- Over 7 in 10 (71%) UK recruiters have seen an increase in “job hugging” over the past year - where employees remain in their current jobs despite feeling disengaged
- Majority (81%) say candidates now require greater reassurance about job security and 57% are spending more time persuading candidates to move
- To help identify and persuade top talent, recruiters are turning to AI to free up time for relationship-building with candidates
New research from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, shows a new hiring standoff is emerging in the UK labour market. More than 7 in 10 (71%) of UK recruiters say they’ve seen an increase in “job hugging” over the last year - with employees choosing to remain in their current roles despite feeling disengaged.
Fuelling this behaviour, nearly three quarters (73%) of UK jobseekers say it’s become harder to find a new job over the last year. Professionals say their top reasons for staying in their current role are economic uncertainty (25%) and that the job search process has become too draining and time consuming (19%).
LinkedIn data shows hiring in the UK fell by around 10% in January compared to the same time last year, and remains below pre-pandemic levels. To convince top talent to make a move, over half of recruiters (57%) say they are spending more time persuading candidates. Almost two-thirds (61%) have also increased proactive outreach so they can reach passive candidates who may not be actively applying for roles.
Recruiters are turning to AI to help uncover new candidates and free up time for meaningful conversations. AI literacy is now the #1 skill on the rise among UK HR professionals. More than half (57%) say AI tools are now essential for managing increased sourcing demands, and 89% plan to increase their use of AI to identify and hire top candidates. Of those already using AI tools, 3 in 5 (60%) say it has helped them uncover candidates with skills they would not have found before.
Janine Chamberlin, Head of LinkedIn UK, says: “What we are seeing right now in the UK is a real hiring stand off. Professionals are exploring what’s out there and sometimes even progressing through interviews, but many are choosing to stay put because of anxiety and uncertainty. It’s changing the game for recruiters. It’s no longer just about filling a vacancy, it’s about building trust and showing long term opportunity and security. We are seeing more talent teams proactively reaching out to passive candidates and increasingly turning to AI to help them work smarter.”
LinkedIn’s AI hiring tools are helping recruiters uncover talent
LinkedIn’s Hiring Assistant is designed to help recruiters manage this shift. The AI agent supports sourcing and initial outreach so recruiters can focus on building relationships and understanding candidate concerns in a cautious market.
Hiring Assistant: the AI agent for recruiters powered by the world’s most dynamic talent network. On average, Hiring Assistant saves recruiters 1.5 hours per role in identifying top-qualified applicants*. And recruiters using Hiring Assistant see a boost in candidate engagement, with 66% higher InMail accept rates for Hiring Assistant-sourced candidates compared to traditional sourcing methods. Today, it’s helping companies like AMD, Aurecon, Chewy, Expedia Group, Fabletics, Insite, Jacobs, Siemens, Wipro, and more find qualified talent faster and uncover new talent they never would have found before. Hiring Assistant is currently globally available in English, and will be available in French and German later this year.
