
Talent Attraction in 2026: A Hiring Manager’s Playbook for Winning Top Candidates
If you’re a hiring manager in 2026, you’ve probably noticed something: hiring feels harder than ever. Not because there aren’t enough applicants. Not because your company isn’t well-known. But because top talent has more options, more transparency, and more bargaining power than at any time in recent history. Even with economic uncertainty, the labor market continues to shift in the workers’ favor. For example, the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS report showed over 8.8 million job openings nationwide; a number still far above pre-pandemic levels, meaning employers continue competing for a limited pool of qualified workers. So what’s the move? This guide breaks down exactly what every hiring manager needs to know about talent attraction in 2026; what candidates

