Top Talent Trends for 2025: Scene’s Year in Review 

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As we wrap up another dynamic year in the ever-changing startup space, it’s clear the hiring landscape has evolved too. From the growing demand for global talent to the shift towards a more candidate-driven market, this year brought plenty of new talent trends.

At Scene, we’ve spent the year helping ambitious startups build exceptional teams by connecting them with high-impact individuals. Being embedded in the tech ecosystem means we are uniquely positioned to spot emerging trends and observe firsthand any shifts in the industry.

So, as 2024 winds down, we’re sharing the key talent trends we’ve noticed — giving you the insights you need to hire smarter in 2025. 

Which skillsets were most in-demand? 

Demand for specific roles shifted this year. Here’s what we saw at Scene: 

Founding Engineers 

Early-stage funding saw steady growth in 2024, reaching $29.5bn in Q1, a 6% YoY increase, and climbed to $34.9bn globally by Q2. In September, Atomico announced a $485m early-stage fund, reflecting increased investor confidence. By H2 2024, this influx of capital made hiring Founding Engineers a top priority, as early-stage companies looked to strengthen their technology foundations. 

Previously, founders often shouldered the bulk of technology work in the pre-product-market-fit stage, or outsourced to external agencies that provide interim software engineering support. Now, with greater access to funding, they’re hiring technical support earlier, often partnering with external recruiters to secure the talent needed to accelerate their growth.

Go-to-market (GTM) hires 

VCs have shifted their focus back to profitability after a period of investing heavily in the build phase, which meant accepting short-term losses. This pivot meant we saw a downturn in product roles in H1 as startups concentrated on selling existing offerings and developing them based on customer feedback. Now, with sustainable growth and profitability as the priority, GTM roles have taken centre stage. However, the nuances of this talent trend are regional: 

🇺🇸 In the US, GTM roles dominated.
🇬🇧 In the UK, GTM roles were in high demand, closely followed by technology roles.
🇪🇺 Across Europe, operations roles prevailed.

In 2024, GTM roles grew from 30% to 36% of Scene’s placements, overtaking technology roles, which led in 2023. We observed that most GTM mandates this year involved multiple hires.

Talent goes global 

According to Atomico’s 2024 State of European Tech report, European founders increasingly view global expansion as central to long-term success. We’ve seen this talent trend firsthand — nearly half (45%) of our customers this year relied on us for global hiring support, securing key hires outside their home HQ. We saw technology roles typically being outsourced to Europe, while GTM roles were secured in the US. 🌍 

Two distinct hiring strategies emerged…

We noticed companies opting for two typical engagements this year: 

1. Volume: Growth-stage companies with established product-market fit are scaling rapidly, adding multiple hires to strengthen key functions such as compliance, GTM and customer support e.g. building an eight-person sales team. These roles tend to have relatively flexible requirements, focusing on broader candidate profiles.

2. Seniority: Companies establishing their product-market fit or entering new markets are hiring seasoned leaders to drive impact. These roles have more rigid hiring criteria, often requiring specific sector expertise or experience at similar growth stages.

The rise of senior hires 

Following a challenging 2023, many organisations restructured to focus on profitability. By H1 2024, it was a company-driven market, with an abundance of strong candidates available. This reduced the need for junior hires. Our 2024 data reflects this shift, with a clear focus on senior and leadership roles — 49% of Scene placements were senior or lead roles (5+ years of experience), up from 38% in 2023, with the rest at mid-level or below. 

Companies relied on senior individual contributors (ICs) for execution and growth. These hires require less supervision, cost less than C-Suite executives and can hit the ground running immediately, enhancing the teams around them. Companies also became more selective, favouring candidates who’ve navigated similar challenges — whether that’s working with the same tech stack, operating in the same industry or navigating a scaling journey before.

Here’s how we break down seniority: 

– Lead roles: 9+ years’ experience, managing people, processes or a business area. 
– Senior hires: 5-8 years’ experience, often strong ICs or player coaches. 
– Mid-level hires: 2-4 years’ experience as intermediate ICs.

Key talent trend to watch in 2025: The shift to a candidate-driven market 

The hiring landscape is evolving. With talent in high demand and remote work providing global opportunities, candidates increasingly hold the power. This shift means employers must rethink how they attract top talent in 2025. 

In a candidate-driven market, a strong employer value proposition (EVP) and employer brand are no longer optional — they’re essential for securing top candidates. 

– Authenticity is key: Shout about your mission, values and culture in a way that feels genuine and relatable. 
– Offer more than a salary: Highlight career progression opportunities, flexibility and other employee benefits.
– Leverage your team: Employee testimonials and advocacy can powerfully showcase your company’s appeal across your website and social media. 
– Streamline the hiring process: A seamless, transparent hiring experience reflects well on your business and engages top talent. 

One key takeaway from candidate feedback this year is that the calibre of the leadership or co-founding team is becoming a top priority when evaluating job opportunities. It’s consistently been a major factor in hiring decisions.

The VC perspective 

Beyond startups, we also work with VC firms. A key trend this year was the surge in new names and rebrands, including Seedcamp, 54 Collective (formerly Founders Factory Africa), Titanium Ventures (formerly Telstra Ventures), Founderful (formerly Wingman Ventures) and DFF Ventures (formerly Dutch Founders Fund). 

What’s next for your team? 

As 2025 approaches, these talent trends and insights can help shape your hiring strategy. Whether it’s finding the right founding engineer or scaling your global GTM team, Scene is here to connect you with high-impact talent that can transform your business. Get in touch to learn more. 👇