The Evolution of Automotive Talent: Top Recruitment Trends for 2025
Innovation is revolutionising every aspect of the automotive industry. From electrification and automation to connectivity and diverse mobility. According to The Institute of the Motor Industry’s (IMI) Vacancy Rate Tracker (June 2024), the automotive sector is experiencing a significant skills shortage. Statistics revealed that there are currently 20,000 unfilled roles across more than 200 job categories. While vacancy rates have slightly improved (dropping from 3.7 to 3.6 per 100 employees), the sector remains the second most talent-deficient in the UK, behind hospitality.
Key Trends Reshaping the Industry:
- Electrification and Battery Innovation: It’s estimated that by 2030, EVs are projected to represent over half of all new car sales in Europe, where battery production now accounts for up to 40% of a vehicle’s cost.
- Autonomous Driving and Self-Driving Systems: Autonomous vehicles are advancing quickly, with companies such as Waymo, Cruise, and AutoX developing increasingly advanced systems. The market is currently valued at around 1.88 billion USD; however, Fortune Business Insights predicts this could reach over 38 billion USD by 2032.
- Connectivity and Smart Vehicles: Connected and smart vehicles are equipped with features ranging from real-time traffic updates, predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics, to over-the-air (OTA) software updates and remote diagnostics. Sales, finance, and business development professionals are essential in communicating the value proposition of these innovations to customers and evaluating return of investment (ROI) for connectivity infrastructure.
- Diverse Mobility and Changing Behaviours: By 2030, up to 10% of all new vehicles may be shared rather than owned. Due to adapting ESG requirements and global economic factors, these changes are forcing OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to evolve faster than ever before, transitioning from product-centric to service-oriented business models.
The Talent Shift:
The automotive industry is no longer competing just on steel and horsepower, but for code, sensors, algorithms, and digital platforms. As Mercer’s research highlights, automotive companies are:
- Competing for talent from tech and other industries to bring in critical digital skillsets.
- Rethinking work models to support hybrid and innovation-driven teams.
- Redesigning cultures and operating models to attract, retain, and empower next-generation talent.
This evolution is driving demand for highly specialised professionals not only in Engineering, Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, and systems architecture, but also in commercial and strategic roles that enable this transformation.
At Experts Group International, we are presently seeing an increased demand across not only Automotive Technology and Motor Vehicle Manufacturing production, but also:
- Sales & Business Development (preferably with prior experience and educated to degree level)
- Finance (preferably with a deep understanding and strong network)
- Engineering and project management (Systems, Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, and Civil)
Supply Chain Disruptions:
The ongoing shift in the automotive industry is accompanied by significant challenges such as supply chain disruptions, economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and raw material shortages, all of which continue to impact production timelines. In response, OEMs are exploring localising production, redesigning operations, and strengthening their digital capabilities locally.
This transformation has created a growing demand not only for skilled professionals in plant control, finance, HR, and sales but also for strong leadership to manage these functions effectively.
It is essential to place Heads of Department, Global Directors, and Regional Directors who are savvy in restructuring roles to build, guide, and empower their teams.. Companies such as EY that invest in seasoned leaders across supply chain and related functions are better positioned to compete in a fast-evolving market and deliver sustainable growth. According to EY’s Parthenon Restructuring Pulse Survey, restructuring activity increased in 2024 and further growth is predicted in 2025.
Connecting Employers and Job Seekers – Our Commitment at Experts Group International:
As the skills gap widens and the competition for talent intensifies, automotive and technology firms are turning to specialist recruiters to access hard-to-find expertise, move faster on critical hires, and streamline the hiring process.
At Experts Group International, we understand a hands-on, human-first approach is needed to help both businesses and individuals in this fast-evolving landscape where the talent is passive. Whether you’re an employer or job seeker within the Automotive Value Chain, and uncertain of the forthcoming market, here’s how to best navigate these trends.
Hiring Automotive Technology Talent:
- Targeted Talent Access: Across our 9+ years of experience, cross-sector insight, we’ve built out one of the most extensive networks of specialists in automotive, mobility, and advanced manufacturing.
