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The 2026 Most-Wanted List
AI talent demand has shifted. In 2026, it's no longer just about building AI — it's about commercialising it. And that's creating a new class of hard-to-hire roles that most TA teams aren't staffed to fill.
This report, sponsored by Talentful, draws on survey data from hundreds of TA budget holders across countries, sectors, and company sizes. It maps the skills shaping hiring in 2026, the roles commanding the steepest compensation uplifts, and the strategies leaders are using to compete — from internal mobility to EVP design.
Whether you're hiring ML engineers, standing up an AI product function, or trying to hold onto the specialists you already have, this is the data you need to plan with.
Download The 2026 Most-Wanted List today!
Hard-to-hire roles, in-demand skills, and the rising cost of winning them in the AI era
Sponsored by:
Why ML/AI development tops the most-wanted skills list — cited by 56% of TA leaders
The compensation reality: 73% expect AI salaries to rise, with Bay Area senior AI/ML engineers hitting $495K median TC
Why "people leadership" and "enterprise sales" rank alongside deep technical skills in the top five
How leading TA teams are balancing build vs. buy — and why only 15% have a mostly-build strategy
Expert insights on slowing down to hire better, rethinking loyalty, and aligning hiring with business outcomes
Inside the report:
