AI for TA—where it’s headed in 2026, according to LinkedIn – HR Executive

Both American job candidates and talent acquisition professionals find themselves between a rock and a hard place as 2026 kicks off. According to new LinkedIn data, more than half of professionals surveyed report being on the hunt for a new job this year, but about 80% say they’re unprepared. At the same time, two-thirds of talent acquisition pros are struggling to find qualified candidates, even as the vast majority say they’re facing greater pressure to do so. AI could ease friction on both sides of the equation, according to LinkedIn’s report out this week, based on surveys of 19,000 consumers and more than 6,500 HR professionals, conducted late last year. Unsurprisingly, AI is squarely on the radar of TA professionals. LinkedIn found that, among those already tapping the tech for recruiting and hiring, nearly 60% say it’s helped them find better-fit candidates, and more than 90% anticipate increasing their use of AI this year. However, gaps often exist between intention and operationalization. “TA—like all functions in every business—is just struggling to absorb the innovation that AI is presenting to us,” talent expert Hung Lee of Recruiting Brainfood said in a recent conversation with Erin Scruggs, vice president and head of
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