What talent wants in jobs & locations
The global competition for talent has never been fiercer. Across Europe, demographic shifts, skills shortages, and evolving worker expectations are reshaping how people decide where to live and work.
Now in its third year, the latest edition of What Talent Wants captures these dynamics, offering a clear window into the priorities and behaviors of internationally mobile professionals – and what employers, governments, and places must do to compete for them.
Survey snapshot: Who we asked
In June and July 2025, we surveyed 650 working-age professionals across nine European countries who had moved internationally within the last three years. All respondents had to be either employed or actively job seeking, and meet a minimum education level (secondary school or higher).
While many demographic patterns held steady from previous years, the 2025 report included new angles—such as how talent structures job searches, the role of family in relocation, and growing interest in reskilling and political fit.
Key questions we explore
What triggers international relocation in 2025?
Which job and career factors carry the most weight when moving abroad?
How does talent specifically search for new job openings?
How are partners and children influencing mobility decisions?
What barriers are getting in the way of smooth relocations?
Is the promise of training enough to convince people to move?
What quality-of-life concerns are front and centre today?
How does talent gather information and form perceptions about new places?
Who’s likely to move again and why might that be?
The insights provided in this report can guide the development of more effective cross-border talent attraction strategies from both the public and private sector helping to address the ongoing challenges in the labour market.
To help inform your talent attraction and retention activities, download your copy of What Talent Wants: Capturing What Europe’s Workforce Seeks in Jobs & Locations.
Get insights from more than 650 European talents about how they find information on new career opporutnities, what they prioritize about lifestyle and how to influence where they move.
What next? How we can help.
The most important part of reports like this is putting their insights into action. See the following ways our team is available to help.
Half-Day Day Workshop
Struggling to align regional stakeholders around talent attraction? Book managing director and report author Steve Duncan to run a custom half-day workshop for your regional consortium. Gain clarity on why talent attraction matters, who is responsible for which aspects and what resources are needed to do it effectively.
Custom Perception Research
Do you wonder how international talent perceives your community? Our team can help you identify the right markets to survey, which questions to ask and collect the intelligence to help inform future talent marketing efforts.
Competitor Benchmarking Analysis
Need more insight into what other regions and countries are doing to increase their competitiveness in attracting international talent? We can help with a detailed benchmarking analysis, understanding the policy measures in place as well as the place marketing initiatives to raise destination appeal.
Talent Marketing Strategy, Creative Development & Campaign Implementation
Is your region or country convinced of the value of talent attraction, but unclear on the next steps to take or unsure how to build the case to gain the appropriate funding? We are experienced in developing comprehensive talent attraction marketing strategies and would love to discuss how we can help your region.
