In 2025, the frontline and hourly hiring landscape is more complex—and more critical—than ever. Retailers, hospitality operators, and consumer brands are navigating a perfect storm of high turnover, rising candidate expectations, and shrinking talent acquisition (TA) resources. Yet, amidst the chaos, one truth is emerging: the organizations that win are those that start small, iterate fast, and build a culture of continuous change.

The Reality on the Ground

• Turnover remains sky-high: Hospitality turnover exceeds 100% annually in some segments, while retail hovers between 60–80%. Many frontline workers leave within 30–90 days, creating a costly cycle of backfilling and burnout.
• Candidate ghosting is rampant: From application to Day 1, drop-offs and no-shows are disrupting workforce planning and inflating time-to-fill.
• TA teams are stretched thin: In 2024, TA teams met just 47.9% of their hiring goals¹. In 2025, they’re being asked to do more with less—fewer recruiters, tighter budgets, and higher expectations.
• Technology is underutilized: Despite widespread adoption of platforms and the capabilities of AI, many organizations struggle to unlock the full potential due to competing priorities and lack of in-house expertise.

What’s Working in 2025

The most successful organizations are not the ones with the flashiest tools or biggest budgets—they’re the ones that are willing to evolve:

• AI and automation are gaining traction: 93% of TA leaders plan to increase tech investments this year, focusing on reducing bottlenecks and improving candidate experience¹.
• Experience is the differentiator: Top-performing TA teams are 55% more likely to prioritize candidate experience¹, recognizing that a seamless, human-centered journey reduces ghosting and boosts retention.
• Flexibility is key: In hospitality, where labor shortages persist despite record-high employment, employers are rethinking roles, offering career pathways, and embracing more supportive, flexible environments.

The Call to Action

You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. But you do need to start with a few basics:

• Audit your hiring journey—where are candidates dropping off?
• Empower your TA team—what’s slowing them down?
• Optimize what you already have—are your tools configured for today’s needs?
• Test, learn, and adapt—what worked last quarter or last season may not work next.

The frontline hiring challenge isn’t going away. But with the right mindset and a commitment to ongoing improvement, it’s one you can meet—one iteration at a time. 

1 GoodTime’s 2025 Hiring Insights Report