A snapshot:
ProcureOne kicked off 2026 with extensive conversations across our UK and US procurement network to understand both hiring activity and broader market conditions. The overall message is clear: cautious optimism ! While many organizations remain measured in their approach, there are clear signs of targeted investment in procurement capability—particularly in areas aligned to cost, technology, and resilience. So what have we been seeing? 1. Sector Activity Remains Diverse, with Emerging Growth Areas Hiring demand has been relatively evenly spread across four core sectors: Retail Financial Services Consultancy Energy However, reflecting wider global dynamics, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in senior procurement hiring within Defense and Renewable Energy . 2. Technology Procurement Continues to Dominate Unsurprisingly, the highest demand for talent sits within IT and Technology procurement . Candidates with experience across: Software Services SaaS remain in particularly high demand—and short supply. 3. Cost Focus Balanced with Strategic Value Cost reduction remains firmly on the agenda. However, encouragingly, organizations are also investing in SRM talent that can: Drive supplier engagement Unlock supplier-led innovation Position the business as a “customer of choice” It's good to see this approach to procurement value creation through Supplier Management. 4. AI is Moving into Practical Application AI continues to be a major topic across procurement leadership discussions, with particular focus on: Sourcing event automation Market data and insight generation Contract risk and governance The conversation is shifting from “what is possible?” to “where can we actually apply this?” 5. Entry and Mid-Level Talent Shortage Emerging Q1 has highlighted a growing gap at entry and mid-level procurement . As AI begins to absorb many of the tasks traditionally handled by junior professionals, fewer individuals are gaining the hands-on experience that builds long-term capability. This is likely to become a more significant structural challenge as we move through 2026. 6. Over-Reliance on Industry Experience Many organizations continue to prioritize sector-specific experience (Financial Services being a key example we have experienced). While understandable, this is often narrowing talent pools and creating unnecessary hiring challenges. There remains an opportunity (as always!) to place greater emphasis on transferable skills . 7. Hiring Processes Slowing Despite Talent Availability Despite a higher volume of available candidates in the market, time-to-hire has increased (an issue much more in the UK than US). In some cases, organizations are approaching hiring with a “buyer’s market” mindset, leading to: Delayed decision-making Prolonged processes Missed opportunities to secure top talent 8. Continued Pressure on Procurement Teams Ongoing challenges in certain sectors have led to redundancies and leaner team structures . As a result, procurement functions are increasingly being asked to deliver more with less , further elevating the importance of high-impact hires. 9. The Expectation vs Investment Gap A recurring theme in senior hiring is a disconnect between: The strategic expectations placed on procurement leaders The level of investment organizations are willing to make This “expectation gap” continues to impact both attraction and retention of top talent (often leading to short tenure in post). 10. Personal Brand Still Matters For candidates navigating the market, traditional approaches remain highly effective: Networking In-person events Referrals and recommendations Alongside this, personal branding continues to provide a clear competitive advantage heading into Q2. Final Thought While the market remains measured, the direction of travel is clear. Procurement is continuing to evolve—becoming more strategic, more technology-enabled, and more critical to business performance. The organizations that recognise this, and invest accordingly, will be best positioned to succeed in the months ahead.
