How communicators can address an uncertain job market with employees

As we move further away from the Great Resignation when many workers could write their own ticket for career success, 2025 has begun with a much more tepid American hiring market. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released in December 2024, job openings are down to 4.5% across all industries and the hiring rate remains steady at 3.4%, down from a rate of 4.6% in June of 2021. Additionally, further data released in February stated that the economy was short nearly 600,000 jobs below expectations.

But what, might you ask, does this mean for communicators? Between the downturn in hiring and the specter of layoffs, it’s an interesting time to take a look at the overall state of hiring and the implications it has both on an organization and comms pros themselves.

Internal comms tips in a chilly hiring market 

The hiring market isn’t just tough for one particular industry — it’s cooled off across the board. According to a report from Workday, it just so happens that communications (along with media and tech) are one of the hardest fields to find a job in, with an average of over 30 applications per open job. On the flip side, healthcare, leisure and hospitality saw modest upticks in hiring toward the end of 2024.

In terms of what those who are hiring are looking for, the Workday data says that 37% of employers are prioritizing bringing the best person available for the job, 21% want to get someone in the role as quickly as possible and 42% want a balance of both. Furthermore, 89% of hiring managers surveyed feel that AI will be a help in getting roles filled when the time comes, another sign of a reshaped hiring market. Two major applications of AI for hiring managers are centered on skill assessments (26%) and resume screening (26%).

With the hiring market tepid and mercurial, it’s worth considering what becomes of the communicator’s role in shaping employer branding. That’s a major piece of the hiring puzzle that any organization needs.

A few helpful tactics include:

• Keep a close eye on employee sentiment. Beyond just the simple pulse survey, you should always be checking in with candidates to see how they’re finding their jobs. Doing so can help you communicate back to leadership what needs to be done to keep them happy and satisfied within their roles. Accomplishing that can go a long way toward preserving your employer brand.
• Work to build a rapport with the employees you already have. Comms pros should be keenly aware that their internal audience is its biggest cultural cornerstone. With this in mind, cater your messaging to reiterate the importance of current employees to the company’s future vision. For example, in the absence of new hire announcements, you can run intranet profiles on team members to allow their colleagues to learn a bit more about their personalities and skills. This is a great way to acquaint your employees with one another. In addition, the better connections you’re able to create between employees and the organization, the stronger your employer brand is poised to be.

Communicating when layoffs loom 

In a hiring slowdown, it’s also important to be cognizant of another symptom of a lagging economy — layoffs. Nobody wants to talk about layoffs, but it’s important to have those skills in your back pocket. A setback in hiring like a hiring freeze could potentially stoke fears of job cuts in employee populations, and it’s an internal communicator’s job to right the ship with transparent comms that bring the focus back to the core of the business.

• If there’s a hiring freeze, address as much as you can with your employees. Better yet, have the messages come from your leaders. Bad news among employees can spread like wildfire, and if you don’t say anything to help stem the tide it can grow out of control. If your organization is impacted by a hiring freeze or potential cutbacks, work with leadership to formulate a plan to address it with employees. A talk from the C-suite or smaller meetings with managers will help lend credence to your points. After all, 79% of employees trust their employers — that’s more than the media, government or the overall business world. Lean into that trust.
• Keep the messaging focused on the future of the business. Especially in the toughest of times, people want to know that there’s a plan to move the business forward. Share it often, even alongside negative news. For example, if you need to announce a hiring freeze, consider sharing the plan leadership has to navigate through the tough times over the next year. Keeping the path forward alight will help keep morale afloat and company culture strong.

Even as the hiring market remains uncertain for the foreseeable future, comms pros can be confident that relying on their organization’s mission and values will help recenter their messaging. Doing so is a tried-and-true way to keep your employer brand strong for the people within your company and those you hope to one day bring aboard.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.