KDR Talent Solutions

Flexibility is Non-Negotiable - what data professionals really want from hybrid working in 2025 In the early days of remote work, flexibility was a perk. In 2025, it’s a dealbreaker. This year’s State of Data 2025 report makes that crystal clear: 63% of UK data professionals say they would consider leaving their job if hybrid flexibility were reduced. That’s not a soft preference. That’s a hard line in the sand and a clear signal to employers. What the Data Says While most professionals still work between 1–3 days per week in the office, expectations have changed. The hybrid model isn’t just about location anymore, it’s about purpose. Are team days being used effectively? Are office requirements tied to collaboration, client-facing needs or development goals, or just legacy thinking? Is flexibility offered equally, or are policies manager-dependent? The report reveals that role-based, purpose-driven presence policies are increasingly preferred and organisations embr...

What’s Really Blocking (AI) Progress in 2025? In an industry that moves fast and talks faster, it’s easy to assume that the biggest obstacles to data and AI progress are abstract: fear of job loss, confusion about AI’s purpose, or a lack of executive buy-in. But this year’s State of Data 2025 report paints a more grounded picture, one that’s both more practical and more solvable. The top 3 blockers in 2025 are operational, not existential When asked what’s really holding them back, UK data professionals didn’t cite hype or hesitation. They pointed to tangible operational challenges: Poor data quality (28%) Lack of in-house AI skills (21%) Managing stakeholder expectations (16%) These are not philosophical barriers. They are process, skill and communication gaps that many high-performing organisations are already tackling head-on. Why This Matters The shift from cultural to operational blockers signals an industry that’s maturing. Previous blockers are being rep...

Data usage is improving, but it’s not because of more tools For years, improving data usage has often been seen as a tooling problem: better platforms, smarter dashboards, more automation. But the 2025 edition of The State of Data suggests something different and far more foundational, is happening. A Quiet Revolution in Data Usage This year, 67% of UK respondents said their organisation’s data usage has improved year-on-year, a promising statistic in a landscape still shaped by complexity, disruption and economic caution. So what’s driving this shift? Not new platforms. Not bigger teams. Not AI (yet). Instead, 42% of respondents cited “clear definitions of what data is needed and why” as the strongest reason for the improvement, more than any other factor listed. That’s significant. And it reveals something important: the most impactful changes are coming from the alignment between people and purpose, not software and spend. Clarity over complexity When teams u...

The State of Data report provides a vital pulse check on the UK’s data industry Drawing on the perspectives of UK data professionals across different sectors, it reveals a landscape that is maturing, but still uneven in its progress. Signs of progress: Adoption, usage and mindset At headline level, the results are promising: 74% of organisations now report adopting AI , up from 66% in 2024. 67% say their organisation's data usage has improved year-on-year. New strategies like product ownership of AI use cases , MLOps , and data contracts are beginning to appear in everyday operations, signalling real shifts in capability. But these advances aren’t universal, and they’re not necessarily coming from new tools or hires. The report shows that progress is being driven by foundational work: clarity in data definitions, stronger alignment between teams, and a mindset shift from firefighting to strategic enablement. Challenges are evolving, not disappearing Whil...