May 13, 2025
How tariffs are affecting recruiting and retention
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"Tariffs signal a fear about a potential recession in the future," says Emily Levine, executive vice president at executive search firm Career Group Companies. "People are scared to make risky career changes because they don't know what's going to happen to the economy [and] organizations think they're not in a position to add to head count because they're anticipating what could happen to their business."
Emily Levine shares expert insights with Employee Benefit News on how Trump's tariffs are reshaping hiring trends, influencing candidate behavior, and prompting a shift toward more flexible, freelance-focused recruiting strategies.
"Those organizations are just pausing to see what's going to happen,' she says. 'But a 'wait and see' approach is hard when you're also trying to court candidates to join your company as it doesn't really inspire much confidence.'"
"Levine urges organizations to be as flexible as possiblewith their hiring practices and strongly consider freelance opportunities."
"'If there's a business need that you want to fill without biting off more than you can chew you don'thave to go the full-time route,' she says. 'Dip into a pool of candidates that aren't working right now and may just need a temporary job'."
"Take the time to think about the industry that you're going to be transitioning intoand how it could be impacted by tariffs until we have more of an idea of what'sgoing on,' Levine says. 'Try to first dig deep and try to get to the rootof what's prompting you to look elsewhere in the first place.'"
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