Digital Trends Shaping Public Sector Recruitment in 2025

Digital technologies are key to the growth and development of Ireland’s public services, offering vital opportunities to increase efficiency, improve customer service, and reduce costs. Keen to harness these benefits, the Government has set out a number of strategies for digital transformation in its Digital Ireland Framework. 

As the push towards digital government continues, however, sourcing the talent required to bring these ideas to fruition can prove difficult. There are some notable skills gaps, for example, around cybersecurity, big data, and AI. 

For those in HR, addressing these gaps requires a flexible approach to recruitment due to the rapid pace of technological change and the limited availability of candidates with the precise skills required. Turning to a specialist employment agency, such as Unijobs, can help by providing support to fill technical roles and niche public sector jobs quickly and efficiently. 

In this rapidly evolving environment, where demand for tech skills can be both urgent and short-lived, we take a look at some of the digital trends shaping public sector recruitment in 2025. 

Digital Strategies for Growth 

When it comes to the power of digital transformation, there’s no doubting that Ireland has big ambitions. The Digital Ireland Framework sets out a pathway to make Ireland a digital leader within Europe. Meanwhile in the public sector, the Connecting Government 2030 strategy sees Ireland aiming to deliver an impressive 90% of applicable public services online by 2030, surpassing EU targets. 

In order to achieve this goal, public sector organisations will need to: develop citizen-centric platforms that provide seamless, user-friendly access to services; embed digital payment capabilities for safe and secure online payments; improve cybersecurity to address ICT risk management and operational resilience. 

New Guidelines on AI 

Artificial intelligence is another key driver in the public sector, providing opportunities to automate tasks, personalise citizen engagement, and facilitate data-driven decision-making. In addition to enhancing service provision, AI also offers huge potential for costs savings, with UK research highlighting that around a third of civil service tasks could be automated. 

In response to these opportunities, the Irish government recently published new AI guidelines for public sector workers to help them use artificial intelligence responsibly in the design, development, and delivery of public services. 

Despite AI’s immense potential in public services, however, a shortage of relevant skills promises to block AI opportunities. Without the right expertise, even the most powerful AI tools can’t be deployed effectively. As a result, public sector departments are now sourcing the tech talent to implement AI technologies to the best effect. 

A digital skills shortage 

According to the CIPD’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, these shifts in business needs and digital trends are dramatically changing the prediction for in-demand skills. Unlike today’s employers who prioritise analytical thinking, by 2030 the top ten fastest growing skills are predicted to be: 

1. AI and big data 
2. Networks and cybersecurity 
3. Technological literacy 

Skillnet Ireland also highlights a desire for more specialised skillsets in its 2025 review of Ireland’s talent landscape. Demand for both blockchain and AI rose significantly, reaching 80% and 64%, respectively. Among other emerging needs, the demand for skills in internet of things (87%), cloud computing (87%), and data analytics (87%) almost doubled on levels reported in 2024. 

For public sector organisations, this tech skills shortage is a particularly tricky problem. Firstly, pressure to update legacy systems is increasing rapidly and secondly, public sector organisations can struggle to compete with high profit private sector companies who are able to offer much higher financial rewards. 

Finally, when it comes to recruiting graduates, it’s worth remembering that even the most capable candidates often require further training to develop team skills or work collaboratively – that's something public sector employers can ill afford when fulfilling a short term project or development goal. 

Creative ways to source digital talent 

One way to tackle this problem is to engage a recruitment specialist like Unijobs. As an expert in filling public sector positions, we provide fast, flexible, temporary recruitment for a variety of digital and tech roles. 

If you’re sourcing specialised tech talent, we can help find experienced candidates with niche skills. Custom candidate testing helps identify specific technical knowledge, and because we can source and vet candidates from our large pool of in-demand IT talent, you can hire fast to implement new technology developments at speed. 

Not only that, but temporary jobs can also be a great way to assess the need for a permanent hire. With technology evolving rapidly, making a headcount change is a big commitment. With support from Unijobs, however, you can gain insights while plugging a skills gap, easily switching a temporary contract to a permanent one if the need arises. 

To find out how Unijobs can support your organisation with expert skills to meet the demands of digitalisation, contact our team today.