The start of the year is always a natural reset point. Teams return, priorities are reviewed, and leadership teams revisit headcount plans with a sharper lens. This year, that conversation feels more pointed. The talent market in 2026 is stable but selective. Hiring appetite has not disappeared, but decision-making is more intentional, leadership expectations are more commercial, and the bar for senior hires is higher.
For organisations planning growth, the question is less about whether to hire and more about how to design a workforce that is genuinely fit for purpose. This is where the conversation benefits from an external strategic perspective; someone who can help leadership teams step back, pressure-test assumptions, and shape roles before momentum turns into reactive hiring.
As teams settle back into rhythm, these are the themes we see shaping the market and the conversations we’re having at Radial with leadership teams as they plan for the year ahead.
Hybrid working is no longer a policy conversation.
Hybrid working is now the default across most professional sectors. The debate has shifted from whether hybrid works to how it is structured, measured and led. Some organisations are gradually increasing office time. Others are using flexibility as a differentiator. Many are still trying to resolve a mismatch between what leaders want and what people value.
The employers who get this right are not approaching hybrid as a compliance issue. They are treating it as a talent strategy decision. Work location now affects employer brand, attraction, engagement, retention and even succession planning. If your policy is not clearly connected to culture and performance, you will increasingly find the market deciding for you.
Skills are replacing job titles as the core hiring lens.
Across commercial, marketing and leadership roles, there is a noticeable shift from hiring for experience to hiring for capability. AI adoption, changing customer behaviour and organisational transformation mean the skills that matter today are adaptability, judgement, data literacy, leadership maturity and communication depth.
Organisations that continue to recruit narrowly around sector familiarity risk shrinking their available talent pool. Increasingly, employers are asking different questions. Who can build capability? Who can think commercially? Who can lead through change? Who can collaborate across functions? These are the traits that sustain growth. Job titles are a helpful reference point, but they are no longer enough.
Cautious hiring does not mean slow hiring. It means intentional hiring.
Many leadership teams are planning to expand to support company growth, but they are doing so with more scrutiny than in previous years. Roles are being shaped more deliberately. Stakeholders are involved earlier. Expectations around impact are clearer.
This does not have to slow down efforts. What it does require is clarity. The strongest hiring outcomes we see come from organisations that have defined the true purpose of the role before entering the market. That includes the commercial outcomes the hire will influence, the complexity of the environment, the level of ambiguity, and expectations around pace and change. When this thinking happens early, the search process becomes faster, not slower.
AI matters, but human capability is the differentiator.
AI has moved from conversation topic to daily workflow. It is shaping how teams plan, execute and analyse. However, it has also made strong human skills more visible. Leaders who can think critically, communicate clearly, engage stakeholders, and make sound commercial decisions remain the most valuable asset in any organisation.
This is particularly true in marketing and communications. AI can accelerate activity. It cannot replace judgement, ethics, creativity, strategy or influence. Employers who over-rotate toward tools at the expense of leadership capability will feel that gap quickly.
Employee experience is now a commercial conversation.
Candidate expectations in 2026 are grounded, not inflated, but they are intentional. Senior talent is looking for clarity of role, cultural alignment, trust in leadership and evidence of a healthy working environment. This is not about perks. It is about sustainability.
The employers who will keep and attract strong people this year are the ones who design work thoughtfully. That includes realistic workloads, strong line management capability, visible career mobility, and cultures where people are trusted to deliver. These are no longer soft factors. They show up directly in retention, productivity and performance.
What this means for hiring leaders in 2026
As teams return and priorities become clearer, now is the opportunity is to move from reactive hiring to deliberate, strategic decision-making. The most effective employers we work with are doing three things well this year.
Effective employers are clarifying where marketing and commercial leadership genuinely moves the dial. They are defining the human and commercial capabilities that matter most in their environment. And they are creating conditions where strong people want to stay.
This is where having an experienced strategic partner in the conversation makes the difference. Radial works with leadership teams at the front end of these decisions; helping shape roles, challenge assumptions, and align hiring choices to the growth strategy before the job description is written.
If hiring is on your agenda this year, that early conversation is where the real competitive advantage sits. Looking forward to having that conversation with you.
READ MORE:
Career Group Companies. (2025, November 11). The best time of year to look for a new job. Career Advice. https://www.careergroupcompanies.com/blog/the-best-time-of-year-to-look-for-a-new-job
Ec, K. D. S. C. (2025, December 16). A look back on the 2025 job market and how to prepare for 2026. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/karadennison/2025/12/16/a-look-back-on-the-2025-job-market-and-how-to-prepare-for-2026/
Jobylon. (2026, January 12). 6 Trends Shaping hiring and workforce planning in 2026. Jobylon. https://www.jobylon.com/blog/trends-shaping-hiring-and-workforce-planning-in-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Guys, I. (2025, August 11). The Seasonal Hiring Patterns Analysis Report: Best and Worst Times to Job Search Across 20+ Industries with Success Rate Data – The Interview Guys. The Interview Guys. https://blog.theinterviewguys.com/the-seasonal-hiring-patterns-analysis-report
