What would persuade you to move roles in 2026?
A higher salary? Better flexibility? Stronger organisational values? More opportunities to learn and progress?
Over the last few years, we’ve seen significant shifts in what candidates are looking for from employers. While some priorities have remained consistent, others continue to evolve as the world of work changes.
That’s why we’re launching What Candidates Want in 2026, our latest survey exploring the priorities, expectations and experiences of professionals across the not-for-profit sector.
Whether you’re actively searching for your next role, open to the right opportunity, or happy where you are, we’d love to hear from you.
How are candidate expectations changing?
At Prospectus, we spend every day speaking to candidates and organisations across the sector. We hear first-hand about the opportunities people are excited by, the challenges they’re facing, and the factors influencing career decisions. But individual conversations only tell part of the story.
By bringing together perspectives from professionals working across different functions, sectors, locations and salary levels, we can build a broader picture of what candidates are looking for and how those priorities are changing over time.
This is the third edition of our survey, following previous research in 2022 and 2024, helping us track how candidate expectations continue to evolve.
What influences career decisions today?
The survey explores a range of topics, including:
- Salary expectations and benefits
- Flexible and hybrid working
- Career progression and development
- The factors that influence decisions to move roles
- Challenges candidates encounter when considering new opportunities
- How AI is being used throughout the job search process
- Candidate views on employers and recruiters using AI in recruitment
We’re particularly interested in understanding how attitudes towards AI are evolving. Is it helping candidates navigate an increasingly competitive market? Are people confident using it? Do candidates see AI as a positive addition to recruitment, or are there concerns about how it’s being used? These are questions we’re hearing more often, and we think they’re important questions for the sector to explore.
Why take part?
The results will be brought together in a comprehensive insight report that we’ll share with both candidates and employers.
The report will provide a snapshot of what candidates want in 2026, highlighting differences across sectors, functions and salary levels, as well as identifying the trends shaping the future of recruitment. The more responses we receive, the richer those insights become. By taking part, you’re helping build a clearer picture of the not-for-profit talent market and contributing to conversations that influence hiring practices, workplace policies and candidate experience across the sector.
What could five minutes tell us about the future of work?
We’ve kept the survey concise and easy to complete. It should only take a few minutes, and all responses are completely anonymous.
Whether you’re actively applying for jobs, considering your next move, or simply curious about how your views compare with others across the sector, we’d love to hear from you! Everyone who takes part will also have the option to receive a copy of the final report, giving you access to the insights and trends that emerge from the research.
Take part in What Candidates Want in 2026 and help us build a clearer picture of what’s shaping candidate decisions across the not-for-profit sector today.
If you know colleagues, peers or contacts who may be interested, we’d be grateful if you could share the survey with them too. The more perspectives we gather, the more meaningful and representative the findings will be.
