Looking Ahead: What 2026 Might Hold for Tech Hiring in the UK

It’s mid-December, and as Christmas lights go up and inboxes start to slow down, conversations naturally shift towards what’s next. With 2026 less than three weeks away, we’ve been speaking with hiring managers, engineers, and industry leaders about what they’re expecting from the year ahead.

One thing’s clear: the UK tech hiring market is heading into 2026 cautiously – but not quietly.

There’s no denying that 2025 has been a year of recalibration. Budgets have been squeezed, projects paused, and hiring pipelines rethought. But even in the slower months, we’ve seen signs of what’s bubbling beneath the surface. And if the back half of this year is anything to go by, 2026 could see a realignment – not a boom, but a bounce.

We’re expecting growth in targeted areas, especially engineering roles tied to business-critical systems – think platform stability, cost optimisation, and tools that increase internal efficiency. CTOs aren’t hiring for “innovation” just for the sake of it anymore. They’re looking at long-term sustainability, lower cloud bills, and smarter automation.

Another theme we expect to carry into next year: hiring based on adaptability, not just skillset. With so many companies juggling modern stacks alongside legacy systems, being great at one tool just won’t cut it. Employers are placing more weight on mindset – can this person flex with change, slot into evolving teams, and help shape process as well as product?

On the contract side, we’re hearing more about short-term delivery work returning – especially in the public sector and fintech, where teams are still under delivery pressure but can’t always commit to headcount. This could mean more project-based hiring kicking off in Q1.

And of course, AI’s role in hiring is still evolving. Not so much in replacing jobs (at least not yet), but in how teams approach product development and internal tooling. Engineers with real-world experience integrating LLMs or building AI-adjacent features are going to be hot property. But again, depth matters – companies are wary of the hype and looking for substance.

If you’re planning to hire in 2026, our advice is simple: start early. The best candidates tend to be off the market by the time most hiring plans kick off in February. And if you’re a candidate looking to move? Use the quieter weeks around Christmas to polish your CV and line up conversations. The market may feel slow, but the foundations are already being laid for Q1.

So, before we all log off for mince pies and mulled wine, a final note: 2026 won’t be about wild growth – it’ll be about smart growth. Hiring will favour clarity over volume, outcomes over noise, and people who can thrive in environments that are still shifting.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on the changes and sharing updates as we go. Until then, happy holidays – and here’s to a more balanced, forward-thinking year in UK tech.