The 2026
Hiring & Employment
Trends Report
The data behind the decisions shaping 2026.
Genuine Australian market research for hiring leaders and career-minded professionals.
This report gives both employers and professionals the data and insights to make sharper, more informed decisions across hiring, retention, career strategy, and workforce planning.
24 pages of insightful research, covering the themes that matter most to hiring leaders and career-minded professionals in 2026.
Market Confidence
& Outlook
Candidate Drivers
& Movement
Salary, Benefits
& EVP
Retention &
Attrition Signals
Hiring Challenges
& AI Adoption
Skills Employers
Are Prioritising
Flexibility &
Workplace Benefits
Practical Employer
& Career Guidance
FOR EMPLOYERS AND HIRING LEADERS
The findings that
will shape your
2026 hiring strategy
This report draws on real Australian data to give you a clear view of what's actually shaping decisions in 2026, from the factors that drive movement to what candidates want, and what they weigh when evaluating an offer.
We also dive into the hiring challenges employers are facing,
where EVP and retention strategies are falling short, and what professionals are weighing when they evaluate your organisation against your competitors.
Whether you're building a case for investment in employer brand, reviewing your hiring process or trying to understand why strong candidates are slipping through, the findings in this report will give
you genuine, data backed evidence to help you act with confidence.
Professionals are more cautious about changing roles than before.
The report explores how employers can build trust earlier and avoid losing talent before a conversation begins.
Rising salary expectations are placing pressure on hiring budgets.
We examine how culture, flexibility and leadership are influencing candidate decisions once salary has opened the door.
Early tenure patterns and non-financial exits reveal a deeper retention issue.
The report explores where that disconnect begins and how to structure your offering around it.
Leadership quality scored as one of the most important factors right across the survey.
Poor leadership and culture is the joint number one reason people left their most recent role. The quality of your managers is the most controllable factor in whether your people stay or leave, and the report explores what that means for retention investment.
FOR PROFESSIONALS
The data supporting your next career move
This report gives you access to the same market data that employers and hiring leaders are using to shape their strategies in 2026, which means you'll understand the landscape from both sides of the table.
It covers what's driving salary expectations, how quickly people are securing roles, which skills are carrying the most weight, and why a significant number of professionals are moving for reasons that have nothing to do with pay.
If you're considering your next step, preparing for interviews or simply trying to understand where you sit in the current market, this report will help you approach those decisions with real data rather than assumptions.
There's an advantage for those who know what they're looking for.
We explore how knowing what you want from your next move sharpens your search and leads to a competitive advantage.
Many successful moves are happening fast when the fit is right.
The report explores what this means for visibility and being positioned before an opportunity goes live.
A significant share of professionals moved without a salary increase.
We look at how leadership, culture and progression are reshaping what a better opportunity actually means.
Recruiters, referrals and professional networks remain the strongest pathways into quality roles.
Almost no one is finding their next role through career pages. If your strategy relies on applications,
the report shows where your visibility should actually sit
Get the
full report
Access the full findings, the context behind the numbers, and strategic, practical advice and guidance for both employers and professionals... all in one report.
✔️ Genuine Australian market data
✔️ Actionable insights for employers and professionals
✔️ Retention, EVP and hiring challenge analysis
✔️ The skills employers are prioritising in 2026
