Employers are taking nearly twice as long to fill vacancies compared with this time last year, reflecting a more cautious approach to recruitment amid rising costs and a surge in applications.
The average time to hire has reached eight weeks, according to a new report, with larger organisations now taking closer to nine weeks to appoint candidates. This is up from just under five weeks a year ago. Recruiters are balancing reduced budgets with the pressure to select candidates who will help support growth and longer-term resilience.
The data, based on a survey of 900 HR leaders and 2,000 jobseekers by recruitment site Totaljobs, suggests that the rise in hiring times is being driven by economic uncertainty, changes in employment legislation and a larger volume of applicants per vacancy.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK unemployment rate rose to 4.7 percent in September 2025. Job vacancies, meanwhile, dropped to 846,000 — their lowest level since 2021. As recruitment confidence slows, employers are spending more time assessing whether a candidate is a good long-term fit before making an offer.
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Recruitment funding and admin challenges
More than half of employers (56 percent) said they were struggling to secure sufficient funding for recruitment. For many, this is a direct result of increased employment costs, including the April 2025 rise in the National Minimum Wage and higher National Insurance contributions.
To adapt, one in four employers have increased their use of freelancers and temporary staff. This approach has offered flexibility without the same long-term commitment and has helped firms avoid the financial risks of a permanent hire if growth remains uncertain.
At the same time, hiring teams are dealing with a growing volume of applications. On average, recruiters are now receiving 22 applications per vacancy, with some sectors seeing significantly more. The result is a longer screening process and delays in interview scheduling and communication with candidates.
Technology is increasingly playing a role in addressing this. Around three quarters of employers (77 percent) believe artificial intelligence can improve efficiency, and a quarter are already using automation tools for tasks such as CV screening, interview booking and feedback delivery.
Skills, not CVs, driving hiring decisions
A growing emphasis on skills-based hiring is shaping recruitment strategies for 2026. Employers are prioritising capabilities such as problem solving, collaboration and communication, as well as more technical skills like coding and data analysis.
Around 70 percent of recruiters said finding candidates with the right skills remained their biggest challenge. In response, 43 percent said they were moving towards skills-based hiring models rather than relying on qualifications or previous job titles alone.
The trend is seen as a way to widen access to roles, remove bias and bring in candidates with strong potential. Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) earlier this year found that skills-based recruitment was particularly effective in filling digital and customer-facing roles, where adaptability and learning ability were valued above formal experience.
According to the latest UK workforce report from LinkedIn, skills such as critical thinking, resilience and teamwork were among the most commonly added to user profiles in 2025. Training providers and career platforms are also shifting their focus towards microcredentials and short-form digital skills certificates.
Employer outlook positive despite delays
While hiring is taking longer, employer sentiment for 2026 is generally positive. One in three large businesses (30 percent) and a quarter of small and medium enterprises (25 percent) plan to increase hiring next year. More than half (58 percent) of all businesses surveyed said they were confident they would secure the talent they need.
Totaljobs CEO Luke Mckend said employers were taking a more strategic approach to recruitment. “Waiting to hear if you’ve got a job has always been stressful, and given the extra caution we’re seeing in the labour market, that wait has become longer,” he said. But this shows businesses are thinking strategically about their people and making investments that will sustain future growth.”
He added that technology was already easing some of the bottlenecks. “AI continues to streamline early-stage screening, and we expect both confidence and hiring pace to rebound in 2026. Anyone entering the job market needs to think strategically about how they position themselves in an increasingly competitive market while upskilling in the right areas.”
HR considerations for 2026
Experts say that the longer time-to-hire presents both operational challenges and opportunities to improve quality of hire. The rise in application volumes calls for more structured screening tools, while skills-based hiring will require updates to job descriptions, assessments and interview formats.
With flexible and remote work still common across many sectors, recruitment strategies for 2026 are also likely to include hybrid onboarding and digital learning pathways, especially for temporary or contract roles.
Cautious optimism, supported by new technologies and changing workforce expectations, suggests that hiring may rebound next year — but the process may never return to pre-pandemic speeds.
