CV LIbrary Candidate Behaviour Barometer 2026

Each year, we survey jobseekers and recruiters alike to shed light on what’s going on in the market and how candidate confidence, motivations and demands are evolving. These insights are designed to help anyone involved in recruitment tweak their approach, respond to changing expectations and maximise their chances of landing the best candidates.

The last few years have made these reports much more volatile. We’ve had a continually tough market, which has impacted candidate confidence in the job search. We’ve seen changes in return-to-office policies, alongside shifting expectations from candidates and businesses about where people should work. And, of course, we’ve had the explosion of AI, bringing its own impact on the market and the hiring process.

We look at all of these developments and the role they’ve played in changing candidate behaviours, particularly across different demographic groups.

One thing is clear, though: there’s an emerging trust gap on both sides of the hiring equation, and closing it will require concerted effort.