TL;DR
As organizations prepare for 2026, one thing is clear: expectations from both candidates and employees are shifting. And they are shifting fast. Recruitment, onboarding, leadership, and technology are no longer evaluated in isolation, but as part of one continuous talent journey.
To better understand what lies ahead, we spoke with Malin Gustafsson, Chief Product Officer at Talentech, who shared her key predictions based on market developments, customer conversations, and insights from our 2026 HR Report, which gathers the responses on the experiences and expectations from over 5 000 candidates and employees.
Overview
- Prediction 1: Transparency becomes a baseline, not a differentiator
- Prediction 2: Recruitment speed will be a competitive advantage
- Prediction 3: AI is still a buzz; but about governance, not adoption
- Prediction 4: Preboarding will be a retention lever, not an admin phase
- Prediction 5: Employer reviews require stronger employer branding
- Prediction 6: Offboarding will be recognized as part of the talent loop
- Conclusion
1. Transparency becomes a baseline, not a differentiator
In 2026, transparency is no longer a nice-to-have. It is a baseline expectation.
Candidates increasingly expect openness around salary, recruitment processes, timelines, and ongoing communication. Failing to meet these expectations will not only pose compliance risks in light of upcoming pay transparency regulation, but it will also directly impact candidate conversion.
The same shift applies internally. Employees expect clarity around goals, continuous feedback, and visible career paths. This places new demands on leadership styles and requires more structured HR processes.
Organizations that continue to hold information back will struggle to build trust, ultimately leading to higher candidate drop-off and lower employee engagement over time.
2. Recruitment speed will be a competitive advantage
Speed in recruitment is no longer just about efficiency. In 2026, it becomes a true competitive advantage.
Candidates have little patience for long hiring processes, unclear next steps, or silence between stages. Standardized, impersonal emails are no longer sufficient, if they ever were. Poor candidate experience increasingly damages employer brands, even among candidates who are ultimately hired.
Fast does not mean rushed. It means structured processes, clear ownership, and continuous communication. Organizations that design recruitment as a predictable, communicative, and AI-supported journey will outperform those still relying on ad hoc processes and manual follow-ups.
3. AI is still a buzz; but about governance, not adoption
By 2026, the question is no longer whether AI is used in recruitment. We know that it already is, on both sides of the table. The real differentiator will be how responsibly and transparently it’s governed.
Candidates are largely open to AI support in recruiters’ screening and matching, as long as fairness, explainability and human oversight are in place. Organizations that cannot clearly explain how AI is used, what data it relies on, and where humans remain accountable will face (deserved) skepticism and resistance.
4. Preboarding will be a retention lever, not an admin phase
8% of new hires drop off before their first day on the job, as they are being swept away by another (or their former) employer. The important time between signing and starting has long been underestimated. That's changing.
Preboarding sets the tone for the entire employment relationship. Early introductions, clarity on expectations, relevant information and practical readiness are foundational to ensure full employee engagement, and to avoid drop-offs.
Companies that invest in structured preboarding will see faster time-to-productivity, stronger early belonging and lower early attrition. Those that don’t will keep losing people before they’ve even started.
5. Employer reviews require stronger employer branding
Employer branding is no longer defined by what companies say, but by what candidates and employees experience. Job ads, career pages and social media can spark interest, but they cannot compensate for misalignment between promise and reality.
In 2026, the use of employer comparison websites will grow, enabling candidates to anonymously give a review of the recruitment process. Here’s where authenticity will outperform polish. Organizations that showcase their brand through employee stories, great candidate experience, and social presence will build stronger trust, higher engagement and more sustainable employer brands.
6. Offboarding will be recognized as part of the talent loop
How employees leave an organization increasingly shapes how they talk about it, and whether they would ever return. Yet offboarding is still handled inconsistently across many organizations.
Exit interviews, clear handovers and genuine acknowledgement are not administrative formalities; they are moments that influence reputation and long-term relationships. Organizations that treat offboarding as a learning opportunity will strengthen their employer brand far beyond the employee’s last day – and probably outperform their competition in those employer comparison websites!
Conclusion
Taken together, these predictions point to one thing: the talent journey is becoming more transparent, more experience-driven, and most importantly more interconnected than ever before.
Organizations that succeed in 2026 will therefore be those that design recruitment, onboarding, development, and offboarding mimicking this, as one interconnected, coherent journey.
Don't know where to start? Or would you like to have more data to base your decisions on? You can start by downloading the 2026 HR Report to check out what over 5000 candidates and employees told us and get a better understanding of the current candidate and employee landscape:
And if you’re ready to explore how your organization can build a more connected talent journey with an all-in-one recruitment and HR platform, we’re here to help you take the next step:
