Why are employers' average hiring times not improving?
The average time to hire in workplaces globally has yet to make a significant improvement despite the application of artificial intelligence tools in hiring, according to a new report.
Findings from the latest ManpowerGroup research showed that 41% of employers globally reported that their average hiring time remained the same from last year.
Only 28% of employers reported faster time-to-hire, while 29% said the average hiring speed went even slower.
While the ManpowerGroup report did not indicate a global average for hiring time, previous research put the global median at 38 days, where six days are for reviewing job applications and another 14 are for interviewing the most promising jobseekers.
Yet employers appear to be struggling to cut hiring duration despite widespread AI adoption in recruitment, according to ManpowerGroup, amid expectations that the technology will speed up hiring.
Top factors accelerating, slowing down hiring
Its report revealed the top obstacle that's slowing down their hiring time is the lack of candidates with their required skills. Other factors include:
- Lack of qualified candidates in the local market
- Mismatch between candidate expectations and job requirements
- Fewer candidates being identified through referrals or professional networks
- Length or complexity of the recruitment process, including getting internal approvals
By contrast, better candidate matching has emerged as the top factor accelerating the average time to hire in workplaces. The other drivers are:
- Faster internal approval and decision-making process
- Improved collaboration between HR & hiring managers
- More candidates are applying as more flexibility gets offered
- Effective screening of applicants, including filtering AI-generated applications
Hiring outlook rebounds
The findings come as hiring outlook in workplaces globally rebounds for the fourth quarter of 2026, according to the ManpowerGroup report.
The Global Net Employment Outlook for Q4 2026 is 29%, up by two points from the previous quarter and six points from a year ago.
Some 43% of employers said they are planning to increase their headcount between October and December, while another 41% plan to keep them unchanged.
Only 14% of employers said they are anticipating job cuts, while the remaining two per cent remained unsure about any changes in the coming months ahead.
India reported the strongest hiring outlook globally with 54%, followed by Brazil with 53%. Slovakia saw the lowest hiring outlook with three per cent, followed by Romania with four per cent.
The US saw an above-average hiring outlook of 36%. Meanwhile, Australia, Canada, and Singapore saw below-average hiring expectations with 27%, 19%, and 13%, respectively.
Nearly two in three (62%) organisations that are increasing their headcount cited changing roles and skills as their reason, while another 32% said they need to backfill positions.
"This data demonstrates employers continue to place high value on human skills, even as the nature of work shifts with technological advancements," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chair & CEO.
"Nearly two-thirds of employers tell us they are hiring because the roles and skills their organisations need are changing – many are reconsidering the tasks within jobs rather than displacing full positions. Over the next five years, the defining challenge will be redesigning work at scale. The most forward-thinking employers are building the skills they need from both within and outside their companies – shaping agile workforces that can adapt as organisations seek to realise the true value of AI."
