DENVER — A new industry report suggests that 2026 will bring significant technological shifts to the recruitment world, despite high satisfaction levels with current tools. According to the “2025 Recruiter Nation Report” released today by Employ Inc., more than three-quarters (76%) of companies plan to update their hiring technology stacks in the next 12 to 24 months.

The findings come from a survey of over 1,200 U.S. talent acquisition (TA) professionals. The results highlight a curious contradiction: while 82% of recruiters say they are satisfied with their current primary systems, the drive to innovate remains strong.

The Push for Innovation

The report indicates that this push for new technology is being led primarily by younger recruiters, large enterprises, and competitive sectors such as technology, finance, and marketing.

Stephanie Manzelli, Chief People Officer at Employ, explained that the planned updates are less about dissatisfaction and more about preparation. “What we see happening is actually recruiters looking ahead,” Manzelli said. “These TA teams are anticipating what’s next and seeking solutions that will grow with their organizations, offering the latest features and functions, like responsible, transparent AI.”

Key Drivers for Change

Despite general satisfaction, respondents identified several limitations in their current systems that are motivating the change:

• Lack of flexibility: Cited by 39% of respondents.
• Candidate experience: A concern for 38%.
• AI functionality: A priority for 37%.
• Time to hire and lack of innovation: Both cited by 31%.

Emerging challenges, such as a rise in candidate fraud, are also pushing companies to seek more robust tools. “There are new variables to account for… which has created new risks to mitigate and new issues to manage,” the report noted.

Industry Perspective

Matt Merker, Senior Research Director at The Hackett Group, noted that buyers are becoming more sophisticated. “Buyers are becoming increasingly discerning around measurable impact,” Merker said. “TA technology vendors must demonstrate meaningful impact on organizations’ operations in recruiting to remain competitive.”

Employ Inc., the provider behind the report, offers hiring solutions including JazzHR, Lever, and Jobvite. The company will host a webinar on December 10, 2025, to discuss these trends and strategies for navigating candidate fraud in the coming year.