What does the UK transformation hiring market look like right now?

The picture is two-sided. On one hand, demand for skilled technology and change work is holding up. On the other, the wider market is soft. The KPMG/REC Report on Jobs found permanent staff appointments fell at the quickest rate in four months at the end of 2025, extending the downturn to 39 months KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs June 2026.

Vacancies are still drifting down too. Early ONS estimates for April to June 2026 point to a fall of 7,000 vacancies to 712,000, with professional, scientific and technical activities among the largest decreases ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK. There were 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy in the same period, a ratio that has held steady since mid-2025 ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK.

That said, this sector isn't only shedding roles. In the August to October 2025 window, the largest volume increase in vacancies came in professional, scientific and technical activities, up 5,000 ONS – Vacancies and jobs in the UK: November 2025. So the message for anyone hiring transformation and technology talent is simple: the market is tight, but the appetite for the right skills hasn't gone away.

Which roles and hiring dynamics is AI actually changing?

The clearest shift is at the entry level. Adzuna data shows a 30% drop in UK entry-level job postings since ChatGPT launched, with graduates facing the toughest job market since 2018 techUK – What's actually happening with entry-level and graduate jobs?. Work that once trained juniors, first-draft copy, basic code, routine analysis, is now the work AI does first.

At the same time, the way employers build AI teams is changing. Apprenticeships have risen from 3% of AI hires in 2020 to 19% in 2025 GOV.UK / DSIT – AI Labour Market Survey 2025 report. Employers are growing their own AI talent rather than only competing for scarce senior specialists.

The digital sector remains a large employer overall. DSIT tracks the number of filled jobs in the UK digital sector, with the latest estimates covering April 2023 to March 2024 GOV.UK / DSIT – Digital Sector Economic Estimates: Employment. Put the trends together and you get a barbell: fewer traditional junior openings, more structured routes in through apprenticeships, and steady demand for people who can lead change.

How do you hire well for transformation roles today?

Start by rewriting the junior job. If AI now handles first drafts and routine tasks, define the human value you actually need: judgement, checking AI's work, and knowing when it's wrong. Hire for those skills rather than for tasks a tool already covers.

• Test for judgement, not recall. Ask people to critique an AI-generated output and explain what they'd change.
• Widen your routes in. Apprenticeships and reskilled internal staff are a growing share of AI hiring, so build a pathway rather than chasing only senior hires.
• Move quickly on strong applicants. With 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy, good people still have options and a slow process loses them.
• Be specific about the change you need delivered, not just the tech stack, so you attract people who can actually land the work.

Speed matters most in a soft market, because the few people who can do the work well are still in demand. A tight, respectful process, clear on what the role is and fast to a decision, wins more than a big budget.

How can we help you hire faster?

This is where we fit. We search a database of 15 million candidates and return a ranked shortlist in under 30 seconds, so you spend your time talking to the right people rather than sifting CVs. You only pay 8% on a successful hire, and it's free for the people looking for work. If you're hiring for change work and want to move quickly, try Reed.ai on your next role.