Hiring in a Shifting Market: April 2026 EN:Insights Forum Recap

Finding and securing talent in an increasingly complex labor market continues to be a pressing challenge for HR. 

“Our Talent Trends research finds that over half of organizations experiencing recruitment challenges tell us that hiring the right people is harder now than it was just one year ago,” said Alex Alonso, SHRM-SCP, chief knowledge officer at SHRM.  

The April 2026 EN:Insights Forum previewed key recruiting findings from SHRM’s latest report, Finding Talent: Rethinking Recruitment for Today’s Dynamic Labor Market. Drawing on data from more than 1,200 HR and recruitment professionals, the research shows that while the labor market narrative may appear mixed, the difficulty of hiring the right talent is intensifying, and traditional approaches are no longer sufficient.

Here are five key insights from the research. 

Research Insight No. 1: High-performing organizations are redefining recruitment as a strategic function.

The research shows a divide between traditional recruiting models and a more advanced approach used by top-performing organizations, referred to as “Talent Architects.” Rather than simply filling roles, Talent Architect organizations shape their workforce proactively by: 

• Approaching recruitment with a skills-first foundation.

• Acting as a strategic talent partner. 

• Applying technology effectively to inform decisions.

“The best organizations are moving beyond talent acquisition and toward talent architecture,” Alonso said. This evolution, he argued, positions recruitment as a driver of organizational performance. 

Research Insight No. 2: While technology adoption continues to be uneven, it’s a key differentiator. 

While many organizations are still early in their use of advanced recruitment technologies, Talent Architects are pulling ahead by embedding these tools into their processes. 

Key data points: 

• 55% of Talent Architects use advanced technologies and AI in recruitment, while only 14% of other organizations do the same. 

• 58% of Talent Architects say technology is essential to nearly all recruitment activities, versus 36% of other organizations. 

This gap has real effects on how recruiters spend their time. By automating administrative tasks, Talent Architects free up more than one additional hour per day to focus on higher-value activities like stakeholder collaboration and candidate evaluation.

Research Insight No. 3: Skills-first hiring is expanding talent pools and improving outcomes. 

As roles evolve and skill requirements become more complex, rigid job descriptions are increasingly limiting organizations’ ability to find qualified candidates. Talent Architects take a different approach by prioritizing skills over traditional credentials like degrees or job titles.

Key outcomes associated with this approach: 

• More than 7% reduction in job postings left open due to lack of qualified candidates.

• Nearly 5% reduction in unfilled positions remaining open longer than scheduled due to low applicant volume. 

• Nearly 4% increase in job requisitions closing early due to strong applicant pools.

By broadening how they define qualified talent — including candidates with transferable or nontraditional experience — Talent Architects can uncover talent that others overlook. 

As Alonso noted, the definition of the “ideal candidate” is shifting rapidly and becoming harder to find.

“Our own analysis of job postings today, through sources like Lightcast, finds that job postings overall now list somewhere between 36% to 40% more required skills than they did a decade ago,” he said.  

Research Insight No. 4: Better recruitment strategies directly improve business outcomes.

The impact of strategic recruitment extends well beyond hiring metrics, influencing retention and overall organizational performance.

Key data points:

• Talent Architects fill roles more than five days faster on average. 

• 49% report improved new hire fit over the past 12 months versus 35% of other organizations.

• 40% exceed financial performance goals over the past 12 months versus 27% of others.

These outcomes are driven through proactive hiring. 

“By acting as a strategic talent partner and challenging hiring manager assumptions during the evaluation process, Talent Architects help to open new perspectives and find ways that talent can fit into the organization and contribute to company success,” Alonso said.