Inside Early Careers – January Edition

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Early Careers in 2026: What to Pay Attention To (and What to Ignore)

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January has a particular energy.

New budgets. New priorities. New pressure to “do more withless” — again. And a familiar feeling across early careers teams thatexpectations haven’t shrunk, even if resources have.

As we head into 2026, the early careers market feels cautious, but not quiet. Hiring hasn’t stopped — it’s become more deliberate. Less about scale for scale’s sake, and more about proving value early, clearly, and consistently.

This month, we’re sharing what we’re seeing right now, the ideas shaping early careers thinking this year, and practical guidance for navigating a challenging market without burning people out (including yourself).

What We’re Seeing in the Market Right Now

A few themes are showing up again and again in conversations with employers, candidates, and hiring managers:

1) Volume is still under scrutiny

Application numbers matter less than they used to. Leaders are asking tougher questions about quality, conversion, and time-to-impact —especially for early careers hires.

2) Skills-first is being asked to “show its working”

The principle is widely accepted. The pressure now is on execution: fair assessment, consistency, and outcomes that stand up to scrutiny.

3) Graduate confidence is uneven

Some candidates are more cautious than we’ve seen in years.Others are selective and values-led. Both groups expect clarity early — and disengage quickly when they don’t get it.

4) Early attrition is more visible (and more expensive)

The cost of a poor first 90 days is harder to ignore when budgets are tight and teams are lean.

None of this is catastrophic — but it does mean early careers teams are being asked to be sharper, calmer, and more intentional.

Three Ideas Shaping Early Careers Thinking in 2026

There’s no shortage of think pieces doing the rounds right now. A few ideas stand out — not because they’re new, but because they’re becoming unavoidable.

1) Skills over credentials (but only if assessment is fair)

The shift away from CV pedigree is well underway. The challenge now is ensuring skills-based hiring is structured, inclusive, and consistently applied — not just well-intentioned.

In practice: fewer stages, clear criteria, assessments that test what actually matters in-role.

2) Early productivity is replacing “potential” as the headline metric

Organisations still care about long-term potential — but there’s growing focus on how quickly early careers hires can contribute withthe right support.

In practice: better onboarding, clearer role expectations, managers who are genuinely involved early on.

3) AI as support, not replacement

The noise has died down. The useful applications are sticking. AI is increasingly being used to remove friction — not replace judgement.

In practice: more time spent on conversations, coaching, and decision-making. Less time lost to admin and process sprawl.

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If You’re Responsible for Early Careers in 2026, FocusHere

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When the market feels tight, complexity is tempting. In reality, the biggest gains tend to come from simplification.

• Do fewer things, properly

Not every initiative needs refreshing. Focus on what genuinely drives outcomes.

• Make expectations visible early

Roles, progression, and performance standards shouldn’t be mysteries candidates solve six months in.

• Design for the first 90 days

Most problems show up early. That’s also where the biggest retention gains are made.

• Clarity beats polish

In uncertain markets, honesty builds trust faster than perfection.

In conversation after conversation, graduates told us the same thing: feeling supported early mattered more than surface-level benefits.

What We’re Building Next

Over the past year, we’ve noticed the same questions coming up again and again:

• What should we actually prioritise right now?
• How do we prove value without overcomplicating things?
• What does “good” early careers design look like in practice?

To help answer those questions, we’re building a 10-week Early Careers Playbook — designed to give teams a clear, structured way to strengthen attraction, assessment, onboarding, and early development in a constrained market.

We’ll share more next month, including how to take part.

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Want early access?

If you’d like early access to the playbook (plus practical guidance as we build it), register your interest by subscribing below.

Register your interest

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You can also explore how we support employers with early careers hiring here

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Thanks for reading, and welcome to 2026.

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