While the 2025 job market in Australia appeared to favour employers, research from Robert Half highlights that hiring in 2026 will continue to require careful planning and adaptability. Most employers are bracing for recruitment challenges, as nearly nine in 10 (88%) admit to losing at least one candidate in the past year and anticipate facing multiple barriers in the year ahead. 

Employers are entering 2026 with caution, with almost all (97%) hiring managers anticipating at least one recruitment challenge that could stall hiring efforts and impact business growth. The most common concerns include: 

• lack of skilled applicants (61%); 
• losing applicants to competing organisations (58%); 
• meeting salary expectations (58%); 
• finding candidates who align with company culture (57%); 
• lack of applicants willing to work in the office (55%); 
• hiring quickly enough to reduce the cost of a vacant position (54%); and 
• being ghosted by candidates in the recruitment process (52%). 

Despite a more employer-leaning market, candidates continue to decline job offers for a multitude of reasons, including receiving a better offer (32%), lack of competitive salary (31%); lack of flexibility (29%); role misalignment (29%); lengthy or impersonal recruitment process (22%); disconnect between individual values and company culture (20%); unclear or limited career progression opportunities (21%); and concerns about job security or company stability (21%). 

“The high rate of declined offers highlights a critical disconnect between what businesses are offering and what candidates expect,” says Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half. “Even in an employer-led market, top talent won’t hesitate to walk away for opportunities they see as a better fit. Businesses need to think beyond transactional offers and address the full proposition they present to candidates.”