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Global Recruiting

Global Hiring Outlook Remains Resilient

by Veronica Blatt

green and blue watercolor-style world mapAs organizations enter 2026, global employers are showing steady confidence in their hiring outlook, even as economic uncertainty and rapid change continue to shape the world of work. The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, drawing on responses from more than 39,000 employers across 41 countries, reveals a labor market that is holding firm rather than accelerating at pace. Employers are still hiring, but they are doing so with greater intention and discipline.

At the global level, employers reported a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of +24% for Q1 2026, indicating that the percentage of organizations planning to hire continues to significantly outweigh those expecting workforce reductions. While hiring optimism is slightly lower compared with the same period last year, it has strengthened quarter‑over‑quarter—signaling renewed confidence after a cautious second half of 2025.

Hiring Outlook Is Steady, Not Surging

The data suggests a labor market that is stable rather than overheated. Approximately 40% of employers globally expect to increase staffing levels, while 16% anticipate decreases and another 40% expect no significant change. This balance reflects a pragmatic approach: businesses are selectively hiring for critical skills while keeping overall headcount under control.

Rather than broad‑based expansion, employers are focusing on targeted talent acquisition, particularly in areas tied to productivity, transformation, and resilience.

Certain Sectors Continue to Lead Demand

Not all industries are hiring at the same pace. Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Construction & Real Estate, Utilities & Natural Resources, and Public Sector Health & Social Services reported some of the strongest outlooks globally. These sectors benefit from long‑term structural demand—such as infrastructure investment, skills shortages, energy transition, and demographic change—rather than short‑term economic cycles.

Financial and insurance services (+32%) are also emerging as a consistent driver of hiring intent, as organizations seek expertise in risk management, compliance, and digital finance.

Company Size Matters

The survey highlights notable differences by organization size. Mid‑sized and large employers, particularly those with 250 to 999 employees, report the strongest hiring intentions. These organisations are often large enough to invest through uncertainty, yet agile enough to adjust quickly to new technologies and market opportunities.

Smaller firms, by contrast, tend to adopt a more cautious approach, prioritizing retention and productivity gains over expansion.

What This Means for Employers and Recruiters

The Q1 2026 Employment Outlook points to a labor market shaped by intentional decision‑making rather than reactive hiring. Employers are hiring—but with precision. For recruiters and talent leaders, this reinforces the importance of specialist skills, sector knowledge, and advisory capability, rather than volume‑driven recruitment.

For organizations, the message is clear: securing the right talent in a competitive market requires clarity about skills gaps, employer value proposition, and long‑term workforce strategy.

In short, hiring momentum remains positive—but success in 2026 will belong to those who hire smarter, not just faster.

Your Edge in Global Employment: Key Data Sources

by Veronica Blatt

Image of executive woman in front of large window with skyline behind herFinding reliable information about the global employment landscape is essential for boutique recruitment firms aiming to deliver exceptional value to clients. In a market where agility and specialization set you apart, grounding your recommendations in data-driven insights makes all the difference.

When you know where to look for trustworthy, up-to-date resources, you can confidently support clients with market entry decisions, leadership planning, and international search strategies. The right information doesn’t just inform your approach—it fuels stronger client relationships and positions your firm as an authority on global employment trends.

Let’s face it, your clients don’t just want candidates. They want partners who understand the market landscape. Knowing where to find reliable data gives you a powerful advantage. It allows you to advise on everything from market entry to leadership succession. Here are five essential resources that can elevate your advisory game and help you navigate the complexities of international hiring.

1. International Labour Organization (ILO)

Think of the ILO as the bedrock of international labor data. It is the most authoritative source, with standardized information from over 180 countries. This consistency is crucial when you’re comparing talent pools in different parts of the world.

For your firm, the ILO offers macro-level insights that are perfect for big-picture conversations. You can analyze employment trends, demographic shifts affecting leadership pipelines, and the skills gaps emerging in various sectors. This is the data you bring to a board-level discussion to frame your client’s expansion strategy.

2. World Bank – Jobs & Labor Market Data

While the ILO provides the “what,” the World Bank helps explain the “why.” It connects labor data directly to economic growth and competitiveness. This context is invaluable when advising clients who are considering investments in emerging markets.

Use the World Bank’s data to explore employment-to-population ratios, human capital indicators, and long-term workforce projections. This information helps you advise on talent risks and develop strategies for finding and nurturing local leaders, adding significant value beyond a simple placement.

3. OECD Employment and Labour Market Statistics

If your clients are primarily multinational corporations in developed economies, the OECD is your go-to resource. Its data is highly standardized and focuses on the metrics that matter to large, publicly traded companies.

The OECD provides deep insights into job quality, wage growth, and executive mobility. You can use this information for sophisticated compensation benchmarking and to forecast leadership supply. It’s the kind of data that helps you produce thought leadership content that captures the attention of senior executives.

4. LinkedIn Economic Graph & Talent Insights

For real-time, actionable intelligence, nothing beats LinkedIn. While traditional sources provide a rearview mirror, LinkedIn’s data is a live dashboard of the professional world, drawn from millions of user profiles.

This is where you get tactical. Use LinkedIn to map talent supply versus demand for specific roles, identify emerging leadership skills, and track executive movement between competitors. It’s an indispensable tool for live searches and providing clients with up-to-the-minute advice on who to hire and where to find them.

5. PwC Workforce, Talent & Employment Analytics

PwC bridges the gap between raw data and executive decision-making. They synthesize labor market information and present it through the lens of business strategy and leadership, which is exactly how your clients think.

Leverage PwC’s reports to understand the impact of digital transformation, AI adoption on leadership capabilities, and future talent scarcity. This resource is perfect for positioning your firm as a strategic advisor. When you can speak fluently about workforce risks and reskilling needs, you move from being a vendor to a vital partner in your client’s success, especially in the context of global employment.

