Join 100 hiring leaders contributing to the 2026 Hiring Decision Report — a confidential, 10-minute survey for the people who actually make the call.
Contribute to the 2026 ReportAI, remote work, professional profiles, portfolios, online visibility, skills assessments, and new candidate-search tools have changed how organizations identify and evaluate talent.
Yet most candidates still receive advice built on outdated assumptions about what employers actually want.
The 2026 Hiring Decision Report is being created to close that gap — replacing guesswork with practical insight from professionals working inside today's hiring environment.
The goal is not to promote a hiring philosophy or confirm a predetermined conclusion. The goal is to document what hiring professionals actually experience, value, and recommend.
Six areas that shape hiring decisions before and during the interview process.
What hiring professionals review when deciding whether to interview a candidate at all.
Which factors increase confidence that a candidate can actually perform in the role.
How resumes, LinkedIn, portfolios, personal websites, work samples, referrals, and recommendations influence decisions.
How AI is changing candidate sourcing, screening, evaluation, and communication.
The most common issues preventing qualified applicants from advancing.
Which tools, signals, and candidate behaviors will matter more over the next several years.
Professionals from all industries and company sizes are encouraged to contribute. You're invited if you currently:
Help candidates understand what hiring teams actually need. Help employers attract better-prepared applicants. Help build a more informed hiring process.
An independent research initiative produced by Stop Sending Resumes and led by TC Bell — a sales, marketing, and career-authority strategist with 27 years of experience helping professionals communicate their value and make stronger professional decisions.
The completed report will be distributed to hiring professionals, organizational leaders, career-development professionals, and job seekers. Its purpose is to help employers communicate expectations more clearly, and help candidates prepare more effectively for modern hiring processes.
Designed to support: hiring teams seeking better-prepared candidates · HR and talent acquisition professionals refining their processes · employers improving candidate communication · job seekers trying to understand how decisions are actually made.