Many of the businesses we support are operating in a more stable, but more scrutinised, environment as they move into 2026. Hiring has not stopped and delivery has not slowed. But the margin for error is smaller.

Budgets are tight, regulatory expectations remain high, and leadership teams are under pressure to show not just progress, but control. In this context, hiring decisions are no longer just about filling gaps quickly. They are increasingly about protecting performance, reducing operational friction, and ensuring teams can sustain delivery over time.

This is why the conversation around continuity is becoming more prominent.

Contract Hiring Continues to do the Heavy Lifting
Contractor hiring remains essential for most of our clients. Contractors enable rapid delivery, regulatory change, and access to scarce skills. This flexibility is still essential.

In practice, we see contractors deeply embedded within teams - often holding significant responsibility. This model works, particularly in fast-moving or project-led environments, and it remains a core part of how businesses operate in 2026.

The shift we are seeing in 2026 is not a move away from contract hiring, but a closer look at what happens as programmes mature.

Where Client Pain Points Begin to Surface
As transformation initiatives move into BAU, different challenges start to appear. These are rarely framed as hiring problems at first.

We hear concerns around repeated handovers, reliance on specific individuals, and the amount of time teams spend re-establishing context. Decision histories become harder to trace. Documentation exists, but does not always replace lived understanding. Ownership can feel informal rather than defined.

None of this stops work from getting done - but it does make it harder to operate efficiently, particularly in regulated environments where clarity and accountability matter.

This is often where business continuity becomes a practical consideration, not a theoretical one.

Why Continuity Is Back on the Agenda
When roles become central to operations, retained knowledge matters. This is especially true around core systems, regulatory oversight, and governance.

Permanent hiring isn’t a step backwards. It’s a response to clarity. Contractors drive momentum; permanent capability helps organisations hold it together.

The Real Shift in 2026
The strongest hiring strategies are no longer about choosing between contract and permanent talent.

They are about deliberately balancing capacity and continuity to safeguard delivery, ensure compliance, and build long-term confidence. That balance is rapidly becoming one of the most critical workforce decisions leaders will make in 2026.

For more than 20 years, Skillfinder has partnered with financial services organisations to get that balance right - delivering exceptional global talent across contract, interim, and permanent hiring models, exactly where and when it matters most.

Start the Conversation with Patrick, Sales Director