As we head into the final stretch of 2025, few leaders embody today’s hiring reality better than Karen Lynch, President & CEO of CVS Health. She’s navigating large-scale staffing, regulation, and evolving skill needs daily. These are exactly the pressures many mid-sized businesses feel right now. Recent employer surveys suggest only about four in ten companies plan to add staff in Q4, so most teams are hiring cautiously while fighting to keep the talent they already have.
September Surge? Yes, But With a Twist
There’s still urgency in September, but more employers are using contract, interim, and contract-to-hire to stay nimble. Addressing gaps quickly without locking into long-term costs in an uncertain economy.
Insight You Can Use: Contract-to-hire is like test-driving a car. You get to see how it handles the turns before you sign on the dotted line.
Hiring Is Cooling, But the Competition Isn’t Gone
Hiring has slowed, but it hasn’t collapsed. Critical roles are still tough to fill, and high-fit candidates remain in short supply. That means the bar for new hires is higher, interview loops are tighter, and leaders are asking for proof that each hire will move the needle.
Karen Lynch’s advice fits this moment: “As leaders, as people managers, people are always, always looking at you … you have to stay calm and make decisions with the best information available to you … and then you need to pivot when you get more information.” (ThomasNet)
Insight You Can Use: Even if you’re slowing down hiring, don’t shut down your pipeline. Think of it like keeping your car engine idling on a cold morning. You want it ready to go the moment you hit the gas.
What Mid-Sized Businesses Should Take Away
- Stay flexible. Use contract-to-hire, temporary, and hybrid models to reduce risk.
- Prioritize quality over quantity. A small slate of pre-screened, high-fit candidates beats a big stack of résumés.
- Consider private recruiting events. Meet curated talent without the noise or travel burden of huge fairs.
- Make retention part of recruiting. Strong onboarding, stronger culture, and continuous training keep great hires in seat.
- Show the ROI. Leaders want clear outcomes from every recruiting dollar.
Lynch also reminds us retention is about care, not just comp. In a Travelers Institute conversation, she highlighted expanding mental-health and well-being support. This meets employees’ real needs when stress is high. (Travelers Institute)
Insight You Can Use: Retention starts with listening. Sometimes, simply asking “What would make your work life easier?” can save you from writing another goodbye card.
How Catalyst Career Group Fits In
At Catalyst Career Group, we’re built for this moment. Our national job fairs, private recruiting events, and candidate search services help companies move fast, stay flexible, and hire for fit.
Whether you’re cautiously adding staff, piloting contract-to-hire, or laying the groundwork for 2026, we’ll help you hit your goals while reducing the risks of hiring in a cooling market.
Is your Q4 hiring strategy ready for today’s realities? Let’s build the right mix of in-person, virtual, and private recruiting for your needs.
Contact Catalyst Career Group at (815) 308-5426 or use the form at https://catalystcareergroup.com/contact/.