The Principal Recruiter’s Lens - March 2025

Editorial Note

Welcome to the March ?? edition of The Lens. After participating in Wolfgang Brickwedde 's Recruiting Trends KI & RecTech 2025 conference, I want to share some relevant insights about the future of recruitment that will shape our profession.

3 Scenarios Reshaping Recruitment

The Automation Wave

• A significant transformation, where AI-based efficiency could replace transactional recruitment roles by 2027.
• The forecast suggests a potential 40-50% decrease in global recruiter numbers by 20301. This shift particularly affects high-volume sectors and staffing agencies focusing on transactional roles.

AI as Colleague

• The most balanced scenario envisions a symbiotic relationship between recruiters and AI. In this future, AI handles administrative tasks whilst recruiters focus on strategic elements like negotiations and diversity initiatives.
• The global number of recruiters would remain relatively stable (+/- 5-10% by 2030).

The Recruiting Renaissance

Perhaps the most optimistic outlook predicts a 40% increase in recruiter numbers globally by 2030. This growth is driven by:

• New industries creating over 25 million jobs
• Demographic shifts requiring more replacement personnel
• AI generating 2.5 accompanying roles per AI position

Implications

The recruitment landscape requires a balanced approach to these scenarios. Successful recruiters must:

• Develop technology competence whilst maintaining human-centric skills
• Focus on strategic talent planning and global acquisition
• Strengthen data competencies to work effectively with AI

I invite you to reflect on these scenarios and consider how they might shape your approach to recruitment.

Source: Wolfgang Brickwedde's Recruiting Trends KI & RecTech 2025 Conference, February 2025

The Principal Feature: When (In)Justice Meets ADHD: A Leadership Journey

An educational piece. And maybe a vulnerable showcase.

The intersection of ADHD and heightened justice sensitivity in the professional world creates a unique set of challenges that many of us in the neurodivergent community face daily.?

Through my years of experience in talent acquisition and business leadership, I have observed how this combination shapes our workplace interactions and professional relationships.

The Impact of Broken Promises

• In the business world, we often encounter situations where words and actions fail to align. For those of us with ADHD, the disconnect between promised deliverables and actual results can be particularly distressing.?
• The frustration intensifies when we witness others receiving acclaim for hollow commitments whilst those who quietly deliver go unnoticed.

Recognition and Reciprocity

• The professional world operates on a complex system of give and take. Whilst I firmly believe in helping others without expecting immediate returns, the absence of basic acknowledgement can be particularly challenging for those with heightened justice sensitivity.?
• The experience of having our work appropriated or our contributions minimised creates a deep sense of professional dissonance.

The Challenge of Authenticity

• One of the most significant struggles involves witnessing the celebration of style over substance.?
• In some of the professional climates I found myself in, there was often a tendency to reward visibility over value.?
• For those of us with ADHD and strong justice sensitivity, this creates an internal conflict: do we speak up and risk being labelled as 'too sensitive' or 'aggressive', or do we remain silent and compromise our values?

Finding Balance

I was diagnosed at 38yo, so I still learn how on earth to channel this heightened sense of justice into positive change.?

I certainly recognise it as a strength that drives meaningful improvements in workplace dynamics. I am still to figure out the best way to maintain the balance…will keep you posted ??

A Gift for Challenging Times ??

Speaking of navigating professional spaces, I understand how overwhelming it can become. Towards the end of 2024, I experienced one of those “a day meltdown” - in complete freeze, questioning everything. For those moments when everything feels too big and scary, I've created a FREE one-pager called "Ground Yourself." This resource contains four powerful exercises from my upcoming workbook, designed specifically to help you regain focus and clarity.

If you're feeling stuck or need a moment to reset, simply >comment< "ground yourself" below or send me a direct message to receive your copy. These practical exercises will help you take what my friend Alicja calls "one small, Andreea-sized step forward."

News & Insights

1. Duolingo Opens its Doors - join the Open Source culture - their entire Handbook

After 14 years, Duolingo is pulling back the curtain on its unique company culture. The Duolingo Handbook, released February 10, 2025, shares the core principles and lessons that have shaped the company from a small group of "nerds" above a Pittsburgh sports bar to a $16B company.

