RedCore CHRO Oksana Izmailova has shared her predictions for the future of the global job market in a candid and wide-ranging interview with NEXT.io.
The conversation, the second part of a longer interview series, covers RedCore’s competitive hiring strategy and what trends professionals should expect in the years ahead.
Izmailova was asked why candidates consistently chose RedCore during periods when talent had the upper hand, and what has kept them there long term.
“Because we never tried to compete on money alone,” she explained, noting that while RedCore offers a strong compensation package, salary alone would not explain its retention numbers.
More than 1,800 specialists have been with the business group for around two years, while over 1,400 have stayed even longer, figures Izmailova described as quite telling.
She pointed to RedCore’s combination of scale and speed as a key advantage, with the group bringing together around 5,000 specialists working with brands across the globe.
The group has never experienced a single wave of mass layoffs throughout its entire history, a stark contrast to the broader market where over 143,000 IT professionals were let go by global technology companies in just the first five months of this year.
RedCore grew by 46% in 2024 alone, and Izmailova said the business continues to expand and launch new projects, constantly creating development opportunities for its people.
She described an internal culture where initiative is encouraged rather than viewed as a threat, and where strong ideas receive genuine support backed by the full resources of the business group.
“As a result, when someone comes to us with a great idea, we are prepared to support it and provide access to the resources of the entire business group,” she said, adding that this is exactly how RedCore’s B2B brands were born.
On the topic of hiring, Izmailova was clear that there is no secret formula, crediting instead deliberate processes built around core values the company defined around five years ago.
RedCore looks for people with an internal drive and a competitive spirit, and Izmailova said the group has zero tolerance for favoritism, double standards, or the idea that some people are untouchable.
She also stressed that management is a profession in its own right, requiring continuous investment in development, since being a strong specialist does not automatically produce a strong manager.
Today, 23 to 25 percent of all hiring within the business group comes through employee referrals, which Izmailova described as a strong indicator of trust in what RedCore is building.
Looking ahead, Izmailova predicted that companies will become increasingly focused on financial efficiency, with excessive perks disappearing and salary growth slowing compared to previous years.
She warned that AI and automation, while powerful tools, do not automatically make people smarter, and she noted that she often sees professionals analyzing less and diving into details less frequently as a result.
“People analyze less. They dive into details less often. They spend less time looking for cause-and-effect relationships because the first reaction becomes: ‘Why bother if I can just ask ChatGPT?'” she said.
Izmailova also flagged that hiring itself is becoming more challenging, as candidates have become skilled at passing interviews without necessarily being able to perform once they start.
She called for companies to move beyond biographical interviews and invest more in intelligent questioning, case studies, and deeper assessments that better predict real on-the-job performance.
Her closing message was direct: the greatest shortage in the job market will not be technology but mature people, making strong soft skills the new currency of professional value.
