Matrix Recruitment’s latest Workforce Trends Report found that multiple factors, such as pay transparency and flexibility are impacting the recruitment landscape.
Hiring platform Matrix Recruitment has published its hiring data for the first half of 2026 and what it found is that so far, employers are placing far greater emphasis on sourcing the ‘right kind’ of long-term talent. This involves a more structured recruitment process with more efficient hiring decision making.
The report also found that recruitment activity has been resilient, as the number of job advertisements are consistent with figures from the same period last year, particularly across sectors experiencing ongoing skills shortages, such as manufacturing, engineering and financial services.
In line with the figures showing a change in employer hiring behaviour, there was a decline in the number of roles being filled after a single interview. Matrix’s report said that the proportion of positions filled after just one interview fell from 31pc in the first half of 2025 to 21pc during the same period in 2026.
Despite the more rigorous recruitment processes, however, Matrix also found that the average time to fill a permanent role has fallen from roughly 59 days to 54, year-on-year.
