Recruitment firms entered 2025 with cautious optimism, but a broad economic rebound remains elusive, with the world’s largest staffing markets still outside the “Goldilocks zone” of sustainable growth. Despite limited momentum, leading firms are turning to sharper workforce strategies to stay ahead.

The latest Workforce Solutions Buyer Survey 2025, covering responses from 144 global enterprises, reveals clear trends shaping the sector. Statement-of-work (SOW) consultants are now entrenched in 75% of contingent workforce programmes, with another 20% planning adoption. Buyers are also consolidating suppliers (69% currently, 26% exploring) and adopting supplier tiering (64% currently, 18% exploring) to improve efficiency and control spend.

Looking ahead, contingent workforce planning is set to move centre stage — while only 39% currently align it with corporate strategy, nearly half of respondents plan to integrate it within two years.

Read the full article here for a deeper dive into the strategies redefining recruitment’s future.