"A company that doesn't offer remote work at least once a week filters out 70% of candidates"
Despite an employer-driven market, hybrid work and authenticity remain essential to attract and retain top candidates.
4,000 resumes for 15 positions. That’s what happened when HiBob opened a junior program, and in today’s high-tech job market, those numbers are no longer unusual.
The number of jobs in Israeli tech fell by 5,000 in 2024, marking the first annual decline in a decade. AI coding tools such as Claude Code are disrupting software workflows, and the effects are being felt across the industry: companies are requiring employees to return to the office, redefining roles, and laying off tens of thousands of workers globally.
The market is undergoing a shake-up, and the balance of power has clearly shifted toward employers. Yet those same employers continue investing in campaigns, meetups, community-building, and social media content under the banner of “employer branding.” When thousands of candidates are competing for far fewer roles, the question arises: is all of this still necessary?
“It may seem like companies don’t need to invest as much in attracting candidates because supply exceeds demand,” says Yarden Gur, Brand Marketing Manage at Intuit, who was named one of the leading employer branding women for 2025. “But when you’re looking for very specific talent, experienced builders or exceptional young prospects, those broader numbers become irrelevant. For certain roles, competition never disappears.”
She adds that the perception that employers can now dictate strict return-to-office policies does not fully reflect reality. “Hybrid work is no longer a perk, it’s infrastructure. A company that doesn’t offer at least one day of remote work filters out roughly 70% of its relevant talent pool.”
More broadly, the idea that the labor market operates like a pendulum, sometimes favoring employers, sometimes employees, can be misleading. “Power shifts are temporary,” says Sharon Israel, CEO and co-founder of Xtra Mile, an international marketing firm. “If employers exploit that power, the damage can be long-lasting. No company wants employees who stay only because they have no alternative. The moment the market improves, they will leave.”
Part of the surge in job seekers stems from widespread layoffs. According to an Innovation Authority employer survey conducted in December 2025, 35% of tech companies laid off employees in the previous six months.
In January, Amazon announced 16,000 layoffs, in addition to 14,000 cuts the previous October, totaling 30,000 out of 1.58 million employees worldwide. Cisco, HP, Applied Materials, and Lightricks have also announced recent reductions.
Layoffs may be cyclical in tech, but they erode what experts call the “psychological contract” between employer and employee.
“There is a growing sense of distrust, and communication becomes critical,” says Viki Groner, lecturer and partner at HRD, a firm specializing in AI, HR, and employer branding. Companies that downsize must often intensify employer branding efforts to rebuild trust and retain remaining staff. Moreover, layoffs frequently trigger additional voluntary departures.
“Today there is a crisis of trust across the ecosystem,” says Gur. “The challenge is to stop the snowball effect. Employer branding professionals must mediate difficult decisions internally and externally, presenting a full and honest picture rather than one-sided messaging.”
As a result, employer branding during layoffs has become more subdued. Instead of flashy billboards and expensive videos, organizations are focusing on deeper internal engagement.
“It’s no longer about flashy campaigns costing hundreds of thousands of shekels,” says Groner. “It’s about holistic, internal and external alignment.”
External pressures are forcing the field to mature. In the past, employer branding often revolved around rankings, perks, and parties. Today the focus is shifting toward impact.
Hila Zaguri, who runs the Employer Branding Israel Community, says recognition now goes to “people who have driven real change within organizations.”
The real test, she argues, is how companies behave during crises. Some firms have engaged in high-profile social initiatives during wartime and national trauma. Others have supported employees serving in reserve duty or families affected by conflict.
Aviv Weizmann, Marketing Manager for EMEA at Aerospike and a judge in the employer branding awards, says organizations are grappling with existential and moral dilemmas: whether to take public positions, how to support affected employees, and how to navigate polarization.
“The political and social climate enters the workplace through the front door,” he says. “And yet companies still have to meet targets and remain profitable. Employer branding may seem secondary, but it’s critical. We spend most of our waking hours at work. An organization disconnected from social reality becomes irrelevant.”
The instability has reshaped employee priorities. While salary remains important, it is no longer the dominant factor.
According to Gur, the top consideration for tech talent is now personal development and upskilling, particularly in AI. “People want to know they won’t fall behind,” she says. “They don’t want to join a company that restricts tools and limits exposure.”
The second key factor is psychological safety, followed by the ability to use generative AI tools in daily work.
“Employees want to feel they can make mistakes, ask difficult questions, propose half-formed ideas, and challenge the status quo,” says Gur.
Interest in AI usage has surged. “We’ve seen a 20% jump in the importance candidates place on using AI as a legitimate workplace tool.”
LinkedIn data shows that work-life balance, meaningful goals, and learning opportunities, particularly AI-related, now outweigh salary among Generation Y and Z employees. Glassdoor data suggests companies that ban AI tools are increasingly viewed as less innovative.
Adi Avital, R&D and Product Talent Marketing Manager at Gong, says Israeli candidates are asking different questions amid ongoing uncertainty: “Is the company stable? Does it know how to manage crises? Is there a real long-term vision? Do employees feel they have influence even during difficult times?”
AI is also reshaping recruitment itself.
“There’s a lot more noise online,” says Amit Lavy, Global R&D Brand & Developer Relations Team Lead at AT&T. “People are searching for authenticity.”
He says their strategy focuses on people first. In 2025, 40% of recruitment came through employee referrals and 30% through LinkedIn. The company highlights employees publicly, at conferences, meetups, blogs, and social media, as a way to humanize the brand.
“In a world flooded with AI-generated content, human context becomes even more important,” Lavy says. “AI is an incredible tool, but authenticity builds trust.”
