The Omni Candidate Experience Report 2026: Trust, AI and the Future of Hiring
Get practical insight into AI in recruitment, candidate trust, process friction and how to create hiring experiences that convert.
Get practical insight into AI in recruitment, candidate trust, process friction and how to create hiring experiences that convert.
AI is changing the way recruitment works, but that does not mean candidates feel more confident in the hiring process. Our latest report explores how jobseekers are experiencing recruitment in a more AI-enabled market, where trust is shaped not just by the opportunity itself, but by how the process feels from start to finish. Based on research of over 700 UK jobseekers, it looks at how candidates are using AI, where employers risk losing confidence, and what organisations need to do to create hiring journeys people believe in.
Access The Omni Candidate Experience Report 2026: Trust, AI and the Future of Hiring to explore the changing relationship between AI, hiring experience and candidate confidence, with practical recommendations for HR, TA and business leaders.
Our research points to a hiring market where AI is becoming more visible, but trust still depends on clarity, communication and human judgement. Some of the findings include:
The fundamentals of job choice remain stable, but expectations of the hiring experience are changing. Pay, flexibility and career development still matter the most, yet candidates are increasingly judging employers not only by what they offer, but by how the hiring process is designed and delivered.
That matters because recruitment is becoming one of the clearest signals of how an organisation operates. A clear job description, timely communication, a fair process and visible human judgement all shape candidate confidence. As AI becomes more present in hiring, these moments become even more important.
Our research highlights five themes shaping candidate experience today:
Despite all the discussion around AI and the future of hiring, the core motivations behind job moves remain remarkably consistent. Candidates still prioritise pay and benefits, flexibility and career development when deciding whether to apply.
What is shifting is the relative importance of those factors. Flexible working has become more important than it was in Omni’s earlier research, suggesting that while technology may be changing the process of hiring, candidate expectations around how work fits into life continue to rise.
AI may be changing how recruitment happens, but it does not replace the basics of a strong employer offer. If roles are not clearly positioned around the things candidates care about, technology alone will not close the gap.
Candidates increasingly interpret the recruitment process as a reflection of how an organisation operates. Louise Shaw, Managing Director, Omni RMS, notes that hiring remains fundamentally human, and that confidence is built through small but visible moments: a clear role, honest communication and a process that respects a candidate’s time.
This is one of the biggest shifts in the report. The process itself has become part of the proposition.
One of the clearest findings in the report is the direct cost of a poorly designed recruitment process. Nearly half of candidates say a long application process would deter them, while 46% say poor communication at each stage is off-putting.
That is important because it moves candidate experience from a nice-to-have into something far more commercial. Hiring friction is not just frustrating, it affects conversion. It reduces momentum, weakens trust and increases the likelihood that strong candidates will disengage before a decision is made.
Many organisations spend a lot of time focusing on attraction. This research is a reminder that what happens after a candidate enters the process matters just as much.
AI is beginning to shape recruitment, but adoption remains uneven and candidate confidence is far from guaranteed. What stands out in this year’s research is that candidates are reacting not only to where AI is used, but where they believe it is being used. In many cases, existing automation or poorly explained process designs is already being interpreted as AI-led decision-making.
This creates a trust challenge, the report explores how organisations can minimise this.
AI in recruitment is not just an employer story. Candidates are already using AI tools at pace. Nearly half report using AI during the application process, 51% say they have used it to tailor their CV.
This raises an important question for employers. If more applications are being refined with AI, how should recruitment assessment evolve? The report explores how employers may need to shift their focus from polished written applications alone towards stronger validation of real capability, judgement and fit.
It also points to a broader challenge. As AI lowers the effort needed to apply, hiring teams may need better ways to identify quality, reduce noise and maintain fairness without making the process harder for genuine candidates.
Download the report to get a clear action plan on what organisations need to do in light of these new findings.