5 Tech Hiring Trends You Need to Know for 2025

20 Mar 5 Tech Hiring Trends You Need to Know for 2025

The digital skills landscape continues to evolve at a breakneck pace in 2025, creating unprecedented recruitment challenges across sectors. With over 80% of all advertised vacancies in the UK now requiring at least one digital skill, the competition for qualified candidates has never been more intense[1].

This article breaks down 5 key hiring trends that are reshaping how all organisations recruit tech professionals. Whether you’re staffing an IT department at a school, scaling an EdTech startup or competing for skilled tech staff in any sector, these insights will help you adapt your recruitment strategy for today’s market.

Trend 1: Education and Business Tech Roles Are Merging

The boundaries between tech roles in education, EdTech and general business are increasingly blurring. Tech professionals are more frequently moving between sectors, bringing valuable cross-industry experience and perspectives.

For schools, this means competing with both EdTech startups and established businesses for the same talent. 

For EdTech companies, it creates opportunities to recruit from both education and broader tech sectors. 

And for general tech companies, the education sector now represents both competition for talent and a source of professionals with unique skill sets.

All organisations can benefit from this cross-pollination. Schools gain commercial tech expertise, EdTech companies benefit from both educational and business perspectives and general tech businesses can tap into education-sector talent with strong communication and training skills. 

The key is understanding how to position your organisation to appeal to candidates with diverse industry backgrounds.

Trend 2: Remote Work Is Changing Where We Recruit

Across all sectors, organisations have embraced remote work, expanding access to talent beyond geographical limitations. Remote work continues to be the top request from qualified candidates, with 76% of tech professionals prioritising flexibility when evaluating opportunities[2].

This shift creates opportunities to access previously untapped talent markets, but also introduces challenges around salary differentials, time zone co-ordination, and team cohesion. While tech companies might be more accustomed to fully remote teams, educational institutions often require a different approach, with some on-site presence needed for direct support.

Many organisations are finding success with hybrid models. For example, some multi-academy trusts (MATs) have a mixture of onsite and remote workers depending on the level of support they need. Corporate tech departments are adopting similar approaches, creating balance between flexibility and collaboration.

For all organisations, whether schools, EdTech companies, or general businesses, the key is developing clear remote work policies that align with both operational requirements and candidate expectations.

“The recruitment process is absolutely getting harder and taking longer. We’re working with clients who have gone through 2-3 rounds of recruitment unsuccessfully, which is where we step in to help”.

Ravi Patel, Founder and CEO of GreatFind Recruitment

Trend 3: Advanced Tech Skills are in High Demand Everywhere

The technical skills now required across all sectors have grown increasingly sophisticated:

• Cloud infrastructure management
• Advanced cybersecurity protocols
• Data analytics expertise
• AI implementation and oversight
• API integration capabilities

This evolution has created significant challenges for all organisations. 70% of organisation leaders in the UK expect to have a digital skills gap next year [3]. For schools, this often means competing directly with both EdTech and general tech companies for specialised talent.

The result is a highly competitive market where average time-to-hire for senior developers has increased by 12% compared to last year, reaching 42 days [4]. This affects recruitment timelines across sectors, though schools often face additional challenges due to budget constraints and traditional hiring processes.

Forward-thinking organisations in all sectors are addressing these challenges through:

• Strategic build vs. buy decisions for skill development
• Cross-industry partnerships that include technical knowledge transfer
• Internal apprenticeship and mentoring programs
• Using temp contracts for specialised skills that are needed intermittently

For schools particularly, partnerships with both EdTech and general tech companies can provide valuable access to expertise that would be difficult to recruit directly.

Trend 4: Tech Workers Want More Than Just Money

Candidate surveys reveal an encouraging trend: 68% of tech professionals are now prioritising professional development opportunities over base salary when evaluating job offers [5]. 

For educational institutions, this shift presents a unique opportunity. While they may not offer the highest salaries, they can deliver compelling value propositions around meaningful work, schedule flexibility aligned with academic calendars and stability.

This emphasis on professional development is particularly significant as 60% of businesses believe that their reliance on advanced digital skills is set to increase over the next five years [6]. Educational organisations that offer structured development pathways and certification support are finding themselves increasingly competitive in the talent marketplace.

Trend 5: Tech Hiring Needs to Move Faster

Traditional educational hiring timelines, which often stretch across months with multiple committee reviews, are no longer viable in a competitive tech talent marketplace. 

Organisations with hiring processes exceeding 3 weeks are often less likely to secure their first-choice candidates for technical roles.

The challenge lies in accelerating processes without sacrificing thoroughness, particularly where safeguarding considerations are paramount. Best practices include:

• Review where you can simplify hiring processes
• Give specific people the power to make quick hiring decisions
• Use technical assessments that evaluate skills efficiently
• Make job offers while background checks are still in progress

What Should You Do to Ensure Successful Tech Hiring

Based on these trends, we recommend targeted strategies for different types of organisations:

For Schools

1. Audit and accelerate your recruitment timeline to compete with tech-sector hiring speeds
2. Showcase your unique value proposition focused on work-life balance and meaningful impact
3. Create flexible role structures that accommodate hybrid work preferences where possible
4. Establish robust professional development pathways to attract growth-focused candidates
5. Consider partnerships with tech companies or temp contracts for specialised skills that are difficult to recruit directly

For EdTech Companies

1. Position yourselves as striking a balance between purpose/’tech for good’ and digital innovation to attract candidates from both education and tech sectors
2. Establish partnerships with schools that include technical knowledge exchange
3. Create clear career pathways that span both technical and educational expertise
4. Implement flexible work policies that match general tech industry standards
5. Highlight your unique impact on educational outcomes when competing with general tech companies

Read more about how EdTech companies benefit from partnering with specialised recruitment agencies, such as GreatFind Recruitment. 

For General Tech Companies

1. Consider education-sector professionals for roles requiring strong communication and training skills
2. Highlight the full compensation packages on offer, including salary and flexible working benefits
3. Benchmark your professional development offerings against best practices in all sectors
4. Create specific onboarding paths for professionals transitioning from other industry backgrounds

Ready For What’s Next in Tech Recruitment?

The tech hiring landscape of 2025 has transformed dramatically across all sectors. Those who adapt strategically by emphasising their unique value propositions, streamlining processes and thinking creatively about talent acquisition will build the technical teams needed to thrive in an increasingly digital future.

While competition remains fierce, the growing emphasis on factors beyond compensation presents unique opportunities. 

Schools can highlight meaningful impact and work/life balance, EdTech companies can emphasise their position at the border of purpose and digital innovation, while general tech companies can showcase their scale and advanced technical challenges.

The most successful organisations will be those that understand the evolving candidate priorities and position themselves accordingly, regardless of which sector they operate in.

Need Help With Tech Hiring?

Navigating today’s complex tech recruitment landscape requires specialised expertise. Whether you’re a school, an EdTech company, or a business in any sector seeking technical talent, our team at GreatFind Recruitment can help.

Schedule a complimentary recruitment strategy session to discuss how these trends impact your specific hiring needs.

Use the contact button below or email us at info@greatfindrecruitment.com to get started.