The final months of the year often mean having several recruitment projects to manage at the same time: positions to fill, discussions with hiring managers and plans to optimise your talent attraction and selection processes.
At the same time, some recruitment processes may be moving more slowly than expected. You may have positions that have been open for a while, a low number of applications or challenges in identifying candidates who truly match the requirements of the role.
This is a good time to recalibrate your strategy. Reviewing the results achieved so far, having open conversations with hiring managers and clearly prioritising roles can help you gain greater clarity and prepare your recruitment efforts for the autumn in advance.
Find out from Cristina Scărlătescu – Recruitment Manager and Andreea Dumitrescu – Senior Recruitment Manager at BIA Human Capital Solutions, how you can adjust your recruitment strategy to find the right people for the right roles and close your projects on time.
“We expect this period to be characterised by caution and short-term planning. Companies are becoming more selective, but they continue to look for talent for strategic roles and positions that support their business objectives,” says Cristina Scărlătescu, Recruitment Manager at BIA HCS.
This perspective is particularly relevant at a time when recruitment is becoming increasingly closely aligned with business priorities. The volume of hiring matters less than an organisation’s ability to identify the right people for the roles that have the greatest impact.
“We are noticing a strategic shift in recruitment processes. Companies continue to hire, but much more selectively and with a clear focus on roles that directly contribute to the business. While high-volume recruitment projects are being postponed, critical positions remain a priority,” says Andreea Dumitrescu, Senior Recruitment Manager at BIA HCS.
Why is there a growing need for greater selection and prioritisation in recruitment?
Greenhouse data, based on an analysis of 6,000 companies, shows a significant increase in application volumes, alongside a reduction in the size of recruitment teams. In 2025, the number of applications per recruiter was more than five times higher than in 2022, while the number of recruiters within an organisation decreased by 56%. At the same time, time to fill increased by 37% over the period analysed.
LinkedIn Talent Research from 2026 shows that 66% of recruiters consider identifying qualified candidates to have become more difficult, while 59% say AI is already helping them discover candidates with skills they would not have identified otherwise.
For HR leaders, these figures point to an important reality: more applications do not automatically mean easier access to the right talent. Recruitment strategies need prioritisation, clarity and the ability to direct resources towards the roles that matter most to the organisation.
Here’s what the BIA Human Capital Solutions recruitment team recommends for Q3 and Q4 of 2026!
1. START WITH AN ANALYSIS OF YOUR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS SO FAR
A strong strategy for the final months of the year starts with a close look at your recruitment efforts so far.
The first months of the year have given you valuable insights into the positions for which you found candidates relatively easily, those that remained open for longer, the sources that brought you the right candidates and the stages where recruitment processes got stuck or progressed more slowly.
For example, if a position has remained open for three months, it is worth asking what caused the delay. Did you have too few relevant candidates? Was the profile too restrictive? Did the selection process take too long? Or did you use channels that were not effective for that particular type of role?
SHRM data shows that, in 2026, the average time to fill a non-executive position is 39 calendar days. At the same time, only 20% of the organisations analysed measure the quality of their hires.
That is why, when analysing your recruitment performance, it is worth looking beyond the number of positions filled. You can track:
- positions that had the longest recruitment timelines;
- sources that brought you the candidates you ultimately hired;
- the number of candidates who progressed through each stage of the process;
- the reasons why certain offers were accepted or declined;
- the time spent at each stage of the recruitment process;
- the outcomes of your hires;
- roles for which you continue to struggle to find suitable candidates.
This type of analysis can show you where your strategy is already working well and where adjustments may be needed. At the same time, it gives you a valuable starting point for planning your recruitment strategy for the following year.
2. REASSESS THE PROFILES FOR HARD-TO-FILL ROLES
When a position remains open for longer than expected, it is worth reviewing not only your recruitment strategy but also the profile you are looking for. In some cases, a profile created one or two years ago may include requirements that unnecessarily limit the number of suitable candidates.
A discussion with the hiring manager can help you distinguish between what is essential for performance in the role and what can be learned after joining the company. You can also assess whether experience from another industry or certain transferable skills could be relevant for the position.
The shift towards skills-based hiring is also supported by LinkedIn research. More than nine in ten recruiting professionals consider accurate skills assessment important for hiring quality, while LinkedIn data indicates that organisations making greater use of skills-based criteria are 12% more likely to make a quality hire.
Cristina Scărlătescu, Recruitment Manager at BIA HCS, also highlights this challenge in recruitment projects across the market:
“When a position remains open for longer than expected, it is worth taking another look at the profile you are looking for and discussing with the hiring manager which skills are truly essential for the role. In many cases, the challenge is not a lack of candidates, but the gap between the ideal profile and what is actually available in the market at that particular time. Carefully recalibrating the requirements can help you reach more relevant candidates without compromising on the skills that truly matter.”
As part of this process, you can consider:
- the skills that are essential for the role;
- the skills that can be developed after joining the company;
- relevant experience from other industries or fields;
- skills that can be transferred from a different type of role;
- the candidate’s ability to learn and adapt.
This way, you can maintain the standards that matter for the position while giving yourself more opportunities to identify the right candidate.
3. PRIORITIZE ROLES BASED ON THEIR IMPACT ON THE BUSINESS
When you have several open positions, they can all seem equally important. However, to maintain control over costs, it is worth identifying which roles have the greatest impact on the company’s operations.
One role may be essential for business continuity, another may support a strategic project, while another may have a direct impact on commercial results. Understanding these differences helps you determine where the most resources and the greatest recruitment speed are needed.
This perspective becomes even more important in a context where companies are closely monitoring the efficiency of their recruitment investments.
