INT 2025: Talent Acquisition in Turbulence — Building the Foundations for the Future

Overview

2025 has been far from an easy year for the global recruitment landscape. Across APAC, the United States, and Europe, companies have been navigating a complex mix of economic slowdown, cost restructuring, and strategic layoffs.

Vietnam, however, presents a more nuanced picture — not a market in retreat, but one in transition and maturation.

For INT – International Talent Agent, 2025 was not merely about resilience. It marked a strategic pivot:
from volume-driven hiring to precision talent acquisition with long-term value creation.

2025 in Review: Insights from the Front Lines of Recruitment

While headlines often focused on layoffs, the reality within Vietnam’s talent market revealed several important shifts that matter deeply to foreign investors and regional expansion leaders.

1. Fewer Roles — Higher Standards

Compared to the hiring boom of 2021–2022, overall recruitment volumes in 2025 remained flat or declined slightly in certain sectors. However, quality and specialization took center stage.

Key trends:

• Senior talent dominance: High-skilled and experienced professionals accounted for up to 88% of total hiring demand (Q3/2025 labor market data).
• Role complexity increased: Searches were largely focused on mid-to-senior management, niche technical experts, and cross-border leadership roles.
• Priority sectors for FDI: INT supported strong hiring demand in:

• • High-tech manufacturing (+15% YoY, driven by FDI inflows)

  • Fintech & regulatory compliance

  • AI talent and digital transformation leadership

???? For foreign companies entering Vietnam, recruitment is no longer about cost arbitrage — it is about capability and scalability.

2. Layoffs Didn’t Kill Hiring — They Redefined It

One of the biggest misconceptions of 2025 was equating layoffs with a hiring freeze.

The reality:

• Companies reduced non-core functions while increasing budgets by 15–25% for roles directly tied to revenue generation, AI adoption, and transformation initiatives.
• According to ManpowerGroup 2025, 77% of employers in APAC still struggled to find the right talent, despite an abundance of available candidates.

INT’s evolving role:
We moved beyond “candidate sourcing” to become strategic talent advisors, helping clients:

• Challenge unrealistic hiring expectations
• Redefine role scopes aligned with real market availability
• Balance global standards with local talent realities

3. Vietnam’s Talent Market Has Reached a New Level of Maturity

Vietnam is no longer perceived as a “low-cost hiring shortcut.”

What changed in 2025:

• Global readiness: Vietnamese professionals demonstrated stronger global working capabilities and language proficiency.
  → Bilingual talent commanded 10–20% salary premiums.

• Candidate mindset shift:
  65% of candidates prioritized stability, leadership vision, and long-term growth over short-term salary jumps.
  Conversations increasingly focused on:

  • Corporate culture

  • Leadership credibility

  • Career pathways and succession planning

???? This shift aligns Vietnam more closely with developed talent markets — a critical signal for long-term FDI.

INT’s 2025 Performance Highlights

Rather than chasing vanity metrics, INT focused on outcomes that reflect trust and strategic partnership:

• High success rates in C-suite and hard-to-fill technical roles
• 60% repeat business, driven by long-term partners and regional expansion projects
• Deeper involvement as a talent advisory partner, contributing to:

• • Workforce model design

  • Employer Value Proposition (EVP) development

  • Salary benchmarking and market intelligence for APAC expansion

INT’s Strategic Direction for 2026: Smart Expansion

2026 will not be a year of mass hiring recovery.
It will be a year of measured, data-driven expansion.

1. Deeper Partnerships, Not Broader Transactions

INT prioritizes long-term collaboration — engaging with clients from the annual workforce planning stage, not just execution.

2. Elevating the Advisory Role

Our focus will center on three strategic pillars:

• Internal recruitment strategy design
• EVP localization for multinational corporations entering or scaling in Vietnam
• Market intelligence & talent mapping to support APAC expansion decisions

3. Quality Over Speed

In a volatile economy, a wrong hire can cost up to three times the annual salary of the role.
INT chooses decision quality as its guiding principle — not hiring speed at any cost.

4. Partnering Directly with Business Leaders

We work closely with Founders, CEOs, and Regional Directors to ensure every hiring decision:

• Serves long-term business objectives
• Supports organizational scalability
• Strengthens leadership and operational resilience

Closing Perspective

2025 tested both businesses and recruitment partners alike. INT emerges from this period with a clear conviction:

In uncertain markets, the right talent is not a cost — it is a core competitive advantage.

If you are planning your 2026 workforce strategy in Vietnam or APAC, INT is ready to support you with market insights, strategic talent advisory, and execution excellence.

???? Connect with INT’s consulting team today to build your next phase of growth.