A new report published by Oxfordshire recruitment specialist Allen Associates has revealed a recruitment market that remains active but increasingly challenging for employers navigating salary expectations, reward pressures and evolving workplace expectations.
The newly launched Oxfordshire Salary & Insights Guide 2026 brings together employer-reported salary benchmarking and recruitment data from organisations across the county, providing a detailed picture of hiring activity, pay trends, benefits and flexible working practices.
The findings suggest that while many organisations remain confident about growth and recruitment, employers continue to face significant challenges when competing for talent.
According to the research:
- 57 per cent of organisations are currently hiring in some form.
- 52 per cent plan to award salary increases over the next 12 months.
- 46 per cent cite competing with larger employers on base salary as their biggest reward challenge.
- 85 per cent offer hybrid working arrangements, highlighting how flexibility has become an established expectation rather than a differentiator.
The report also identifies continued demand across HR, Finance, Marketing, and PA & Administration roles, alongside growing challenges around candidate availability, salary expectations and specialist skill shortages.
“Oxfordshire has a unique employment market, shaped by a diverse mix of businesses, educational institutions, charities, science and innovation organisations and professional services firms,” said Kate Allen, Executive Chair and Marketing Director at Allen Associates. “For many employers, national salary reports only tell part of the story. We wanted to create a resource that reflects what organisations across Oxfordshire are actually experiencing when it comes to hiring, salaries, benefits and workforce planning.
“Our aim is to help employers make more informed decisions by providing local insight that reflects the realities of recruiting and retaining talent within the county,” Kate added.
Unlike many national salary reports, which rely heavily on advertised salaries, recruitment activity or candidate sentiment, the Oxfordshire Salary & Insights Guide 2026 is based on salary and workplace data supplied directly by employers operating within Oxfordshire.
The research and analysis underpinning the Oxfordshire Salary & Insights Guide 2026 were conducted in partnership with The HR Agency, an Oxford-based HR consultancy. Principal Consultant Will Cleare worked alongside Allen Associates to design the survey, gather employer insights and analyse the findings, helping to provide a detailed and data-led view of salary, reward and hiring trends across Oxfordshire.
The guide includes salary benchmarks across HR, Finance, Marketing, and PA & Administration, alongside analysis of salary increases, flexible working trends, benefits, recruitment challenges and future hiring intentions.
Allen Associates hopes the guide will provide practical support for employers reviewing salary structures, planning recruitment activity and assessing how their organisation compares with the wider Oxfordshire market.
The Oxfordshire Salary & Insights Guide 2026 is available to download free of charge here.
