Survey Findings – Key Insights 2025

Survey Findings – Key Insights 2025

At Clark, we’re committed to keeping close to the market so we can support employers with real-time insights. Our recent Employer Survey gathered feedback from a wide range of industries — including education, not-for-profit, pharma, telecoms, professional services, aviation, manufacturing, semiconductors, logistics, construction, healthcare, automotive, IT & cybersecurity, retail, food & beverage, and medical devices.

As we move through 2025 and into the final quarter of the year, companies are seeing the following trends:

  • Growth Confidence – Most organisations are more confident or steady in growth compared to last year.

  • Workforce Plans – The majority expect to expand or maintain their workforce, focusing on customer-facing and tech roles.

  • External Pressures – Economic conditions, technology changes, talent availability, and regulation are the top concerns.

  • Talent Challenges – Attracting skilled candidates and retaining staff amid salary pressures and limited progression are key challenges.

  • Skills in Demand – Cybersecurity, AI, customer service, trade skills, and interpersonal skills will be critical.

  • Addressing Skills Gaps – Firms plan to upskill staff, hire from other industries, and recruit internationally.

  • AI Impact – Seen as a productivity benefit, impacting customer-facing, production, and e-commerce roles.

  • Culture & Morale – Leadership development, engagement, and innovation are top 2025 and early 2026 priorities; morale is moderate–high.

  • Employment Market – Employers want changes in visa rules, wage expectations, and resilience against offshoring.

At Clark, we’re here to partner with businesses to navigate these challenges — from attracting and retaining top talent to creating workforce strategies that enable long-term growth.

If you’d like to discuss these findings and what they could mean for your business, get in touch with our team today.

LEARN MORE
News

Clark – shortlisted as Employer of the Year!

We’re delighted to be shortlisted! We’re very proud to share that Clark has been named a finalist in the HR Leadership & Management Awards. To be recognised alongside two other outstanding organisations in our category is something our entire team can be proud of. For us, this recognition reflects the work happening across Clark every […]

LEARN MORE
News

Are Your Interviewers Trained to Ask the Right Questions?

Are Your Interviewers Asking the Right Questions? An interview is an opportunity to identify the best person for a role—but the questions asked can either support a fair, effective hiring decision or expose an employer to unnecessary risk. Interviewers should focus on a candidate’s skills, experience, behaviour and ability to perform the role. Questions relating […]

LEARN MORE
News

Ireland’s Hiring Market Remains Strong Despite Skills Shortages

Businesses across Ireland continue to invest in recruitment as confidence improves, particularly within engineering, manufacturing, life sciences, finance, logistics and technology. While hiring activity has increased, employers continue to face significant challenges sourcing experienced professionals with the right technical and leadership skills. Skills shortages remain one of the biggest barriers to growth, meaning organisations must […]