UK employers are recalibrating their definition of business risk as they look towards 2026, with internal recruitment capability emerging as a greater concern than economic or geopolitical instability.
New research from international recruitment company Robert Half suggests that hiring speed has become a critical operational issue for UK organisations, as prolonged recruitment timelines increasingly threaten continuity, delivery, and growth.
According to the research, 65% of employers now cite the ability to hire talent quickly as their top concern for the year ahead. That figure places recruitment delays above traditional risk factors such as macroeconomic uncertainty and budget pressure — a notable shift in employer sentiment.
The findings reflect sustained skills shortages across specialist professional functions, including finance and accounting, technology, legal, marketing, and administrative roles. In these areas, demand continues to outstrip supply, creating conditions where experienced candidates often move through hiring processes rapidly and receive multiple offers.
For employers, the challenge is not only finding suitable talent, but doing so at pace. Businesses report that slow internal decision-making, limited in-house recruitment resources, and complex approval processes are increasing the likelihood of losing high-quality candidates before offers can be finalised.
Beyond hiring speed, talent pressures remain acute across the employment lifecycle. Retention of top performers, access to qualified applicants, and the ability to attract individuals with niche or specialist skills were jointly identified by 63% of employers as major concerns for 2026.
Together, these constraints are reshaping workforce strategies. Many organisations are increasingly turning to interim and project-based hiring models to secure immediate access to specialist skills, particularly for transformation programmes, regulatory initiatives, digital projects, and growth-related work. For some employers, interim appointments are becoming a structural feature rather than a temporary stopgap.
Matt Weston, Senior Managing Director UK and Ireland at Robert Half, said the research highlights how internal inefficiencies are now directly affecting competitiveness. “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,” he said.
“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,” Weston added.
He said the shift signals a broader change in how organisations must approach workforce planning. “External pressures will always influence business confidence, but right now, what appears to be limiting competitiveness most is an internal factor — namely, process inefficiency,” Weston said.
“Streamlining recruitment, empowering faster decision-making, and creating a compelling candidate experience are no longer ‘nice-to-haves’. They are essential capabilities for safeguarding growth and ensuring organisations don’t fall behind in the race for talent.”
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