{"id":362429,"date":"2025-10-07T23:07:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T17:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/?p=362429"},"modified":"2025-10-07T23:07:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T17:37:15","slug":"gartner-says-ai-revolution-and-cost-pressures-are-two-forces-driving-the-top-four-trends-for-talent-acquisition-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/gartner-says-ai-revolution-and-cost-pressures-are-two-forces-driving-the-top-four-trends-for-talent-acquisition-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Gartner Says AI Revolution and Cost Pressures Are Two Forces Driving the Top Four Trends for Talent Acquisition in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"globalsite cmp-globalsite-columncontrol aem-GridColumn aem-GridColumn--default--12\">\n<section class=\"column-control grid-norm no-top-bottom \">\n<div class=\"row xs-flex-direction-column sm-flex-direction-column\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-9 col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12 \">\n<div class=\"aem-Grid aem-Grid--12 aem-Grid--default--12 \">\n<div class=\"globalsite cmp-globalsite-heading aem-GridColumn aem-GridColumn--default--12\">\n<p class=\"grid-norm rmg-t32 mg-b16 margin-top-bottom\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #111111;\">Key Recruiting Trends that HR Leaders Must Address Are Being Discussed at Gartner HR Symposium\/Xpo in London, October 7-9<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"globalsite cmp-globalsite-columncontrol aem-GridColumn aem-GridColumn--default--12\">\n<section class=\"column-control grid-norm no-top-bottom \">\n<div class=\"row xs-flex-direction-column sm-flex-direction-column\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-9 col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12 \">\n<div class=\"aem-Grid aem-Grid--12 aem-Grid--default--12 \">\n<article class=\"article-text grid-norm margin-top-bottom mg-t16 rmg-b32\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Talent acquisition strategies in 2026 are being driven by AI, which is changing nearly every aspect of how business is done, and the need to drive cost out of the business, according to Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">This research was showcased today during\u00a0Gartner HR Symposium\/Xpo, taking place here through Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Gartner has identified four trends that will shape talent acquisition in 2026 (see Figure 1):<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">High-volume recruiting goes AI-first<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Recruiter skills shift for more complex work<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Talent acquisition redesigns early career programs to pipeline future jobs<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">AI reshapes how organizations assess talent<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n<section class=\"wrapper stack-16-top grid-norm left \">\n<div class=\"heading-container\">\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Figure 1:<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"img-80c23dad-22b0-4bad-81dd-a42818f98ca0\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive lazyloaded aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/emt.gartnerweb.com\/ngw\/globalassets\/en\/newsroom\/images\/graphs\/fig-1-ta-trends.png\" alt=\"[Image Alt Text for SEO]\" width=\"850\" data-src=\"https:\/\/emt.gartnerweb.com\/ngw\/globalassets\/en\/newsroom\/images\/graphs\/fig-1-ta-trends.png\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<article class=\"article-text grid-norm margin-top-bottom mg-t16 rmg-b32\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">\u201cMany AI use cases in recruiting have been around for a long time, and we\u2019re starting to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2025-10-02-gartner-says-chros-top-priorities-for-2026-center-around-realizing-ai-value-and-driving-performance-amid-uncertainty\">see real value<\/a>,\u201d said\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/experts\/jamie-kohn\">Jamie Kohn<\/a>, Senior Director, Research, in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/human-resources\/role\/human-resources-leaders\">Gartner HR practice<\/a>. \u201cNow new AI technologies are emerging with the potential to fundamentally reshape recruiting, like generative AI, interview intelligence tools, and recruiter AI agents.\u201d<\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Organizations should consider the following aspects of talent acquisition in 2026:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"grid-norm rmg-t32 mg-b16 margin-top-bottom\">\n<h3 class=\"h4 default headingRuleDefault\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Injecting AI into high-volume recruiting<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<article class=\"article-text grid-norm margin-top-bottom mg-t16 rmg-b32\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">High-volume, low-complexity roles \u2013 frontline roles such as retail workers, customer service reps, drivers \u2013 are ideal for an AI-first approach. They have the highest potential for cost savings, the stable, repetitive work is a good fit for AI capabilities, and there\u2019s less risk of backlash from candidates or the business as these roles already have a low service level.<\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Before leveraging AI for high-volume roles, talent acquisition leaders should consider the following:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Hands-on monitoring is a must.<\/strong>\u00a0As agentic AI evolves, recruiting leaders should define the reasonable range of outcomes ahead of time and watch closely for deviations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>There is such a thing as too much efficiency.\u00a0<\/strong>Inserting a realistic job preview into the process can guard against a flood of low-quality applicants by helping candidates think through whether they actually want the job before they apply.