Ep 756: TA Trends That Matter For 2026

Hi there, welcome to Episode 756 of Recruiting Future with me, Matt Alder. Recruiting Future helps Talent Acquisition teams drive measurable impact by developing strategic capability in Foresight, Influence, Talent, and Technology.

This episode is about Foresight.

Making sense of talent acquisition right now feels impossible. Every week brings new technology announcements, shifting economic signals, and conflicting advice about what comes next. It's tempting to chase the latest headline or follow gut instinct, but reactive decision-making rarely ends well.

Understanding key patterns helps separate signal from noise, and this is where genuine trend analysis grounded in real data becomes invaluable.

So what trends are shaping TA heading into 2026, and how should leaders respond?

My guest this week is Susan De La Vega, SVP Global Tech and Client Experience at Korn Ferry. Korn Ferry has just published their 12th annual TA trends report, built from interviews with over 1,600 global talent leaders, and Susan shares what the research reveals about where talent acquisition is heading.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The biggest TA challenges we have seen this year
• Methodology behind Korn Ferry’s TA Trends Report
• Changing attitudes and approaches to AI
• Why your next hire might not be human
• The importance of mapping tasks
• Investing in future talent
• Can TA get a seat at the table?
• Breaking the silos in the talent function
• Advice to TA Leaders on strategies for 2026
• What does the future look like in 3 years' time?

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