Expert Predictions For Recruitment In 2026

The traditional CV is losing ground as employers look for better ways to judge ability in an age of AI written applications. 4 in 10 employers no longer rate CVs as one of the most dependable ways to judge talent, according to the Hiring Trends Report 2026 from recruitment technology platform Willo.

The study found that only 37% of employers see credentials and learning history, usually listed on a CV, as a dependable signal of capability. Stats from Willo show that 41% of respondents are moving away from CV first hiring. Another 10% said CVs have largely been replaced with skills based and scenario driven tests, while 15% are testing other options.

Willo got some responses from more than 100 hiring professionals worldwide and data from 2.5 million candidate interviews on its platform. Insights also came from large employers such as Toyota and Microsoft. Willo chief executive and co founder Euan Cameron said the change reflects doubts about what CVs now show.

He said: “The CV used to tell a story of effort, experience, and aptitude, now it often tells us how well someone can prompt a large language model. Great candidates are getting lost in a wall of near identical applications, and the best hiring teams are catching on to that. AI is not the end of hiring, what it does mean is the end of hiring based on summaries of experience alone. Employers are looking for real signals of capability, which means moving beyond a single document into skills, scenarios and verified credentials.”

How Is AI Influencing Hiring Decisions Today?

AI now sits inside most hiring systems, though mainly as support rather than authority. Willo found that 77% of teams often come across AI generated or AI assisted applications. In response, 47% said interview methods were updated to dig deeper, while 31% added practical tasks and 14% brought in AI detection tools.

Use of AI has gone up for 65% of respondents, largely for handling large volumes, summaries and early screening. Even so, no respondent felt automation should run every hiring stage. Nearly eight in ten, or 79%, said final decisions must stay with people. Salary talks also lean human led, though 28% felt AI could handle that stage.

Kree Govender, SMB Canada Leader at Microsoft, said the report marks a turning point. She said: “The 2026 hiring trends signal a new era where AI is a powerful enabler, but not a replacement for human judgment, and I agree. The mission before us is to harness AI for efficiency while doubling down on fairness, authenticity, and skills-based assessment. Moving beyond CVs to holistic, scenario-driven evaluation will help us identify adaptable, high-potential talent, especially from diverse backgrounds.

“By operationalising fairness and prioritising candidate experience, we can build teams that are not only technically strong but also inclusive and resilient. The future of hiring is about clarity, confidence, and combining the best of technology with the irreplaceable qualities of human insight.”

Hiring teams are also paying closer attention to fairness. Around 70% now use structured interviews and 73% feel confident their hiring is fair and inclusive, according to Willo. Luke Smith from Toyota GB said structure makes a difference.

He said: “Inclusive hiring and strong candidate experience now go hand-in-hand. When hiring is structured and early-stage tasks are streamlined with AI, ambiguity falls, fairness increases, and candidates face less friction, especially those changing careers or without traditional CV credentials.”

What Else Do Experts Predict For Recruitment In 2026?

Our Experts:

• Jewel von Kempf, Head of People, Coinme
• Ali Gohar, CHRO, Software Finder
• Andy Zenkevich, Founder & CEO, Get A Copywriter
• Mahe Bayireddi, CEO & co-founder, Phenom
• Humza Khan, Founder & CEO, Talent Edge
• Sheldon Arora, CEO, StaffDNA | LiquidAgents
• Pankaj Khurana, Founder, Firki

Jewel von Kempf, Head of People, Coinme

 

 
“As we move into 2026, talent acquisition is undergoing one of the most accelerated evolutions in decades, in my opinion. For high-growth industries like software, SaaS, and cryptocurrency, where competition for skilled talent remains intense, companies are rethinking how, where and why they hire. Below are my thoughts on key trends that will define the next year of recruiting.

1. Global hiring will become the default, not the exception
“The combination of cost efficiency, access to diverse perspectives and the globalization of digital products is pushing companies to expand hiring beyond traditional hubs.