By integrating insights from these sources, you can provide a level of strategic counsel that sets your boutique firm apart. You’ll not only fill roles but also help your clients build stronger, more resilient organizations for the future.

Q1 2026 Global Employment Outlook: Key Hiring Trends and Insights

by Veronica Blatt

green and blue watercolor-style world mapWhat Is the Global Employment Outlook for Q1 2026?

Manpower Group has released its comprehensive findings for the first quarter of 2026, offering a roadmap for recruiters and employers alike. The survey, recognized as the most extensive forward-looking analysis of its kind, reveals a seasonally-adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 24%.

This figure represents a moderate but stable hiring climate. It is calculated by taking the percentage of employers planning to increase headcount (40%) and subtracting those expecting a reduction (16%). Read the rest of this entry »

Is There Really Such a Thing as the “Perfect Candidate”?

by Veronica Blatt

Image of female job candidate sitting alone in a row of pink chairsOur guest blogger is Pam Robison of J. Gifford Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. J. Gifford Inc. is a small, quality conscious firm providing highly individualized recruiting services to clients on a local, regional, national and international basis. The firm’s recruiting activities are focused on professional, technical and managerial placement, as well as contractor and international staffing for clients. Pam is currently Chair of the NPAworldwide Board of Directors. In this post, she discusses how candidates can make the best impression in job interviews.

In recruiting, the phrase “perfect candidate” gets tossed around a lot. Employers wish for one. Job seekers try to become one. And recruiters often get asked to go find one—as if there’s a secret warehouse somewhere stocked with flawless, fully assembled professionals waiting to be shipped overnight.

But here’s the truth: the “perfect candidate” is rarely a real person. Read the rest of this entry »

2026 Hiring Outlook for Recruiters

by Liz Carey

Image of blocks with numerals depicting calendar year changing from 2025 to 2026Are you prepared for a year of stability masquerading as uncertainty? For recruiters and talent acquisition leaders, the last few years have felt like a rollercoaster ride of unprecedented highs and lows. But as we look toward 2026, the data suggests a different kind of challenge: stagnation.

Early indicators for the 2026 labor market point not to a boom or a bust, but to a continuation of the current “low-hire, low-fire” environment. This unique holding pattern presents specific hurdles for recruitment professionals. How do you source talent when incumbents are afraid to leave? How do you convince clients to hire when GDP growth is modest? Read the rest of this entry »

An Introduction to Ethical AI in Hiring

by Veronica Blatt

A group of male and female professional colleagues having a discussionFrom sourcing candidates to screening resumes, AI tools promise to make your job faster and more efficient. But with this great power comes great responsibility. How do you ensure the technology you use is fair, transparent, and unbiased? This is where ethical AI and AI governance come into play.

For recruitment agencies, embracing AI is no longer a choice but a necessity. Yet, using it without clear guidelines is a significant risk. Let’s explore why this matters and how you can build a framework for success. Read the rest of this entry »

Building Long-Term Relationships with Clients and Candidates

by Veronica Blatt

In the recruitment industry, success is not just about making placements. It’s about building lasting partnerships. For boutique agencies, the ability to foster long-term relationships with both clients and candidates is a powerful differentiator. Trust and loyalty are the cornerstones of this approach, transforming one-time transactions into sustained success. How can you cultivate these essential connections? Both trust and loyalty are increasing in importance as AI takes on a larger role. Read the rest of this entry »

Q4 Employment Outlook Shrinks

by Veronica Blatt

green and blue watercolor-style world mapManpower Group has released its quarterly employment outlook survey for the upcoming quarter (Oct-Dec 2025). While the net global outlook remains positive (+23%), it has declined slightly when compared to both the previous quarter and the previous year. This is a comprehensive global survey, with more than 40,000 employers in 40 different countries participating. Read the rest of this entry »

AI in Recruitment & Search: Sharpening the Tools, Not Replacing the Craft

by Veronica Blatt

Our guest blogger is Andrew Thoseby of 1st Executive Pty Ltd  in Melbourne, Australia. 1st Executive is a boutique executive search, executive recruitment, interim executive and advisory firm providing custom designed people solutions for clients across a broad spectrum of industries on a local, regional, national and international basis. The firm’s recruiting activities are focused on executive, professional, technical and managerial placement for its clients. 1st Executive includes a growing interim management service in its business mix and has successfully placed interim CEOs, CFOs, sales and operational executives. Andrew is currently a member of the NPAworldwide Board of Directors.

Throughout history, new tools have often been seen as threats. The typewriter was meant to end handwriting, and the calculator to eliminate the need for arithmetic. Today, artificial intelligence—whether generative or the newer agentic AI—is said by some to herald the decline of recruitment and executive search. The reality is more measured: AI is not replacing the consultant; it is sharpening the tools they use. Read the rest of this entry »

Tapping Into Africa’s Future

by Veronica Blatt

Today’s guest blogger is Melanie Johnson with Sunrock Recruitment located in London, UK. Sunrock Recruitment specializes in identifying exceptional diverse talent within the fields of energy, law, and finance. As international headhunters, most of its clients are outside of the UK, attracting senior executive females. Melanie is currently serving on the NPAworldwide Board of Directors as EMEA Director.

By 2050, one in four people on Earth will be African. That’s around 800 million new workers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who will help shape the continent’s future.

Africa is often misunderstood. It’s not a country but a vast continent with thousands of languages and cultures, each contributing to its rich diversity. At 11.7 million square miles, including its islands, Africa is three times the size of the United States. Most Africans live in vibrant, fast-growing cities, not in rural landscapes alongside wildlife. In fact, Lagos, Nigeria, has a larger population than New York City. Read the rest of this entry »

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