- Specialist Expertise: With increasing demand for candidates in roles such as Plant Controllers, Finance Managers, HR Leaders, and Sales Executives, we understand the spectrum of technical and leadership professionals needed to restructure effectively.
- End-to-End Recruitment: A team that is able to source, prepare and manage the best talent full-time is going to have the advantage in securing candidates within this limited talent pool.
For Automotive Technology Professionals:
Position yourself with representation to get access to the best companies, salary ranges, and benefits available in your field.
- CV and Application Support: Have a specialist tailor your CV to align your most relevant experience with what the market is hiring.
- One-to-one support: An agency that has potentially placed hundreds of candidates within the company you’re in process with will prepare you, from application tips to interviews and salary negotiation.
- Exclusive Opportunities: We know from our direct relationships with leading OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and technology innovators that the best roles aren’t accessible via job boards and LinkedIn.
- Career Alignment: A recruitment consultant should always take the time to understand your goals and strengths, connecting you only to opportunities that genuinely fit your expertise and ambitions.
Our role at Experts Group International – Join our Network, Explore our opportunities:
As we are seeing rapid growth across other key verticals beyond automotive production, including technology, private equity, and more, the need for skilled, adaptable talent has never been greater.
If you’re recruiting in the Value Chain or Automotive Technology space, our consulting team can help you build a talent strategy that fits your operational goals here.
Lastly, if you are exploring new work opportunities within the Value Chain industry, click here to see our available roles.
Zuckerberg’s Billion-Dollar Bet on Data Centres: Powering the Next Era of Sustainable Tech Talent
The global rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), has resulted in a fundamental transformation in the infrastructure supporting it. At the centre of this evolution is Meta’s massive investment in next-generation data centres which have been designed to support the future of AI at an unprecedented scale.
Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta’s plan to invest $60–65 billion into AI infrastructure in 2025. This plan focused on building data centres with energy usage equivalent to nuclear reactors. This can be seen as a key motivator in driving the way we energise and manage data ecosystems in the future and fundamental for the sustainability and cleantech workforce.
How Data Centres are Powering the AI Revolution:
The development of large language models (LLMs), image generators, and other AI tools demands significantly more computing power than traditional cloud or web hosting services ever did. The hardware powering these systems, such as the 1.3 million Nvidia GPUs planned by Meta is highly specialised, heat-intensive, and resource-consuming.
Traditional data centres are simply not equipped to handle this scale. That’s why tech giants are now competing to build new-generation facilities. Meta has implemented plans to bring 2GW+ of new capacity online, a level of growth unimaginable five years ago.
As AI development continues to grow, so does the need for advanced infrastructure. However, behind buzzwords like “superintelligence” and “neural networks” lies a fundamental question:
How do we power it all without destroying the planet?
The Sustainability Challenge:
Due to how energy-intensive AI’s infrastructure is, it is placing a strain on power systems. Data analysts estimate that by 2030, data centres could account for 8% of global electricity use. However, in response to the rising energy concerns, some governments, including Ireland and the Netherlands have paused or restricted new data centre developments.
Meta’s approach comes with a significant amount of responsibility. Its facilities such as the $10 billion data centre in Louisiana will require the same electricity load as entire cities. Meta is actively engaging with the U.S. government on regulatory challenges and international tech policy where environmental oversight is fundamental.
As the number of GPUs and high-performance chips increases, so does the need for:
- Renewable energy sourcing
- Water-efficient cooling systems
- Energy storage solutions for grid stability
- Strategies for carbon offsetting
- Sustainable and circular approaches to material sourcing
As such, Zuckerberg’s investment isn’t just in data, it’s in power, sustainability, and policy.
The Rise of Private Green Infrastructure:
Meta is constantly adapting how large-scale projects are financed. They have invested $29 billion in private funding by collaborating with major global financial institutions, including Apollo, KKR, and Carlyle.