“Organisations increasingly see global hiring as a strategic advantage, not just a budgetary one. Startups, particularly in tech and crypto, will lean further into distributed teams to access talent that would otherwise be out of reach. Expect more companies to build “borderless” workforce strategies, including global payroll, EOR partners and region-specific workforce planning.

2. There will be AI shifts from automation to strategic copilot
“AI won’t replace recruiters, but it will elevate them. The most significant change in 2026 is not what AI can automate but how it becomes a “thinking” partner throughout the recruiting lifecycle.

“In 2026, we will see teams exploring and using AI to reduce administrative noise while still maintaining the human connections. Even in this competitive market, candidates still want to feel seen, valued and supported by real people.

“I see AI having the most significant impact in the following areas:

“Sourcing & Screening: Recruiters will still spend a majority of their time sourcing candidates, as AI sourcing and screening are not foolproof and often exclude great candidates, especially elusive unicorn candidates. That said, we will still see an uptick in usage, as AI can scan thousands of profiles and resumes in minutes, write complex Boolean queries and generate personalized outreach at scale. Some tools can even predict which passive candidates are most likely to be open to new opportunities.

“Interview Scheduling & Coordination: AI scheduling assistants will manage calendars, set reminders, and handle rescheduling, cutting days from the process and improving the candidate experience.

“Candidate Engagement: If you ask an AI, it will tell you that 24/7 chatbots will answer questions about roles, benefits, team culture, or application status. However, candidate experience is better with a personal touch. 2026 will be the year where we see Talent Teams taking the first step to train their AI in thoughtful escalation, handling FAQs about the company and us humans handling nuance.

“Interview & Assessment: We will see AI conduct initial screening interviews, analyze responses, assess soft skills and create realistic job previews. Recruiters will spend more time with top-tier candidates rather than on early-stage filtering.

“Bias Reduction: AI will help anonymise resumes, standardise interview questions and flag biased language in job descriptions, opening doors to historically overlooked talent.

“Administrative Efficiency: Building on the Bias Reduction point above, the Talent Team will use AI to draft job descriptions, generate interview questions, summarize interviews and create letters of offer. Tools like Claude or ChatGPT will serve as daily “recruiting copilots.”

3. Time-to-hire will increase for technical and senior talent
“Despite automation, hiring cycles for engineering, crypto, security and leadership roles are lengthening. This increase in the hiring process will continue into 2026 because competition for specialized skills is higher, hiring barriers and evaluation rigor have increased, and the volume of applicants is rising, yet qualified candidates remain scarce.

“Companies are exploring multiple paths to shorten cycles, potentially with AI assistance. I predict the time to hire will be reduced in 2027. However, we’ll have to teach the AI first to accurately and ethically help us with recruiting.

4. Skills-based hiring will overtake traditional credentialing
“Degree requirements will continue to fade. By 2026, I believe skills assessments, digital credentials, micro-certifications and competency frameworks will dominate how candidates are evaluated.

:This shift addresses the growing skills gap and broadens access to non-traditional, high-potential talent. Companies that adopt skills-first models will fill roles faster and diversify their pipelines.

5. Pay Transparency will go mainstream and global
“With 15 U.S. states enforcing pay transparency and the EU Pay Transparency Directive taking effect, salary ranges are becoming a non-negotiable part of job postings.

“These policies will impact hiring, as candidates expect clear ranges and, at the very least, transparent conversations throughout the process and compensation frameworks must be clearly defined. Companies without this Transparency will lose candidates early. Internal equity audits will become standard, and startups will feel increasing pressure to publish ranges, not just for compliance, but for competitiveness.

6. The recruiter role will be redefined
“As AI begins to handle repetitive tasks, recruiter responsibilities are shifting into more strategic territory. I suspect that throughout 2026, top recruiters will develop into product and marketing teams, designing seamless candidate journeys like customer journeys, with go-to-market thinking.

“These teams will need to become acquainted with data literacy, market intelligence, funnel optimisation, user experience design and stakeholder/product alignment. They will need to develop into cultural storytellers, talent advisors and workforce planners.

