Recruitment in 2026 feels like it is at a crossroads…
On one hand, we have more technology than ever; AI can write job adverts, screen CVs, rank candidates, schedule interviews and even help candidates produce polished applications at speed.
On the other hand, the things that make recruitment work have not really changed:
✅ Trust
✅ Judgement
✅ Curiosity
✅ Context
✅ A proper conversation
✅ An understanding of what sits behind a CV, not just what appears on it
The labour market may have cooled, but hiring well is not suddenly easy. Employers are cautious, candidates are selective, and many organisations still struggle to find the right people for important roles.
My concern is that in trying to make recruitment faster, we risk making it thinner.
➡️ A job search is not an online transaction.
➡️ A candidate is not a data point.
➡️ A CV is not the whole story.
➡️ And a hiring decision, particularly at senior level, deserves more than an automated sift. I really worry about good people getting missed completely.
Technology absolutely has a place. Used well, it can remove friction, widen reach and improve process, but it should support good recruitment, not replace the human judgement at the heart of it.
There is another part of this that I think matters hugely: the input of line managers.
The best recruitment processes are rarely driven by a job description alone. They are shaped by the people who really understand the role — the pressures, the team dynamics, the skills gaps, the commercial priorities and what success will actually look like.
When line managers are clear, engaged and realistic, recruitment becomes sharper.
When they are vague, unavailable or misaligned, the process can quickly lose focus — however good the technology, the search partner or the candidate pool.
For now, I think the best recruitment processes will be the ones that combine:
😊 human insight with useful technology
😊 transferable skills with real-world context
😊 commercial pace with candidate care
Recruitment is not just about filling a role, it is about people’s careers, livelihoods, confidence and futures — and businesses making decisions that really matter (impact on teams and the P&L).
So perhaps the question for the second half of 2026 is not “how much of recruitment can we automate?” It is: “where does human judgement matter most?”
For any Chair, CEO or HR leader planning a senior appointment this year, that feels like the conversation worth having.
Rethinking the Interview: Power of a Discovery Day
Moving beyond the conventional second interview. Read how one client replaced standard questioning with an immersive candidate experience to create a richer, more honest and effective recruitment process.