The shift towards private credit for AI data centre infrastructure opens the door for flexible, sustainable investments in green energy and tech. It also suggests that climate-aligned capital is a fundamental sector of modern innovation.
Meta’s strategic shift mirrors those of other tech giants such as Microsoft, who recently announced their $80 billion AI capex plan. AI and sustainability are shaping our future and the need for clean and reliable infrastructure has become a key competitive advantage.
The Cleantech Talent Opportunity:
At Experts Group International, we have witnessed a growing demand for sustainability-focused professionals who understand the complex intersection of energy systems, digital infrastructure, and environmental compliance.
The roles we’re sourcing for our clients include:
- Engineers (electrical, mechanical, renewable systems)
- Project Managers (especially with offshore wind or solar experience)
- Operations Managers (support facility management and provide technical sales support)
(See all of our available CleanTech roles here)
If you are hiring data centre professionals, you can speak to one of our consulting experts here.
Lastly, if you are exploring new work opportunities within the CleanTech industry, click here to see our available roles.
Pharma’s Operational Evolution: Talent Strategies in the Post-Pandemic World:
The pharmaceutical industry has entered a period of significant transformation. As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global markets, companies have had to redesign supply chains and implement tighter regulatory restrictions, whilst facing more competition for skilled talent amid ongoing labour shortages. As operations become more complex, the demand is rising for a new kind of professional – people who bring not just technical expertise and regulatory knowledge, but also digital fluency and the ability to adapt quickly as business needs shift.
Pharma’s Post-COVID Shift:
Before the pandemic, operational excellence in pharma was mainly about cost control and regulatory compliance. Those priorities still matter. However, they’re no longer enough on their own.
Today, new expectations are reshaping how pharma companies operate.
Key trends include:
- Surging complexity from inflation and geopolitical instability.
- A 25% rise in EBITA risk from global supply chain disruptions.
- A 21% share of pipeline drugs now consisting of advanced therapies like mRNA and gene therapies – up from just 11% pre-COVID.
- An urgent need for speed-to-market to keep pace with innovation and regulatory fast-tracking.
These pressures have made traditional operational models feel outdated. In response, forward-looking organisations are rethinking how they structure, source, and scale their operations – and most importantly, who they hire to lead that change.
The importance of Value Chain & Supply Talent:
Pharma’s success increasingly depends on professionals who can manage complexity, mitigate disruption, and build flexibility into the value chain. Supply, manufacturing, and distribution roles, that were once seen as tactical are now strategic.
We are seeing a growing demand for:
- End-to-end supply chain leaders with both technical fluency and resilience strategy experience.
- Operational specialists who understand localised, fragmented business models but can think globally.
- Digital transformation leads who can apply data to improve visibility and risk management across sites.
- Regulatory operations professionals able to keep innovation fast and compliant.
- Pharma companies need more than functional experts – they need cross-functional problem solvers. They’re not just competing with each other for that talent, but also with tech, logistics, and manufacturing industries.
How Top Pharma Companies Are Transforming Talent Acquisition:
As the post-pandemic pharmaceutical landscape continues to evolve, operational excellence centres on having access to talent that is not only highly skilled but also regulatory-ready and adaptable to rapid change.
Here’s how forward-thinking organisations are refining their approach to talent sourcing:
- Bridging the Talent Gap in High-Demand Roles – with demand for STEM and digital talent outpacing supply by over 20%, pharma companies are expanding their search beyond traditional talent pools. Many are looking to similar industries for transferable skills in supply chain, quality assurance, and digital operations.
- Ensuring Regulatory and Technical Readiness – in regulated sectors like pharma, compliance is non-negotiable. Organisations are making their selection process more detailed and thorough to ensure every hire meets critical regulatory standards – covering certifications, clearances, and audit-readiness from the start. This is especially important in quality, regulatory affairs, and manufacturing roles, where non-compliance can cause significant operational delays.
- Aligning Talent Strategy with Operating Models – as pharma firms shift to hybrid or localised models, their hiring strategies are becoming more flexible – combining permanent, project-based, and contingent talent to stay flexible and cost-effective.