When setting priorities for the coming months, you can consider:
- the role’s impact on business results;
- the importance of the position for business continuity;
- its contribution to strategic projects;
- the expected difficulty of the recruitment process;
- the availability of suitable candidates in the market;
- the potential impact of leaving the position unfilled for a longer period.
This exercise helps you focus your efforts where recruitment can create the greatest value for the business and set realistic expectations about what can be recruited now and what can be planned for a later stage.
4. ANALYSE YOUR RECRUITMENT SOURCES AND SELECT THEM BASED ON RESULTS
A high number of applications may seem like a positive result, but what matters more is how many of those applications are relevant to the position you are looking to fill.
Greenhouse data shows that application volumes have increased significantly in recent years, while recruiters are managing an ever-growing number of applications for each position. The company’s data indicates a 111% increase in application volume between 2022 and 2025.
In this context, choosing the right recruitment source is becoming increasingly important. A channel that works very well for a high-volume role may deliver poor results when you are looking for an experienced specialist or a manager.
For some positions, recruitment platforms can remain an effective source of candidates. For niche roles, specialists or management positions, headhunting or direct sourcing on LinkedIn can give you access to candidates you may not reach through traditional recruitment methods.
To understand what works best for your company, you can track:
- how many relevant applications each source generates;
- how many candidates progress to the interview stage;
- how many applications make it to the shortlist;
- how many offers are accepted;
- how long it takes to fill a position using each source.
5. BUILD A TALENT PIPELINE FOR FUTURE ROLES
Some recruitment processes require more time, especially when you are looking for experienced specialists, professionals for niche roles or managers.
That is why it can be useful to start building relationships with potential candidates before a position becomes urgent. A suitable candidate may be interested in having a conversation today but only be available to make a move a few months from now. Another may be open to a new opportunity even if the right role does not exist yet.
If you start building these relationships early, when a hard-to-fill position comes up, you are not starting from scratch. You already have relevant contacts, know more about candidates’ experience and expectations and can reconnect with the right people when an opportunity becomes available.
Andreea Dumitrescu, Senior Recruitment Manager at BIA HCS, recommends making this approach part of your recruitment planning:
“If you know you will need certain skills in the coming months, it is worth starting conversations with relevant professionals now. The right person may not be available today, but they may be interested in having a conversation and exploring an opportunity in two or three months. Building a relationship early gives you greater flexibility when the position becomes available and helps reduce the pressure of a rushed recruitment process.”
Your talent pipeline can include:
- finalists from previous recruitment projects;
- professionals identified during previous searches;
- referrals from within the company;
- specialists who are not actively looking for a job but are open to conversations;
- professionals from relevant communities and networks;
- people who have previously expressed an interest in your company.
Building these relationships can give you one important advantage: time. And when it comes to recruiting for hard-to-fill positions, time can make the difference between a reactive search and a well-planned one.
6. LOOK AT THE PROCESS FROM THE CANDIDATE’S PERSPECTIVE
The recruitment experience can influence a candidate’s decision just as much as the role itself.
That is why it is worth putting yourself in their shoes and asking:
How long do they have to wait after an interview? Do they know what the next step is? Do they have access to clear information about the role? Is the hiring manager available when needed? Is feedback provided within a reasonable timeframe?
SHRM estimates that screening and interviews each account for approximately 8–9 days of the recruitment process, on average. This means that every stage can have an impact on the overall timeline as well as on the candidate experience.
You can analyse:
- the number of stages required to make a decision;
- the time between interviews;
- the number of people involved in the process;
- the time needed to provide feedback;
- the time required to approve an offer;
- the points at which candidates choose to withdraw from the process.
Andreea Dumitrescu highlights the connection between candidate experience and employer branding:
“Employer branding is no longer just a nice communication message. It is a consistent and authentic experience, from the first contact all the way through to the final feedback.”
Every interaction throughout the recruitment process can therefore shape how a candidate perceives the company, regardless of whether they ultimately accept the offer.
7. PREPARE FOR NEXT YEAR’S RECRUITMENT IN ADVANCE
One of the most valuable conversations you can have in the final months of the year is about what comes next.
As budgets and objectives for the following year take shape, you can discuss with hiring managers:
- positions that are expected to open;
- the skills needed for upcoming projects;
- roles that may take longer to recruit for;
- budgets and salary levels;
- internal development opportunities;
- the most suitable talent sources;
- projects where external recruitment support could be valuable.
Cristina Scărlătescu highlights the increasingly important role this stage plays in aligning HR with business priorities:
“Today, strategic workforce planning is more than an HR initiative — it is a critical business tool. It helps companies align their workforce structure with their financial objectives and the level of risk they are willing to take on.”
Conclusion
The final months of the year offer a valuable opportunity to take a step back and look at your recruitment strategy as a whole: what has worked, where there is room for optimisation and which roles should be prioritised in the period ahead.
Recruitment can thus become more than a process for filling vacant positions. It can be a strategic tool that helps you, together with your managers and the right partners, prepare for the company’s next stage of growth.
With more than 34 years of experience in HR, the BIA Human Capital Solutions team specialises in recruitment for specialist, middle management and top management positions.
If you have hard-to-fill positions, projects that require specialised talent or want to prepare your recruitment strategy for the period ahead, we can work together to build a solution tailored to your company’s objectives and specific context.
Email us at biaoffice@bia.ro or call us at +40 727 500 366.
Sources:
- LinkedIn – The Future of Recruiting 2025
- LinkedIn – Talent 2026
- SHRM – 2025 Benchmarking Reports
- Greenhouse – Recruiting Benchmarks
- LinkedIn – The Future of Recruiting, Search & Staffing Edition
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