Core Principles: it outlines 5 key principles that guide Duolingo's approach:

• Take the Long View
• Raise the Bar
• Ship It!
• Show Don’t Tell
• Make It Fun

The Green Machine: the handbook unpacks Duolingo's approach to building things which includes gathering excellent people, letting them experiment, and doubling down on what works.

Source: Duolingo Handbook

2. More AI Promises

According to LinkedIn’s latest LinkedIn The Future of Recruiting 2025, AI promises to automate mundane tasks so TA pros can double down on strategic (and very human) activities. Data privacy and tight budgets still loom large though. Meanwhile, “skills-based hiring” is gaining serious traction as companies scramble to close talent gaps; prioritising what candidates can do over where they worked or went to school.?

So - recruiters who embrace AI as an ally (not a threat) and pivot to “skills first” stand to thrive in 2025’s hyper-competitive market.?

Source: LinkedIn The Future of Recruiting 2025

3. 8 GPT Prompts

Adriano Herdman man did us all a favour and released a GPT Prompt Library with 8 relevant prompts for all of us in the Talent Acquisition space. Find the resource below and make sure to also subscribe to the newsletter, I find it very useful.

Source: We Are Move Blog

?? Consulting Services: Finally embracing my “gig economy” worker self

There is no offer here this month, because the offer is - my entire knowledge from now on.

As a result of a Business survey I led, it is very apparent that these are the Top 3 problems that Talent Leaders need help solving (people could choose multiple options):

1. Efficient Talent Processes: Ensuring recruitment workflows are agile and cost?effective (54.5%)
2. Comprehensive Hiring Strategies: Developing data?driven, end?to?end strategies that attract and secure top?quality candidates (54.5%)
3. ?Integrating Innovative Technologies: Leveraging modern tools (e.g. AI and data analytics) to revolutionise recruitment practices. (45.5%)

They prefer that I help them through:

1. One-to-one coaching or business consulting (50%)
2. Group workshops or webinars (58.3%)

And this is what Individuals need:

1. Accelerated Career Progression: Support for faster career growth
2. Tangible Career ROI: Measurable improvements in career outcomes
3. Accelerated Career Growth - Career Pathing?
4. Uplift Personal Brand

Interestingly enough, they really all scored the same.

And it seems that everyone, business and individual, prefers in-person meetings and mostly, 1on1 settings. But workshops and group setting is a close 2nd.

Reflection

?"You do not just wake up and become the butterfly. Growth is a process." - Rupi Kaur

Let’s talk about something we often put last: our health. Beyond mere absence of illness, true health encompasses physical vitality, mental clarity, and emotional well-being. It SHOULD be the bedrock upon which we build our dreams, careers, and relationships.

Women, particularly in demanding roles, are conditioned to push through. Work deadlines, caregiving, emotional labour, we absorb it all, often at the cost of our well-being.

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence; it is self-preservation." - Audre Lorde.

This month, ask yourself:

• What would prioritising your health truly look like? Not in a theoretical, “I should sleep more” way, but in an actual way; what needs to change?
• Where do you push beyond your limits, and what’s the cost? If you wouldn't demand the same from a friend, why demand it from yourself?
• How can we create spaces where well-being isn’t seen as weakness? For ourselves, for those around us?

Who has been really guilty of ignoring their body until it screamed so loud it could not be ignored anymore?

I’ll go first! ??♀?

Resources

• Recruitment Buzz Newsletter (Wolfgang Brickwedde)
• Ground Yourself 1 Pager (must be a Principal Recruiter Site member for free download) OR Comment "ground yourself" and I will send it in a DM
• Duolingo Handbook
• Adriano Herdman Move - GPT Prompt Library
• LinkedIn The Future of Recruiting 2025

I’m Andreea Lungulescu, a Principal Recruiter with over 15 years of experience in talent acquisition and the founder of Germany's most engaged Talent Community, Talent Crunch Berlin (TC) . From consulting on hiring strategies to coaching individuals, I’m passionate about helping organisations and professionals achieve their goals.

Want to elevate your hiring strategies or advance your career?

I offer consulting, coaching, and tailored solutions to optimise recruitment processes and deliver measurable results.

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