5 Key Shifts in Hiring Sentiment (Jan 2026 Edition)

Hiring entering 2026 feels steady on the surface. Jobs are open. Hiring plans remain intact. Technology adoption is accelerating. But when you step back and look at the data across time, a more complex picture emerges. 

Skywalk Group runs biannual Employer and Candidate Sentiment Surveys to better understand how both sides of the hiring market are actually experiencing change. Comparing the results from July 2025 to January 2026 reveals meaningful movement. Not noise. Not speculation. Real shifts in confidence, behavior, and expectations. 

These five shifts stand out as the most important signals employers should be paying attention to right now. 

1. Employer Confidence Improved, But Talent Availability Remains Constrained 

In July 2025, only 45 percent of employers felt confident in their ability to find qualified talent. By January 2026, that number increased to 55 percent. That improvement matters. It suggests organizations feel more prepared and more informed than they did six months earlier. 

At the same time, confidence is far from universal. More than one quarter of employers still report being unconfident about talent availability. This is happening while hiring intent remains extremely strong, with nearly 90 percent of employers planning to hire in the next six months. 

The takeaway is not that the talent challenge is resolved. It is that employers are learning to operate inside it. Optimism has improved, but demand continues to outpace perceived supply, especially for skilled and specialized roles. 

2. Hiring Intent Remains Consistently High

Hiring intent barely moved between survey cycles, holding steady at 87 percent in July and 88 percent in January. This stability is one of the most telling signals in the data. 

Despite economic uncertainty and mixed forecasts, employers are not pulling back. Organizations continue to hire for growth, replacement, and strategic capability building. The market is not paused. It is competitive. 

This reinforces an important point. Employers who delay improving their hiring systems are not avoiding risk. They are accumulating it. 

3. Confidence In Recruiting Processes Is Rising Faster Than Outcomes 

Employer confidence in recruiting processes continues to climb. In July 2025, 62 percent of employers rated their process as good or excellent. By January 2026, that number rose to 75 percent. 

Yet outcomes have not improved at the same pace. Nearly half of employers still report difficulty filling roles, and candidate quality remains the top hiring obstacle. 

This widening gap suggests that many organizations feel better about how recruiting is structured internally, but are still struggling with execution in the market. Process design alone is not enough. Speed, alignment, and candidate experience increasingly determine whether those processes deliver results. 

4. Candidate Confidence Declined While Mobility Increased 

On the candidate side, sentiment moved in a different direction. In July 2025, 56 percent of candidates reported confidence in job availability. By January 2026, 47 percent reported feeling unconfident. 

At the same time, job change likelihood increased from 47 percent to 50 percent. 

Candidates feel less secure about the market, yet more willing to move. This combination creates risk for employers. When confidence declines and mobility remains high, retention becomes more fragile and trust erodes faster. 

5. Candidate Experience Continued To Deteriorate

Candidate experience weakened between survey cycles. In July 2025, 53 percent of candidates reported being neutral or dissatisfied with the interview process. By January 2026, that number rose to 62 percent. 

Slow response times increased significantly as the top frustration, followed by communication gaps and lack of transparency. Speed has become a defining factor in employer brand. When candidates wait, they disengage. When they disengage, employers lose leverage. 

What This Means Heading Through 2026 

The hiring market is not broken, but it is strained. Employers feel more confident while candidates feel less secure. Technology adoption is accelerating while trust lags behind. Processes look stronger on paper than they feel in practice. 

These shifts are not problems to panic over. They are signals to pay attention to. 

Skywalk Group will be walking through these findings in more detail during our upcoming public webinar, What Employers and Candidates Are Thinking Going Into 2026, on January 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM CST / 12:00 PM EST. The session will focus on what changed from July to January, why it matters, and how organizations can respond thoughtfully. 

If you want to explore the full data behind these trends and hear how they are playing out across industries, we invite you to join the conversation. 

By: Adam McCoy