Skilled Labor Hiring Strategies for 2026

Get Exclusive Findings from Hireology’s Combined Applicant and Employer Research.
April 8, 2026

2:00PM CST

The Career Ladder Is Burning. Your Industry Could Be the Escape Route.

AI is pushing talented workers out of knowledge jobs. Are you ready to hire them?

Something unprecedented is happening in the American labor market. Artificial intelligence isn’t replacing the jobs we expected. It’s displacing knowledge workers—the marketers, analysts, HR professionals, and consultants who were told their skills made them irreplaceable.

Meanwhile, industries built on hands-on, human work face chronic staffing shortages. Automotive dealerships need 90,000 new technicians annually. Long-term care facilities can’t fill caregiver roles fast enough. Hospitality employers blame a “labor shortage” that doesn’t actually exist.

The workers are out there. They’re just not finding you. Our research reveals why and what to do about it. 

This webinar walks through Hireology’s 2026 Applicant and Employer Research, a first-of-its-kind analysis of what 900+ job seekers and 400+ employers across automotive, hospitality, and long-term care actually think about career switching, AI in hiring, and what makes them choose one employer over another. Attendees will be the first to access the exclusive Hireology research.

Each industry has its own challenge

Automotive

You need 90,000 new techs every year. Many qualified people don't know dealerships offer stable careers.

Senior Care

Almost half your applicants are actively getting new training. Your hiring process might be blocking them before you ever see their applications.

Hospitality

Workers think hotels are unstable (even though wages are up 8%). The jobs have gotten better—the perception hasn't.

Hireology – 2026 Research Stats
2026 Research Findings

The Numbers That Will Change
How You Hire

25%

Skilled labor applicants came from knowledge work backgrounds

25
75%

Of applicants research your company's reputation before applying

75
40%

Of applicants have completed or are actively pursuing reskilling

40
~50%

Of workers are comfortable with AI in hiring — but only with human oversight

50
Webinar Details

Who Should Attend

Auto Dealerships
If you run auto dealerships:

You're competing for technicians while 28% of your applicants now have white-collar backgrounds. Learn how to spot and hire people with transferable skills.

Hotels & Restaurants
If you run hotels or restaurants:

You're fighting a perception problem. We'll show you the data that proves hospitality is more stable than people think — and how to actually say that to candidates.

Senior Care
If you run senior care facilities:

You're losing great people because your process can't handle career switchers. Learn how to screen for potential, not just experience.

All Industries
If you hire for any of these industries:

Learn what's actually stopping good candidates from applying — and how to fix it.

Join Us for This Webinar

Free registration. Recording sent to everyone who signs up.

You'll Learn:

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Attract & Source
A diversified strategy helps find and attract the right people faster, while building a pipeline of qualified candidates for every role.
Features:
Job Boards
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Career Sites
AI
Referrals
QR Codes
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Engage & Evaluate
Leading-edge tools enhance candidate experience, and help teams to connect, dig deeper, and assess with consistency.
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Email
AI
AI / Automation
Prescreen Survey
Interview Scheduling
Decision & Hiring
Hireology helps to get hiring to the top of the to-do list with real-time prompts and reminders that can be accessed and acted upon from a mobile device.
Features:
Background Check
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References
Testing
Interview Guides
Manage & Optimize
Transformative tools drive next-level hiring solutions which align teams, sharpen focus on priorities, and drive growth.
Features:
Action Center
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Collaboration Tools
AI
Reqs & Approvals
Mobile App
Onboarding
Selection Manager
Measure & Improve
Tools for measuring improvement and evaluating impact provide visibility into what’s working and what needs improvement among every role, team, and location.
Features:
Hiring Velocity
Hiring Funnel
Hiring Steps
Sourcing Performance
User Activity
New
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AI
“I need consistency across locations without more red tape.”
Easy-to-adopt tools that fit with existing flows drive the transition from scattered to standardized.
"I need to surface the best candidates quickly — before we lose them."
Hireology helps you identify top candidates early in the process, and gives your team the tools to evaluate and act fast, without cutting corners.
"I need more right-fits, not just more resumes."
By building a hiring portfolio from multiple sources, and optimizing it in real time, Hireology helps to ensure optimal alignment between candidate skills and job requirements.
"I need control over how we manage resources, timelines, and outcomes."
Hireology gives you the tools to create structure, enforce consistency, and stay informed – all without needing to personally manage every step.
"I need candidates who actually show up, stick around, and succeed."
Hireology helps to raise the bar at every stage, attracting stronger candidates, evaluating for long-term fit, and supporting a better start.
"I need accountability so hiring doesn't fall through the cracks."
By easily assigning roles and tracking activity, Hireology makes it easy to enforce timelines, and keep everyone on track.
"I need visibility into what's working, what's not, and where things stall."
Hireology helps you see across every role, team, and location, so you can take action with confidence, knowing what’s working, what’s not, and what’s getting in the way of hiring momentum.
"I need fewer unfilled positions — those are revenue-killers."
Fast access to the right fits and accountability built into process flows helps to keep your teams fully staffed and productive.
"I need to make it simple for managers who are
on the go.
"
Recruitment tools that easily integrate into day-to-day realities of the job, help managers to hire well, without dropping what matters most.
“I need to make applying fast and easy.”
A fast, mobile-friendly, low-friction application experience helps to keep job seekers engaged from the first click to the final step.
Automotive
Dealership department heads are on-the-go, not at a desk. Hireology offers purpose-built retail automotive solutions that provide speed and structure for smarter staffing.
Healthcare
With an expert focus on the realities of healthcare staffing, Hireology helps teams to move efficiently to build a pipeline of qualified, committed care providers across all facilities.
Hospitality
Hireology’s hiring service-centric hiring solutions for hospitality helps managers to move fast, stay consistent, and staff smarter.
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Discover how leading organizations are transforming their hiring with Hireology. Read real-world case studies showcasing measurable results, and hear directly from customers about their experiences.
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