“Teams will also need to consider how they will integrate AI into their workflows. AI fluency becomes essential. Gartner predicts that by 2027, 75% of hiring processes will assess AI proficiency, including recruiting teams.

7. Crypto, Web3, and software companies will face heightened talent competition
“As regulations stabilize and blockchain technologies mature, crypto and Web3 companies will experience increased competition for engineering and security talent and higher expectations for remote-friendly structures.

“This industry will need to differentiate through culture, Transparency and speed. The companies that win talent will be those that offer clarity, stability and purpose in a sector still defining its identity.

8. Candidate experience will become a deal-maker
“With more automated touchpoints, candidates will evaluate companies based on communication transparency, and recruiters will need to ensure their interviewing process is transparent to the candidates. Candidates will also seek speed to hire, inclusivity and humanity with the companies they interview with.

“As I mentioned above, AI alone cannot create a positive candidate experience; it must hybridize with strong human interaction. In 2026, companies that can embrace that hybridization will stand out.

9. “Portfolio Careers” become a hiring norm, not a red flag
“More candidates will arrive with hybrid roles, side businesses, fractional work and Web3 contributions, especially in tech and crypto.

“By 2026, recruiters will confront candidates who run micro-startups, take on fractional gigs,
or maintain personal AI-driven projects. What used to look like a lack of focus will now signal adaptability, technical range and entrepreneurial mindset.

10. AI-Generated candidates have entered the Market (Yes, really!)
“Recruiters will continue to (at a higher rate) encounter AI-generated resumes, AI-coached interview responses and hyper-optimized applications created entirely by AI.

“The influence of artificial intelligence on job applications and interviews will force companies to adopt validation-first hiring and rely on simulations, practical assessments, and work samples rather than the traditional interview process. The age of “AI-inflated candidates” will reshape what competency proof looks like.

11. “Invisible turnover” will force new retention-driven recruiting strategies

“More employees engage in silent job searches, often with AI bots managing their application workflows. Recruiters will notice increased sudden offer declines and withdrawn candidates
and ghosting (now AI-assisted).

“To stay ahead, companies will build real-time internal mobility systems to identify at-risk employees and proactively offer new career paths before they leave. Recruiters become internal matchmakers as much as external scouts.”

Ali Gohar, CHRO, Software Finder

 

 
“The process of recruiting in 2026 will be more like matchmaking versus mass recruiting. Rather than casting nets in hopes of gathering many possible applicants, companies will be concerned about precision. In 2026, you are going to see companies utilize AI in finding candidates based on skill sets and tests. Because AI has flooded the early stages of hiring, as a response, hiring managers are doubling down on the later stages to uncover the human behind the resume. The way interviews are conducted has undergone a drastic transformation.

“There is a greater emphasis on the interview process now, and it has become more thorough. Instead of scripted questions, unscripted conversations are used to assess emotional intelligence, adaptability, and decision-making under stress. Hiring managers are looking for micro signals during interviews, such as reactions, comfort, and details. The hiring process in 2026 will evolve to feel more like a customer journey. There will be transparent pay, fast decisions, and honest conversations about growth. Recruiters are focused on building a long-term fit.”
 

Andy Zenkevich, Founder & CEO, Get A Copywriter

 

 
“By 2026, recruitment’s ultimate differentiator will be trust and truth built via human-centered assessment design, and AI will be humming in the background.

“The biggest recruiter challenge I see for the future isn’t just the looming knock of AI-generated resumes. It’s the notion that no matter what an applicant presents, one cannot be sure if it’s trustworthy. With the majority of applicants using AI to sharpen every touchpoint of their job application, medium to larger-scale employers are currently drowning in hundreds of perfectly “right” and “positive” applications available per job listing on major job boards; more noise, not more talent.

“To overcome this, layered deflections are being added in the organization and candidate recruitment experience to ensure the “right experience” slices through the noise. The most effective hiring teams we’ve worked with are implementing a curve in their current processes we call human-centered assessment design.

