The state of TA teams in 2025: Doing more with less

Tracking year-over-year trends in recruiting team size has become a key strategy for businesses aiming to stay competitive in 2025. Understanding these insights helps organizations align their resources with hiring goals, identify efficiency gains, and recognize areas requiring scale. With recruiting teams becoming leaner than ever, businesses must adapt to maintain an effective and adaptable hiring strategy.

The shrinking size of recruiting teams

Recent data indicates recruiting teams steadily contracted. The average recruiter headcount per team has dropped from 31 in 2022 to 24 in 2024. This decline is particularly striking, given the resurgence in hiring activity during this period. It emphasizes the growing need for modern recruiting tools that help lean teams manage higher workloads without sacrificing the quality of their work or well-being.

Historically, recruiting team sizes peaked in 2022, declining year-over-year — 27 in 2023 and 24 in 2024. Many organizations never returned to their pre-pandemic hiring capacities, relying instead on automation and AI to bridge the gap. This shift reflects a broader trend across industries, with businesses focusing on operational efficiency amid economic uncertainties.

Geographic variations in recruiting team sizes

Examining recruiting team sizes by geography reveals a consistent pattern of expansion between 2021 and 2022, followed by contractions. International teams saw the most significant reductions, with a decrease of approximately 10 recruiters per team from 2022 to 2024. Bay Area teams also experienced notable declines, while other U.S. metropolitan areas saw less significant reductions.

Interestingly, New York and Los Angeles metro areas saw less dramatic decreases, likely due to more stable hiring demand. These regions have consistently needed recruiting resources, reflecting steadier economic conditions than other parts of the country.

The need for efficiency and technology adoption

Despite an increase in hiring activity, recruiting team headcount continued to decline in 2024, reinforcing the need for organizations to adopt technology-driven solutions. As companies strive to do more with fewer resources, automation, AI-driven recruitment tools, and streamlined processes are becoming essential in preventing recruiter burnout and ensuring continued hiring success.

Ultimately, recruiting team size benchmarks provide a roadmap for businesses to maintain a balanced and effective hiring strategy. Organizations that proactively leverage technology and optimize their recruitment processes will be better positioned to navigate the evolving talent landscape and drive long-term success.

There’s more recruiting insights in store

For more insights into 2025’s trends and strategies to make recruiting easier, download the full 2025 Recruiting Benchmarks Report.