- Introduction
- Executive Summary
- Key Trends Shaping Hiring in 2026
- 1. Mobility Is Now a Hiring Constraint
- 2. Salary Alone Is No Longer the Differentiator
- 3. Operational Roles Are Driving Market Movement
- 4. Gender Representation Is Shifting — Quietly but Clearly
- 5. Age Profiles Reflect Caution, Not Complacency
- Practical Actions for Employers Heading into 2026
- Conclusion
- The Full Report
Introduction
Strategic Workforce Insights for Employers are increasingly important as 2025 draws to a close and many businesses begin shaping their hiring plans for the year ahead. This year’s candidate data tells a clear story: the market is not standing still, but it is changing shape.
Across Office Support, Finance, HR, Facilities, Engineering, and Legal, candidate behaviour is shifting in measurable ways — from who is entering the market, to how far they can realistically travel, to what they now expect from employers beyond salary alone.
This report brings together year-end insights designed to help businesses pause, reflect, and adjust their hiring strategies ahead of 2026 — before recruitment activity resumes at pace in the new year.
Executive Summary
Several consistent themes emerged across all disciplines in 2025:
- Candidate supply has increased, but confidence has softened
- Salary expectations have aligned with increased cost of living, particularly at junior and mid-level
- Mobility has declined sharply across most sectors
- Gender representation continues to evolve, with stronger female participation in operational and professional roles
- Age profiles show candidates prioritising stability and sustainability over rapid progression
Taken together, these trends point to a market where clarity, accessibility, and realism now matter more than speed or scale.
Key Trends Shaping Hiring in 2026
1. Mobility Is Now a Hiring Constraint
Across almost every discipline — including HR, Finance, Office Support and Legal — reliance on public transport has increased, while driving licence and car ownership has declined.
What this means for employers:
Roles that assume flexibility around travel, late finishes, or multi-site coverage without support will see reduced candidate engagement. Location clarity and transport accessibility must be addressed at job-spec stage, not at interview.
2. Salary Alone Is No Longer the Differentiator
While salary expectations remained the top driver for job mobility in 2025. Candidates are making trade-offs — but not blindly.
What this means for employers:
Predictable hours, realistic workloads, hybrid options, and organisational stability are often valued as highly as pay. Compensation needs to be positioned within the full employment offer, not treated in isolation.
3. Operational Roles Are Driving Market Movement
The strongest activity continues to sit within operational and support roles — administration, transactional finance, HR operations, facilities coordination, and legal support.
What this means for employers:
Hiring success in 2026 will depend on how well roles are scoped and explained. Overloaded job descriptions or vague expectations risk losing strong candidates early in the process.
4. Gender Representation Is Shifting — Quietly but Clearly
Female representation has grown across Office Support, Finance, HR, and Legal roles, while Facilities and Engineering are seeing gradual diversification.
What this means for employers:
Inclusive role design, flexibility, and transparent progression pathways are no longer “nice to have” — they are influencing who applies and who stays.
5. Age Profiles Reflect Caution, Not Complacency
Candidates across sectors are moving with intention. Younger professionals are seeking stability and experience; mid-career candidates are selective and risk-aware.
What this means for employers:
Career development needs to be credible, not aspirational. Vague progression promises are increasingly viewed with scepticism.
Practical Actions for Employers Heading into 2026
As businesses prepare hiring campaigns for the new year, the data suggests five practical adjustments:
- Review location and mobility assumptions
Be explicit about transport access, site requirements, and flexibility. - Simplify and tighten job specifications
Clear scope attracts stronger candidates than inflated titles. - Re-benchmark salary bands realistically
Use current market behaviour, not pre-2023 expectations. - Position flexibility as standard, not exceptional
Particularly across HR, Office Support, Finance, and Legal roles. - Plan earlier for operational hires
These roles are competitive not because of scarcity, but because good candidates move quickly.
Conclusion
The employment market heading into 2026 is not defined by uncertainty — it is defined by adjustment.
Employers who take time now to align role design, expectations, and working practices with the realities shown in this year’s data will be better placed to hire efficiently, retain talent, and reduce churn when recruitment activity resumes after Christmas.
This report is intended as a practical checkpoint — a chance to refine hiring strategies while there is still time to do so thoughtfully.
Wishing all businesses, hiring teams, and professionals a well-earned break over the festive period, and a prepared start to the year ahead.