“It’s not just a lift-and-shift back to in-store recruitment or face-to-face interviews. It’s a redesign of tasks, questions, or evaluation processes so AI-generated and non-experiential generalised answers cannot pass. For example, situational-assessment tests that tap into a scenario referring to a pain point or challenge only those with experience in your field would know or request for a demonstrative response to avail of your product or service to evaluate how practical a candidate’s knowledge are based on their answer.”

Mahe Bayireddi, CEO & co-founder, Phenom

 

 
Companies will Re-Hire for Jobs Eliminated Due to AI
“Despite the tremendous advancements in AI, we’re nowhere close to removing humans in business. Next year, companies who rushed to make layoffs hoping AI would fill a significant gap will realize they need to re-hire to fill some of those roles. We saw this starting this year with companies like Klarna, re-hiring to fill customer service roles that chatbots failed at. Next year, we’ll see more of this.”

Humza Khan, Founder & CEO, Talent Edge

 

 
In 2026, traditionally low-tech employers – think about your local cafes, retail shops, and small service businesses – will likely adopt lightweight AI tools to pre-screen applicants, rank candidates, and streamline early hiring decisions.

More than two-thirds of large enterprises in Canada now use AI tools across parts of their recruitment process. Even among small- to mid-sized firms, adoption has risen sharply (from just 8% in 2022 to 31% in 2025) and continues to trend upwards.

Candidates are already using AI to enhance resumes, personalize cover letters, and, in many cases, automate large portions of the job application process through job scrapers and one-click applications. We’re seeing higher application volumes, slower recruitment cycles, and more automated outreach.

At Talent Edge, we’re already helping businesses navigate this shift by integrating AI where it meaningfully enhances efficiency, while preserving the human insight, strategy, and employer branding that ultimately drive long-term hiring success for our clients.

Sheldon Arora , CEO, StaffDNA | LiquidAgents

 

 
“Recruitment in 2026 will continue shifting toward a self-service model, primarily driven by job seekers’ growing frustration with the hiring process. Job seekers prefer to navigate opportunities and act as their own recruiters using intuitive technology that’s convenient for them. Technology needs to provide total transparency, including job details at a granular level and pay. Traditional intermediaries in the hiring process have added unnecessary friction, and candidates are signaling that they want direct access to the jobs they know are right for them.

“The role of the recruiter is also set to evolve in 2026. Recruiters will act more like strategic advisors and take on a more dynamic role as career coaches, as administrative work is automated or outsourced. The downside for recruiters is that sourcing talent may become more challenging as job seekers take on more of the responsibility for their search. Recruiters will need to tap into previously overlooked resources and expand their nationwide and international talent pool.”

Pankaj Khurana, Founder, Firki

 

 
“As more recruiters in 2026 use AI practical tools during the “chaotic” hiring phase, it is likely that there will be an increase in use of these types of practical AI tools due to the fact that job descriptions aren’t necessarily transparent and candidates are often sourced based on intuition rather than quantitative data. Tools such as Firki and other similar products help clarify job description text and extract actual competencies from candidates and help recruit candidates in a systematic fashion rather than a randomised way.

“Similarly, with more and more companies using “robot-like” AI Recruiting assistants, AI will be used to assist recruiters in the recruiting process by allowing them to analyse and sort through candidate pools without direct human interactions, as well as provide information and clarification about how and why a candidate was chosen. As companies become more focused on ensuring that a recruiting process is fair and transparent, the ability to provide the reasoning for hiring decisions will continue to be a key aspect to the overall success of the recruiting process.

“The only reason I feel uncertain about using AI is due to companies rushing to adopt AI technology without first developing the proper foundational data habits. It is in the absence of proper data habits that trust breaks down.

“On the other hand, I am also very excited about the prospect of a more structured and equitable hiring process. Recruiters will have the opportunity to spend more time talking with candidates rather than being bogged down by disorganized notes and incomplete spreadsheets.”