Why the best hiring strategies in 2026 are built around people

Hiring in 2026 looks different.

Product innovation is accelerating. AI is reshaping how work gets done. And labour market signals are revealing a more complex story about how candidates are thinking about their careers.

But across all of it, one thing is clear: the best hiring strategies today are built around people, not just processes.

At FutureWorks Melbourne 2026, we brought together labour market data, product innovation and employer insights to unpack what this means for talent leaders right now.

Here’s the playbook to help you balance technology, market realities and human connection in the year ahead.

Start with the reality of the labour market

Human-centred hiring starts with understanding the environment candidates are navigating.

Unemployment remains low at 4.1%, yet workers are becoming more cautious about changing jobs^1. 

Job mobility has dropped to historic lows, falling from 9.6% in 2023 to 7.7% in 2025, as many workers prioritise stability over switching roles^1.

Cost-of-living pressures are a major reason why. While annual wage growth sits at 3.4%, when adjusted for inflation, real wages are effectively back at 2011 levels^1.

At the same time, the nature of work itself is evolving.

Mentions of generative AI in Australian job postings have doubled, and 32% of workers report using AI regularly at work. Yet the data shows AI isn’t replacing human teams. Only 1% of evaluated skills are expected to be fully transformed by AI, while most will simply evolve^2.

So what does this mean for hiring?

Candidates are feeling the financial squeeze and are increasingly cautious about making a move. The opportunity for employers lies in building enough trust, clarity and stability to help great candidates take that step.

Data gives you the map. Human-centred leadership helps you navigate it.

Use innovation to remove friction, not just costs

In an era of rapid technological advancement, one truth remains: jobs still need people.

The goal of product innovation in recruitment isn’t simply to cut costs. It’s to remove friction for the humans on both sides of the hiring process.

To stay ahead, talent teams need tools that improve the human experience of hiring:

• Create context, not just matches
  AI-powered sourcing tools shouldn’t just surface candidates behind the scenes. They should explain why a candidate is a match, translating job requirements into language jobseekers understand and value.
• Deliver absolute clarity
  Tools that personalise recommendations and improve job descriptions can reduce uncertainty for candidates and build trust from the very first interaction.
• Keep humans at the helm
  Technology should handle the heavy lifting of analysing data and surfacing strong candidates. But human judgement must remain central when it comes to decisions and ethics.

By prioritising tools that improve the candidate experience and leveraging integrations like Indeed Apply to access upcoming product innovations, employers can cut through the noise and design hiring processes that work for people, not just systems.

Listen to the voice of the candidate (and push through clunky tech)

You can’t build a human-centred hiring strategy without listening closely to what jobseekers want.

During the Jobseeker Panel, Sally Mckibbin, Senior National Account Manager at Indeed along with Jarrad Carroll, Talent Acquisition Manager, Frontline & Career Start at Telstra, Samantha (Sam) Devlin, Founder & CEO at The Careers Department and Melanie Sutherland Content Creator and Brand Manager at Gem Personal Care unpacked the shifting expectations of the modern workforce and the message was clear.

Three priorities now stand out as non-negotiables for candidates in 2026:

• pay transparency
• genuine workplace flexibility
• a clear sense of purpose

These are no longer “perks”. They’re signals candidates use to decide whether they trust an employer.

Delivering on these expectations at scale, however, requires new HR technology. And as most talent leaders know, adopting new tools isn’t always smooth.

During her session, Laura Ford, Managing Director, Indeed Australia compared the current state of AI and hiring tech to an early-model TomTom GPS. It can feel clunky at times and occasionally gives frustrating directions while it learns the landscape.

But human-centred leaders don’t abandon the journey just because the system is updating.

These tools improve through use. By pushing through the early stages of adoption, talent teams can let technology handle administrative tasks and free recruiters to focus on what matters most.

• Personalising the candidate experience.
• Reducing hiring stress.
• Building genuine human relationships.

The message for 2026: show up as deeply human

Data, technology and candidate feedback are powerful starting points.

But the biggest takeaway from FutureWorks Melbourne 2026 is simple: the organisations that will win are those that embrace technology while still showing up as deeply human.

Transparent.
Curious.
Open to listening.

As AI automates more of the hiring process, human connection becomes the competitive advantage.

That mindset also means rethinking how we respond to challenges.

The blueprint for hiring in 2026 is clear.

• Use AI to improve efficiency.
• Use labour market data to inform smarter sourcing.
• Act on candidate signals to build trust.

But ultimately, the talent teams that succeed will be led by curious, human-centred leaders who know how to combine technology with empathy and who always find a way to say yes to their people.

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Sources

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Reserve Bank of Australia

2. Indeed 2025 Workforce Insights Survey