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Reframe the risk of bias.\u00a0<\/strong>Talent acquisition leaders should refocus stakeholders on how an AI-augmented process is less biased than the current human-only system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Candidates expect transparency and, if possible, choice.\u00a0<\/strong>Recruiting leaders should clarify how they use AI in the hiring process and allow candidates to opt out of AI interviews. This can build trust with candidates about being treated fairly in the hiring process.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n<section class=\"wrapper stack-16-top grid-norm left \">\n<div id=\"img-6c9ecfbd-99da-4fc0-9436-fb658193b9ec\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/emt.gartnerweb.com\/ngw\/globalassets\/en\/newsroom\/images\/graphs\/hrsym-2025-ta-release-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/emt.gartnerweb.com\/ngw\/globalassets\/en\/newsroom\/images\/graphs\/hrsym-2025-ta-release-2.jpg\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"grid-norm rmg-t32 mg-b16 margin-top-bottom\">\n<h3 class=\"h4 default headingRuleDefault\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Shifting recruiters to more complex work<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<article class=\"article-text grid-norm margin-top-bottom mg-t16 rmg-b32\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">\u201cAI has the potential to impact nearly every part of the recruiter role, if it isn\u2019t already,\u201d said Kohn. \u201cRedesigning the recruiter role isn\u2019t just about understanding what technology can do; it\u2019s about understanding how recruiting itself is changing.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">As AI and automation take on more of the low-complexity work, recruiters\u2019 ability to deliver on high-complexity hiring becomes more critical. Recruiters today must advise on talent strategy and role design to meet hard-to-find, in-demand skill needs while also possessing the skills to build long-term relationships with hard-to-access prospects. Finally, recruiters must be able to assess candidates\u2019 fit for the organization\u2019s future needs, not just the current role.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"grid-norm rmg-t32 mg-b16 margin-top-bottom\">\n<h3 class=\"h4 default headingRuleDefault\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Redesigning early career programs with AI<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<article class=\"article-text grid-norm margin-top-bottom mg-t16 rmg-b32\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">By 2030, half of enterprises will face irreversible skill shortages in critical job roles due to GenAI accuracy decline, skills erosion and uncompetitive pay.<\/span><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Organizations need to rethink their whole early-career talent strategy; talent acquisition, specifically, needs to help their organization rescope what early career roles are needed and why. Ultimately, recruiting leaders must work with business leaders to refocus early-career programs around safeguarding future talent pipelines. New graduate hires must provide value today, but they should also have potential to fill critical talent gaps in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"grid-norm rmg-t32 mg-b16 margin-top-bottom\">\n<h3 class=\"h4 default headingRuleDefault\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Reshaping talent assessment for generative AI<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"globalsite cmp-globalsite-articletext aem-GridColumn aem-GridColumn--default--12\">\n<article class=\"article-text grid-norm margin-top-bottom mg-t16 rmg-b32\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Candidate quality is being threatened by the rise of candidate fraud, candidates\u2019 increasing use of generative AI in the hiring process and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2025-03-11-closing-skills-gaps-at-scale\">rapidly changing skills<\/a>.<\/span><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">\u201cMaintaining\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2024-12-16-gartner-hr-research-finds-63-of-prospective-candidates-received-a-job-offer-in-3q24\">candidate quality<\/a>\u00a0requires organizations to assess candidates\u2019 true abilities without GenAI while also integrating AI into assessments for roles that have to use it on the job,\u201d said Kohn.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Gartner predicts that by 2027, 75% of hiring processes will include certifications and tests for workplace AI proficiency. GenAI-based assessments can allow organizations to evaluate both critical\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2024-10-29-gartner-survey-shows-85-percent-of-learning-and-development-leaders-agree-there-will-be-a-surge-in-skills-development-needs-due-to-ai-and-digital-trends-in-next-3-years\">generative AI skills\u00a0<\/a>and core skills, including critical thinking ability, subject matter expertise, creativity and communication. This gives recruiters and hiring managers a better sense of candidates\u2019 true ability to do the work.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Recruiting Trends that HR Leaders Must Address Are Being Discussed at Gartner HR Symposium\/Xpo in London, October 7-9 Talent acquisition strategies in 2026 are being driven by AI, which is changing nearly every aspect of how business is done, and the need to drive cost out of the business, according to Gartner, Inc., a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27765],"tags":[37575,37576],"class_list":{"0":"post-362429","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-artificial-intelligence-news","7":"tag-top-four-trends-for-talent-acquisition-in-2026","8":"tag-top-trends-for-talent-acquisition-in-2026"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362429\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.technologyforyou.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}