals are 25% more likely than engineers to prioritise an inclusive workplace. What does that say about us? 

Oh, besides the fact that we're great people?! 

Well yes, but it also shows that candidate priorities vary dramatically depending on what role they’re going for. 

While there are a few things that virtually every candidate cares about like compensation and flexibility, learning and understanding what candidates want isn’t just interesting for HR hiring strategies, but it’s also crucial for attracting the right talent for the right job.  

In this blog, we’ll explore what priorities differ across candidates and why it’s a great idea to tailor your hiring strategy based on candidate roles. This is especially relevant if you work for a large organisation where you’re bringing on different employees in different roles. 

The general things across the board 

Let’s start with the big picture.

Three priorities emerged as clear frontrunners: 

• Compensation 
• Work-life balance 
• Flexible work arrangements

Interestingly, these priorities have been top of mind since the pandemic, which tells us that today's workforce is not just about chasing paychecks, but also prioritising their overall well-being. It means HR teams must adapt their hiring strategies to attract talent that values both competitive compensation and a supportive flexible work environment.

How things change

Let’s take a closer look at how these preferences change depending on the role.

Engineering (software, data and mechanical)

Engineers are detail-oriented, problem-solvers and have a high aptitude for science and math. They’re happy to sweat the small stuff.

These candidates are more likely to prioritise the prospect of working on innovative projects and working with other talented colleagues. They really focus and value innovation, and so the talent of their colleagues reflects the technical nature of their work and the rapid pace of technological change. 

A recent study by IEEE found that engineers are drawn to organisations that invest in continuous professional development and maintain data-driven performance metrics. This means HR can gain a competitive edge by tailoring onboarding and training to be transparent and analytical.

Moving from the world of innovation, let’s explore what sales people value.

Business development (sales) 

We know that people in sales are outgoing, persuasive and wear their hearts on their sleeves. 

This is why they value an organisation with a strong and unmistakably clear mission and value statement. This makes sense because it doesn’t matter if they have to sell a pen or paint, they want to be able to buy into your organisation if they’re going to sell it to consumers.

Like engineering candidates, they also value talented colleagues. This is because winning a sale is often like an alley-oop situation, where colleagues are all working together to get the ball in the basket. So they want to know they’re playing ball with a high-caliber team. 

Human Resources  

Aren’t we just the sweetest? People in HR are often described and identified as being empathetic, strong communicators, fair and honest. 

This is why HR candidates value an inclusive workplace, a collaborative culture and an organisation with a strong mission and values. This reflects the nature of the function’s increasing strategic importance beyond managing people and rather acting as a key business partner focused on employee engagement, talent management and aligning workforce strategies with the organisation's goals.

This alignment between personal and organisational values seems particularly important for those responsible for shaping company culture.

Takeaway for HR 

Use this information to craft more tailored job descriptions and tweak recruiting processes to suit different candidate interests. Because while key priorities like compensation and flexibility remain on top for candidates, there are some key differences in what people want in a role.

Importantly, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to attracting talent. Engineers prioritise innovation and peer talent, business development professionals value mission alignment and collaboration, and HR candidates seek inclusive workplaces. These distinct preferences often mirror the core aspects of their roles.

Understanding this can help you create more compelling job opportunities that resonate with your target talent pool. After all, the first step to attracting the right candidates is understanding what they truly value.

And in uncertain times, candidates seem to be prioritising the definite present over the potential future. The rising interest in challenging work and collaborative culture, coupled with a declining focus on learning and growth opportunities, suggests people are focusing more on the immediate value of their day-to-day work experience.

About us

Martian Logic has been empowering HR teams for years with simple, scalable solutions that let organisations thrive. Our intuitive HRIS streamlines every aspect of HR—from recruitment and onboarding to internal mobility and performance tracking. Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your hiring strategies, enhance employee engagement, or adapt to evolving candidate priorities, Martian Logic gives you the tools to build a more effective, people-centric workplace. Contact us today and discover how Martian Logic can boost engagement, retention, and long-term success.