Talent Acquisition Trends for 2026 and Beyond

In this episode, John Baldino is joined by talent acquisition leader Josh Rock to break down the recruiting trends that will define 2026 and beyond. They challenge the obsession with AI marketing in HR tech, argue for vendor partnerships over product pitches, and make the case that putting heart back into hiring is not optional. From skills-based hiring and realistic job previews to the decline of evergreen job postings and the future of career sites, this conversation gives TA leaders a practical roadmap for navigating a shifting labor market where more candidates now outnumber available jobs. Key Takeaways: AI in HR tech is now table stakes; vendors need to show practical workflow impact, not just wave the AI banner The best vendor relationships are partnerships aligned to your strategic goals, not product-pushing sales pitches Putting heart into recruiting means checking in on new hires as whole people, not just filling requisitions The candidate-to-job ratio has flipped back to more candidates than jobs, changing hiring dynamics significantly Skills-based hiring will accelerate in 2026; blue-collar and healthcare sectors have been doing it for years Realistic job previews (RJPs) help both employers and candidates understand the true demands of a role Evergreen job postings are declining because of cost pressure and the perception of dishonesty they create Companies will invest more in robust career sites and less in job board spend like Indeed and LinkedIn AI-powered job search tools crawl the entire web, making strong career pages more valuable than ever Ghosting legislation needs to address both employer and candidate no-shows to be effective 00:00 - Introduction and guest welcome with Josh Rock 03:48 - Discussion on job numbers recalibration and layoff cycles 12:02 - Talent acquisition trends and the AI hype in HR tech 19:16 - Vendor partnerships vs. product pitching in TA technology 22:52 - Putting heart back into the recruiting process 30:00 - Candidate experience and the decline of personal ownership in job search 39:06 - Ghosting legislation and its impact on both sides 41:40 - Evergreen job postings and why they are declining 43:23 - Indeed Talent Scout launch and its implications for 2026 46:13 - OpenAI coming for LinkedIn and the future of sourcing 48:49 - Prediction: companies shift spend from job boards to career sites 53:38 - Skills-based hiring and realistic job previews Keywords: talent acquisition trends 2026, skills-based hiring, realistic job previews, HR tech AI, career site strategy, recruiting partnerships, ghosting legislation, Indeed Talent Scout, candidate experience, blue-collar recruiting