It's looking like 2019 in here
Hiring trends truly are Groundhog Day
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3 trends we’re seeing in hiring. By new, I mean in a “what’s old is new again” sort of way:
👉The “hubs on the coasts” model is back. Besides my home market of Chicago, we’re seeing more and more hiring just in New York and San Francisco.
Not exclusively of course. But a noticeable uptick. Not to mention more and more are going the RTO route.
👉Downward pressure on salary in offers.
Won’t be a shock to anyone that the days of runaway salary inflation are over. (I miss you, 2021.) But it does appear to have increased still.
👉”They didn’t seem like they wanted it.”
Now, I’m an advocate that both sides (interviewees and interviewers) should really sell themselves. Here’s why you should hire me / here’s why you should work here.
But let’s just say things feel a bit one-sided these days and leave it there.
So we’ve got the trifecta: in office (in less locations), less pay, and you gotta want it.
Basically, 2019.
Y’all know I hate anecdotal insights with no basis in data for a broader context, so here’s the dump courtesy of Business Insider:
👉Indeed postings for remote are 7.5% in May compared to 10% in mid-2022.
👉Year-over-year pay increases fell from 9.5% in 2021 to 3% in April 2025.
👉The average lowest wage people would accept for a new job dropped from $82,000 in November 2024 to $74,000 in March 2025.
Blah blah blah. I’m not just making this up.
Here’s my question: Why?
Why limit talent pools to specific locations for roles that don’t require it?
Why haggle over a $5k difference in offer, when the positive mindset in a new hire shifts negative? If they decline, it’s onto the next one…
Why expect someone interviewing to be more excited about your company than you are in selling it to them?
And why are we having these same conversations about talent, over and over again?
Because we’re human. We do dumb things that feel logical but are actually emotional.
Cognitive biases are inescapable. When business gets tough, we refer back to times when things weren’t and try to emulate those conditions. Even if one has nothing to do with the other.
Power dynamics reinforce old habits. Negotiating down is what you’re supposed to do when you have your manager’s hat on. It’s the ‘responsible’ thing to do, consequences be damned.
Fear of making a hiring mistake drives one-sided behavior. “I don’t want the candidate who needs to be sold, I want the one who can see how great we are on their own.”
Most people will jump on the “hiring is broken” bandwagon. But it never seems to get fixed.
Because admitting people (not companies) being the underlying issue is something not everyone is willing to do.
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