by Aman
on 5th of December, 2025
In this blog, we’ve utilized the power of the internet to bring you 50 crucial recruitment statistics you shouldn’t ignore in 2026.
90% of hiring managers find it difficult to source skilled candidates (Recruiterflow)
52% of recruiters face challenges in hiring top choices before competitors (Recruiterflow)
75% of organizations report talent shortages as their top barrier to growth (Second Talent)
62% of HR leaders cite skills gaps as the primary hiring obstacle (Select Software Reviews)
The average cost per hire is approximately $4,700 (Namely)
It takes an average of 42 days to fill a new position (LinkedIn Business)
Global time-to-hire averages 44 days, up 10% from prior years (InterWiz)
Cost-per-hire for technical roles exceeds $7,000 in high-demand sectors (iMocha)
60% of job seekers abandon applications due to length or complexity (LinkedIn Business)
83% of candidates prefer a clear timeline of the hiring process (Recruiterflow)
70% of applicants share negative experiences on social media (Select Software Reviews)
91% of candidates value personalized communication during recruitment (Second Talent)
84% of organizations use social media for recruiting (Recruiterflow)
73% of millennials found their current roles through social media (Recruiterflow)
LinkedIn drives 50% of social hires, followed by Facebook at 30% (LinkedIn Business)
92% of recruiters leverage social platforms for passive talent sourcing (Assess Candidates)
76% of candidates consider diversity an important factor when evaluating companies (Recruiterflow)
84% of recruiters believe culture fit is crucial in hiring (Recruiterflow)
65% of companies with diverse teams outperform on profitability (World Economic Forum)
DEI initiatives boost application rates by 25% among underrepresented groups (Select Software Reviews)
A positive onboarding experience leads to 69% of new hires staying for over three years (Recruiterflow)
Poor onboarding doubles likelihood of new hires seeking other opportunities (Recruiterflow)
Effective onboarding reduces turnover by 50% in the first year (Namely)
82% of employees with strong onboarding feel more engaged at work (InterWiz)
44% of recruiters are prioritizing remote work options (LinkedIn Business)
70% of the workforce will engage in remote work at least five days monthly by end-2025 (Talent MSH)
Hybrid models preferred by 58% of candidates over fully onsite roles (India Macro Indicators)
Remote hiring intent rose 25% in tech and professional services (Recruitment Entrepreneur)
86% of women and 67% of men would not apply to a company with a bad reputation (LinkedIn Business)
88% of candidates factor employer branding into application decisions (Talent MSH)
Branding budgets increased 107% over past five years (Talent MSH)
Strong branding cuts cost-per-hire by 30% (Select Software Reviews)
70% of enterprise-size businesses use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen CVs (LinkedIn Business)
43% of companies use AI to interview potential hires (Second Talent)
87% of firms deploy AI-powered recruiting software (Talent MSH)
ATS streamlines screening by 40% on average (iMocha)
73% of job seekers are passive candidates open to new opportunities (Talent MSH)
85% of top talent are not actively job hunting (Select Software Reviews)
Passive sourcing yields 2x higher quality hires (Gem)
92% of recruiters target passive candidates (Assess Candidates)
50% of candidates apply for jobs on job sites (Talent MSH)
Active seekers spend 20-25 hours weekly job searching (Talent MSH)
65% use multiple channels simultaneously (LinkedIn Business)
Gen Z averages 12 applications per week (India Macro Indicators)
89% of job seekers use mobile devices for searches (Talent MSH)
45% have applied via mobile device (Talent MSH)
Mobile careers pages boost applications 35% (Select Software Reviews)
78% of millennials search jobs exclusively on mobile (Second Talent)
82% of employers rate referrals highest ROI (LinkedIn Business)
45% of referral hires stay longer than four years (LinkedIn Business)
Referrals cost 50% less than other methods (Namely)
Referral hires have 30% lower turnover (InterWiz)
67% of UK employers planning new hires in 2024 (India Macro Indicators)
UK skills shortage costs £6.6B annually (India Macro Indicators)
Quality of hire metric adopted by 70% of firms (iMocha)
Offer acceptance averages 85% globally (Gem)
95% of UK businesses admit to at least one bad hiring decision yearly (India Macro Indicators)
Average UK vacancy fill time is 42 days (India Macro Indicators)
78% rethink strategies due to competition (Talent MSH)
44% of US applicants admit resume inaccuracies (Select Software Reviews)
59% businesses use recruitment agencies (India Macro Indicators)
Agencies fill 20% of executive roles faster (Recruitment Entrepreneur)
65% of SMEs rely on agencies for skilled hires (India Macro Indicators)
Agency fees average 20-25% of first-year salary (MokaHR)
UK average cost per hire: £6,125 (India Macro Indicators)
Bad manager hire costs £132,000 (India Macro Indicators)
Global bad hire costs average 30% salary (Namely)
Turnover from poor hires drains 1.5-2x salary (InterWiz)
43% companies use AI in interviews (Second Talent)
67% integrate AI in recruiting (Second Talent)
AI screening accuracy: 89-94% (Second Talent)
75% HR pros prioritize AI investments (Second Talent)
54% reject candidates based on social media (Select Software Reviews)
Social checks influence 68% final decisions (Talent MSH)
Automated screening reduces bias by 25% (iMocha)
Video interviews used by 60% for screening (Assess Candidates)
30% decline offers due to negative hiring experience (LinkedIn Business)
Salary is top reason for 52% declines (Select Software Reviews)
40% accept counteroffers post-decline (Gem)
Personalized offers boost acceptance by 20% (Namely).
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