Data from international recruitment firm Robert Half has shown a striking shift in business sentiment for 2026: UK employers are now more concerned about slow internal hiring processes than about macroeconomic and geopolitical instability.
According to the firm’s latest research, the top concern for businesses is the ability to hire talent quickly (65 per cent), surpassing traditionally dominant worries such as macroeconomic uncertainty and budget pressures. The findings highlight the extent of ongoing skills shortages across specialist functions, including finance & accounting, IT and technology, administration, marketing, and legal.
With talent remaining scarce, employers fear losing high quality candidates due to a lack of in-house resources, alongside slow decision making and inefficient internal hiring processes.
Beyond hiring speed, employers identified several other significant talent pressures. Retaining top performers, finding qualified applicants, and attracting candidates with niche skills were jointly ranked as the second-highest concern (63 per cent) among business leaders in 2026. Together, these pressures are fuelling the rise of interim and project-based hiring, as businesses seek more immediate access to specialist skills and greater protection for business continuity.
This growing pressure reflects an increasingly competitive market for specialist professional talent, with companies vying for individuals who can support transformation, regulatory compliance, growth programmes and digital initiatives.
Despite the challenges, employers are planning to boost headcount across multiple professional functions this year:
- Finance & Accounting:
- 58 per cent of employers plan to expand permanent headcount by the summer (up from 50 per cent in H2 2025)
- 43 per cent intend to increase contract or interim resources (up from 39 per cent in H2 2025)
- IT & Technology:
- 56 per cent of businesses plan to hire more permanent staff in H1 (up from 45 per cent in H2 2025)
- 39 per cent expect to grow their contract talent pools (up from 36 per cent in H2 2025)
- Legal:
- 42 per cent aim to hire more permanent employees in H1 2026 (up from 26 per cent in H2 2025)
- 31 per cent plan to expand contract or interim hiring in H1 (up from 23 per cent in H2 2025)
This data indicates that demand for talent is set to accelerate, even as organisations grapple with internal bottlenecks in accessing the skilled professionals they need.
“UK businesses are facing an unexpected challenge as we move further into 2026: the biggest risk to operational continuity is no longer economic volatility; it’s the speed at which companies can hire,” comments Matt Weston, Senior Managing Director UK & Ireland, at Robert Half. “In a market characterised by acute talent shortages across finance, technology and legal, skilled professionals often receive multiple offers and move quickly. When internal processes are slow or too complex, employers risk missing out entirely.
“This marks a clear shift in the talent landscape,” he adds. “External pressures will always influence business confidence, but right now, what appears to be limiting competitiveness most is an internal factor – namely, process inefficiency. This is why we’re seeing such strong growth in interim and project-based hiring, as firms seek immediate access to specialist skills without being constrained by lengthy recruitment cycles.
“Streamlining recruitment, empowering faster decision‑making and creating a compelling candidate experience are no longer ‘nice‑to‑haves’ in this environment. They are essential capabilities for safeguarding growth and ensuring that organisations don’t fall behind in the race for talent.”
