According to Jeremy Jenson, CEO of Encore Search Partners, the hiring behaviors that defined 2025 will have lasting consequences well into 2026. A mix of hesitation, excessive scrutiny, and poorly implemented automation has created a clear divide between organizations prepared to scale and those facing stalled momentum.

Hiring Caution Defined the 2025 Market

Reflecting on 2025, Jenson notes that an unexpected level of caution shaped the hiring landscape, even amid strong demand.

“Despite high demand, many of our clients became unusually choosy. Leadership and technical sales roles stayed open far longer than expected, with six-person panels and the desire to see more than seven candidates when historically that’s been only three.”

He adds that indecision played a significant role.

“The risk of making a bad hire became a much heavier burden.”

Reputation-Based Hiring Has Lost Its Power

One of the dominant trends in 2025 was the preference for leaders from marquee brands as a perceived form of risk mitigation.

“It helped simplify decision-making in a volatile climate. A fancy resume does not guarantee execution.”

Jenson predicts that in 2026, companies will increasingly prioritize measurable performance, alignment with company values, and the ability to consistently demonstrate impact over brand-name resumes.

What Top Talent Wants in 2026

Jenson says the largest disconnect heading into 2026 is between what companies believe candidates want and what high performers are actually seeking.

“Candidates increasingly want flexibility, autonomy, transparency, modern tools, and purpose, while many employers still emphasize rigid office schedules, outdated processes, and brand prestige over proven outcomes.”

He emphasizes that top talent is prioritizing clarity, growth, and authentic alignment.

“High performers are seeking roles with growth potential, measurable impact, and alignment with authentic company values.”

The Hidden Cost of Playing Defense in 2025

Jenson warns that leaders who focused solely on cost containment during uncertainty will feel the consequences this year.

“By imposing blanket hiring freezes, overloading existing teams, delaying decisions, and searching for unrealistic unicorn hires, leaders lose out on securing top talent and stall momentum.”

He is direct about what many organizations will regret most.

“The biggest regret will not be missing a quarter of savings. It will be losing a year of growth because they failed to keep their pipeline of people as full as their pipeline of business.”

AI Will Accelerate Recruiting — But Strategy Still Matters

AI adoption accelerated rapidly in 2025 as organizations deployed tools for resume screening, automated outreach, and workflow automation. Many moved quickly, often without evaluating whether these tools improved hiring quality or simply increased speed.

Jenson believes the lessons from those early experiments are becoming clear.

“Recruiters must embrace AI as a force multiplier instead of a threat. The smartest recruiters are already using AI to generate cold replies, which frees them up to focus on the deeply human aspects of recruiting.”

However, he cautions against relying solely on automation.

“Automation alone does not guarantee better hires. It only speeds up bad decisions if you do not have the right strategy behind it.”

Jenson predicts that the strongest organizations in 2026 will integrate AI thoughtfully without sacrificing human judgment, emotional intelligence, or intuition.

2026: The Year of Competitive Separation

Looking ahead, Jenson believes 2026 will clearly separate proactive organizations from reactive ones.

“I believe 2026 will be the year of squeezing out smaller competitors. Technology can accelerate processes, but it cannot fix unclear strategy, weak culture, or misaligned leadership.”

Employer reputation, he adds, will matter more than ever.

“Reputation is not what you say about your company. It is what your employees say when you are not in the room.”

Jenson concludes that the definition of growth itself is changing.

“Growth is not about getting bigger anymore. It is about getting better.”

Looking Ahead

Organizations seeking to refine their talent strategy and position themselves for sustainable growth in 2026 can learn more at www.encoresearch.com .

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