New PageUp Study Shares 2026 Hiring Insights from Global Leaders

PageUp, a global leader in talent acquisition software, has released its latest research report titled “2026’s top talent acquisition priorities.” The company surveyed nearly 300 talent acquisition professionals and global business leaders in 2025 to obtain an accurate depiction of their 2026 plans. Acknowledging that the key themes of 2025 – including high applicant volume and declining quality, increasing skills gaps, the impact of digital transformation on occupations, and alignment between talent acquisition and business objectives – propelled recruiters into uncharted waters, PageUp’s report features key considerations for the new year.

Respondents indicated their top three priorities as Quality of Hire (55 percent), Candidate Experience (51 percent) and Embedding AI and further automation (35 percent).

“It’s interesting to note that operational priorities such as cost efficiency scored low with this audience, at 11 percent. That suggests that more strategic initiatives that ensure long-term success by preparing talent pipelines and workforce mobility are taking precedence,” said Anush Alexander, Chief Marketing Officer for PageUp. “Given new technologies, the speed at which talent acquisition is accelerating is breathtaking, yet our research shows the candidate experience thrives when there is a human connection. Combining those high-value touchpoints with AI handling the more manual functions is a key theme for 2026.”

When it comes to the candidate experience, Gartner’s research shows that only 26 percent of candidates trust AI to evaluate them fairly. PageUp’s research found that transparency is a driver of trust and that communicating where AI is used in the talent acquisition process can eliminate friction and build candidate confidence. This same level of authenticity is cited as critical to candidate engagement and clear, empowering employer branding.

Alexander continued, “The right technology is game-changing for TA teams, especially as they seek to partner with their hiring managers while driving compliant, strategic recruiting programs. Regardless of the size of an organization, every hire has a measurable impact, and the valuable insights from our 2026 Priorities Report can help guide hiring practices.”