Creative ways to think about recruiting talent for jobs in high demand
Whether the difficulty comes with recruiting or retention, the fact of the matter is you have some jobs that are in high demand, requiring special attention. With employers demanding more time in the office, contrasted with the employees’ continuing desire for flexibility and hybrid work. This gap in the relationship and fluctuating expectations between employee and employer remain a challenge to be addressed.
Keeping abreast of the latest in compensation, Total Rewards, and employee experience offerings is a necessity nowadays. With the latest data, you’re better able to craft an employee value proposition that allows you to find and keep job-engaged employees.
Current state of the labor market
Today’s labor market is still tight but starting to balance out. It’s easier to find qualified talent than it was a year or two ago, yet competition remains strong for high-demand roles like tech, analytics, and skilled trades.
Pay pressure is leveling off, but employees still expect flexibility, growth opportunities, and meaningful work. Employers are focusing more on retention, skills development, and getting the most value from their workforce investments.
Organizations can attract more talent, retain current talent, and increase employee satisfaction by building workforce strategies based on the latest insights. Data from current surveys can tell employers what employees are looking for in jobs, development opportunities, rewards, and general company characteristics. Surveys can also provide an organization with insights into the compensation offered by its competitors, so that it doesn’t overpay for unnecessary positions but does offer competitive pay for crucial roles.
What jobs are the most in-demand now?
When we look at year over year pay movement for same incumbents, as a proxy for which jobs are “hot,” it should be noted that year over year growth has slowed dramatically. There has been a 59% decrease in the number of jobs for which more than a 5% increase in pay year over year has been provided for the same incumbent. That tells us that employers are not adjusting pay much beyond what they deliver during the annual increase process. This pattern holds true to date, according to the findings from Mercer’s most recent Compensation Planning Survey.
The jobs with incumbents that did receive higher year over year pay increases were mostly in production and skilled trades, hospitality, and transportation services.
Industries with predominantly front-line workers continue to deliver higher increases as well. Just as we saw last year, many of the jobs that had the highest pay increases from 2024 to 2025 were in organizations with a high percentage of front-line workers. As this trend continues, it’s becoming clear that these are the hot jobs, because there are limits to how much AI Large Language Models can penetrate these roles, since the work is hands-on and labor-intensive.
Largest 2025 Salary Increases by role
- Aircraft Mechanic - up 12.3%
- Tool & Gauge Inspection - up 11.5%
- Electrical Installation Assembly - up 11.0%
- Aircraft Pilot - up 10.2%
- Tool & Die Making Operations - up 7.0%
- Haul Truck Operator - up 6.9%
Because of the high demand to fill these jobs, organizations should consider their level of Total Rewards offerings for potential employees and what makes them competitive. Although it’s not all about money, it’s still critical to be competitive, especially when roles are hard to fill.
5 ways to approach the most high-demand jobs in 2026
Use these five tips to fill positions that are in high demand and that require the hottest job skills.
1. Turn to your internal labor market
Did you know that you have a highly trained talent pool at your fingertips?
Your internal labor force is your greatest asset for filling in-demand jobs. Rather than compete against other organizations for those roles, fill the job from among current employees who can be trained. You can build the talent you need through mentorships, training programs, and upskilling. As an added benefit, think about the valuable institutional knowledge that you can leverage and retain by training and promoting from your own labor market.
If you plan your talent movement right, you’ll line up someone else from your company to backfill the open position. In this way, the remaining open role will be in a field that is less in demand, giving you more talent options and fewer competing organizations.
Succession planning used to focus on leadership roles, but many companies have found that succession planning is now a lower priority, and organizations prefer to focus on understanding the employee skills needed to allow them to better leverage their internal labor market.
2. Explore new recruiting sources
Money listed LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, Simplify, and Glassdoor as the top job search sites. This means that when using these sites you’ll have the greatest competition and must build a more compelling job posting to even catch the eye of prospective candidates.
If you are tired of jobseekers overlooking your job listings and your postings attracting the wrong applicants, consider alternative recruiting sources. For example, attending college job fairs and partnering with trade schools allows you to connect directly with eager talent just entering the workforce. Another alternative could be to partner with local employers to support career changers: provide networking, learning events, and job boards to share opportunities reciprocally. In an age where employees are seeking employers who truly care for their well-being, what could be better than helping them find their next job when they are ready?
Or, start looking at your current employees that you can upskill — build your talent, rather than buying it. Provide professional development opportunities. Highlight opportunities for growth and development within the company. Offer training programs, mentorship initiatives, or tuition reimbursement to attract candidates who are looking to enhance their skills and advance their careers.
Another option is to partner with universities, colleges, or vocational schools to establish internship programs, co-op opportunities, or apprenticeships. This allows you to tap into a pool of talented students or recent graduates who may be interested in gaining practical experience in their field.
3. Optimize your employee value proposition
Your employee value proposition (EVP) summarizes what you offer employees — from compensation and benefits to flex working and charitable contributions — and hopefully directly correlates with what they want. It’s important to understand what’s important to your employees.
Additionally, consider how you communicate your EVP, not only in the wording and content but also in the channels and frequency with which you reach your employees and prospects. The best offerings are useless if the employees and prospects aren’t aware they are available.
A simple example of where a communication strategy takes on some complexity is when you have a mix of office workers and employees on a manufacturing floor. The office workers are regularly on the computer and can access things like emails and the company intranet site. However, employees on the manufacturing floor might not even look at email during a regular work week and may instead rely on in-person communication from team leaders. How will you make sure that your employees are aware of your EVP?
4. Use incentives where it makes sense
Offering a sign-on bonus can give you an advantage when a candidate is considering multiple offers. But how much do you offer? Look for surveys as well as real-time data from job postings to find out the appropriate amount to secure the competitive position that you want.
Retention bonuses can typically provide an incentive for employees to stay for a prescribed period of time in order to receive the payout. By ensuring that key employees are retained, you will be able to leverage their expertise, perhaps identify new opportunities and ways to leverage their institutional knowledge, or just keep things running while you seek a replacement. Again, understanding the right amount to balance budgetary concerns but making the payment enticing is key to a successful retention bonus program.
Even non-monetary incentives can be used to make a position more attractive. In today's workforce, flexibility is highly valued. Consider offering flexible work hours, remote work options, or compressed work weeks. This can be particularly appealing to candidates who value work–life balance or have specific scheduling needs.
5. Encourage more referrals
Referrals are a valuable source of talent because you don’t need to invest in recruiting. You also have a connection who can personally vouch for the employee.
To increase the number of referrals, consider implementing a referral bonus or increasing your existing one to determine which employees have friends in the job market or know passive talent who may want to join your team.
Need a push in the right direction?
In a complex labor market, there are so many levers you can pull to improve your chances of finding and keeping the talent you need. Whether revamping your EVP or setting up a way to mine internal talent, Mercer has tools, insights, and experts to help. From providing data specific to your industry or location to developing a multifaceted communication strategy, we have a solution that is right for you.
Call us at 855-286-5302 or email us at surveys@mercer.com to learn more about our workforce surveys.