Seven in 10 (71 per cent) employers say they’re concerned about meeting candidates’ salary expectations in 2026 and nearly half (46 per cent) say adding new employee benefits and perks will be the most effective strategy for recruiting skilled candidates in the coming year, according to a new report by Robert Half Canada.
The report drew on proprietary research, external labour market data and targeted surveys of hiring managers and professionals. It found half (52 per cent) of employees said they’d switch jobs for better work-life balance and remote working options, followed by financial benefits such as bonuses (51 per cent), retirement benefits (43 per cent) and health and wellness programs (39 per cent).
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Nearly seven in 10 employees said hybrid work is their preferred arrangement and more than half (53 per cent) of employers said they offer hybrid options to those in leadership roles and on a case-by-case basis. Just a third (33 per cent) offer them to all regular employees.
The report noted that despite a competitive market, a majority (80 per cent) of workers said they feel confident negotiating, though many face hurdles such as understanding what’s negotiable (36 per cent), justifying their pay requests (33 per cent) and determining their market value (32 per cent).
Read: Nearly half of Canadian employers have a negative hiring outlook for remainder of 2025: survey