By HumanEra, Chief Cultural & People Officer | Guest Contributor at BLKResumes

In 2025, we find ourselves at a critical inflection point in the job market, a situation that demands our immediate attention and action.

Despite advances in HR technology and a push toward inclusive hiring, our data at BLKResumes reveals a stark reality: for many professionals — especially Black, Brown, and underrepresented talent — the hiring process remains inefficient, impersonal, and inequitable.

At BLKResumes, we are committed to a human-centric approach. We believe job platforms should mirror the real lives, searches, and growth of people, not just the data tracking systems. This is why we are sharing exclusive insights from our community to help reshape the hiring process.

What We’re Seeing Across the BLKResumes Ecosystem

Based on platform usage here are three trends shaping the current hiring landscape:

1. Candidates Are Still Being Ghosted — Even When They’re Qualified

• Over 63% of professionals on our platform report applying to roles and receiving no follow-up, despite strong resumes and skill alignment.

• This is especially true for early-career professionals and mid-career pivoters from nontraditional backgrounds.

2. Job Seekers Want Cultural Transparency

• More than 78% of users told us they won’t apply to a company unless they know what it’s like to work there.

• Professionals want more than values on a wall — they want lived experiences reflected in hiring, promotion, and retention.

3. The “Spray & Pray” Job Hunt Model Is Failing

• Our data shows that candidates who use our value-matching tools and targeted resume builder have 42% higher engagement rates from employers than those applying at random.

• The key: relevance over volume.