2025 was not just another year in business for the EvoTalents team, but a period of testing flexibility, maturity and the ability to quickly adapt to changes. The market was changing, approaches to recruiting were evolving, and with it, we were changing: as a team, as specialists and as partners for our clients.
That is why we decided to stop, look back and honestly talk about this year through the eyes of each team member: about the challenges, insights, mistakes, new tools and what really shaped our experience in 2025.
What was 2025 like for the company? - Elena, Founder of EvoTalents
I would describe this year as a focus on quality and processes. If 2024 was about an explosion in quantity for us - in numbers and volumes - then 2025 became a year of internal improvement.
Firstly, we began to implement AI in processes - and thanks to this, as a team, we move faster and more efficiently.
And secondly, our numbers. Our internal metrics, for example, candidates passing the probationary period, showed an increase of up to 95%. This is also visible in clients: reviews have become even better.
We began to focus a lot on the client journey. After each stage, we collect feedback and ratings, analyze it and based on the data improve the team's work.
What has recruiting taught you in 2025 as a professional and as a person? - Victoria, Recruitment Partner at EvoTalents
Case 1. Candidate mobilization
One of the candidates, who had already gone through the entire recruiting process and received an offer, was unexpectedly mobilized. It was necessary to act quickly: review the previous pool, check “old” contacts and find a new relevant candidate. At the same time it was also important to keep open communication with the client: maintain trust in the process.
This case clearly showed how unpredictable the Ukrainian market can be today, and how important it is to remain focused, flexible and stress-resistant. As a result, we managed to re-close the vacancy with the first candidate - the one who remained in the database even before the previous one was hired.
An additional value was that the client was from Britain. This once again confirmed how important it is to professionally and carefully convey Ukrainian realities to foreign partners and build transparent processes. In any scenario, we must show the result so that international clients do not lose trust and interest in cooperation.
Every year, recruiting teaches me to empathize, listen, and consider the needs of others - because work is not just about tasks.
Case 2. The value of the process, not just the result
It is important to strive for a happy end and a “hire” mark next to the vacancy. But it is equally important to see the value in the process itself: in sourcing, communication with candidates, networking and building a pipeline.
This helped me not to be emotionally dependent on the final result and to remain focused even in unpredictable situations. In recruiting, offers, closed vacancies, and processes that build trust, reputation and readiness for future challenges are important.
What closing are you most proud of? Why? - Vadym, Recruitment Partner at EvoTalents
I closed the CTO vacancy for the startup Spherax Ltd. This is my first really serious closing at the C-level - not just a technical role, but a strategic position. Moreover, it was very strong financially - both for me and for the company.
I had not worked with C-level vacancies before, so this was both a challenge and an important “tick” in my professional growth. Honestly, I expected that during the interview with candidates for such a role, something might go wrong, as usual: more criticism, more difficult questions, tougher communication.
But to my surprise, the interview with the CTO and interaction with them were even easier and more constructive than I imagined - if I can say so.
Separately, it is worth noting the complexity of the domain: it was truly unique, and there are not so many candidates with relevant domain experience on the market. That is why this closing is special for me.
What have you changed in your recruiting approaches in 2025? - Anastasiia, Recruitment Partner at EvoTalents
In 2025, recruiting stopped working as a linear system. More candidates do not guarantee a better result, more stages do not make the decision better, and more context does not add deeper understanding. So I shifted the focus from “volume” to “precision”: a strong signal in the early stages, fast feedback and a minimally sufficient process that really helps to make a decision, not stretches it.
The second big change is transparency. Hiding salary ranges is no longer a “negotiation strategy”. Many companies already include ranges in vacancies as part of the recruiting strategy - and this is logical: candidates have a choice and are not ready to waste time “blindly”. Therefore, my communication has become more direct from the first contact: frameworks, expectations, process, timelines.
And third - I stopped thinking in terms of the “ideal candidate”. There will be even fewer of them, because the requirements for roles change faster than the market has time to “grow” them. Therefore, I increasingly work not only on “closing”, but also on transformation: I help clarify the role, calibrate requirements to market reality, find workable combinations of skills and potential, and build the process so that it supports change, not breaks down from it.
In short: in 2025 I moved from recruiting as “mechanics” to recruiting as a strategy - less noise, more transparency, faster decisions and a better fit with reality.
What sourcing strategies worked best this year? - Mariia, Talent Sourcer at EvoTalents
This year, sourcing via LinkedIn using Boolean search and personalized outreach combined with email follow-up for candidates who did not respond on LinkedIn worked particularly well. This combination significantly increased the reply rate, especially among Senior and passive candidates.
Often, the first contact on LinkedIn created recognition, and the email became the trigger for a response and the start of a dialogue. As a result, this approach allowed us to work more effectively with the passive market and significantly improve the conversion from the first contact to real conversations.
What goals does our team set for itself for the next year? - Elena, Founder of EvoTalents
I would say - even greater access to the foreign market. A certain percentage of clients were international already in 2025 - UK and Europe, - and we have been working with the foreign market for the second year, so in 2026 we will move even more in the direction of international development.
And I would also say: smooth growth without losing quality indicators.
What can you thank 2025 for on behalf of the company? What do you expect from 2026? - Elena, Founder of EvoTalents
Actually, thank the team, people, first of all. Because as a company we go through different stages: both very rapid growth and periods of instability - it happens in different ways.
I want to thank the team and the people who are around: those who know how to adapt quickly when we grow. It was a difficult period, but at the same time people stay in the company, in the team and do their best - even during the stages of instability.
And everything we have achieved now, all our results are the results of the team. This is thanks to the people inside the company and thanks to the clients who continue to choose to cooperate with us. This is the greatest value - and I want to thank 2025 for this.
I want to optimize our processes even more in 2026 - I see that it can be done.
Second - I want even more cool, interesting companies to become our clients, and we help them hire, build productive teams and find "their" people. This is what I expect in 2026.
Instead of a conclusion
2025 taught us the main thing: stability today is not the absence of changes, but the ability to work with them. Each of us has gone our own way, with our own difficulties, discoveries and professional shifts, but together we have become a stronger, more aware team. Looking to 2026, we set ourselves not only new goals, but also a clear understanding of how we want to achieve them: through systematicity, partnership, technology and live contact with people. As an IT Recruitment Agency, we enter 2026 with a clear mission: help tech companies build strong teams faster.