Our Role at Experts Group International:
Pharma operations have entered a new era – where uncertainty is the norm, and adaptability is everything. That means leadership teams must think differently about their hiring: not just what skills they need, but how, where, and when they secure them.
Whether you’re expanding domestic production, building resilient supply chains, or evolving your talent model, this is now the time to rethink your approach to hiring.
We match top-performing professionals with pharmaceutical companies looking for talent in the following areas:
- Finance (candidates with degrees in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related fields are preferred).
- Sales (Preferably with previous sales experience).
- HR (Candidates with degrees in HR, Business, or related disciplines preferred).
If you’re recruiting in the value chain space, our consulting team can help you build a strategy that fits your operational goals here.
Lastly, if you are exploring new work opportunities within the Value Chain industry, click here to see our available roles.
How Aerospace & Defence Firms Are Competing with Big Tech for Engineers
The aerospace and defence (A&D) industry is entering a period of unprecedented growth. As the need for advanced defence and aerospace technology continues to increase, there is a growing demand for highly skilled talent – but the industry is facing a major challenge: attracting highly skilled talent. According to Boeing’s 2024 Commercial Market Outlook, over 44,000 aircrafts will be built globally over the next 20 years. This signals major production increases across commercial, military, and space sectors. Although demand is increasing, there is a shortage of qualified talent, predominately in engineering, project management, and technical leadership.
Aerospace & Defence firms are not just competing with industry peers but also Global tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, and Meta, who often attract candidates with remote flexibility, cutting-edge projects, and upgraded employee compensation plans.
A Global Shortage of Qualified Engineers:
Although, there are over 100,000 engineering graduates across Europe annually, approximately only 10% choose to enter the A&D industry. In Germany alone, there are 76,400 open engineering positions, yet only 20,400 unemployed engineers.
This shortfall stems from two factors:
- A retiring workforce and a weak pipeline of replacements.
- Perception challenges, where many younger professionals favour tech brands over defence firms due to their remote work flexibility and lucrative compensation packages.
Five Talent Strategies Powering the Next Era of Aerospace & Defence:
These five strategies are redefining how the industry attracts and retains top talent:
- Strengthening Employer Branding: Over 60% of professionals under 40 say employer branding significantly influences their job decisions. European aerospace corporation, Airbus, use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, alongside virtual hiring events, and transparent culture communication to attract early-career talent.
- Knowledge Transfer through Mentorship: As senior engineers retire, structured mentorship programs will help to transfer knowledge to the next generation. This would help to speed up onboarding and reduce the skills gap.
- Globalisation of the Talent Pipeline: Regions like India, China, and Eastern Europe are producing top-tier engineering talent. Companies opening to hiring globally are able to fill roles faster and access specialised skills, often more cost-effectively. Whereas, western companies who still focus on local recruitment are left at a disadvantage.
- Offering Smart Flexibility: Whilst full remote work isn’t always viable due to security restrictions, many A&D firms can offer compressed workweeks, flex-time, or hybrid options. This would help to increase the number of potential candidates.
- Closing the Digital Skills Gap: As aerospace systems are becoming increasingly digital. The gap between talent demand and supply continues to widen. Employers need to focus on upskilling their current teams, retraining staff, and sourcing externally to find the right talent.
Our Role: Experts Group International:
At Experts Group International, we’re proud to help drive innovation across the technology and aerospace & defence sectors. Our cross-sector talent network spans semi-conductors, data infrastructure, automotive technology, and more.
We connect high-performing professionals with A&D firms seeking talent in:
- Engineering (Systems, Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, and Civil)
- Operations & Project Management (predominately with prior experience in satellite or mission-critical environments)
- Sales (with a focus on satellite communications and complex B2B environments)
(See all of our available Technology roles here)
If you are hiring in the technology sector, you can speak to one of our consulting experts here.
Lastly, if you are exploring new work opportunities within the Technology industry, click here to see our available roles.
