What should recruiters focus on in 2026?
Recruiters should focus on building more automation powered by AI while using their time wisely to create a more humanized recruitment experience. The future lies in balancing technology and empathy — automating administrative and repetitive tasks in the backend, so recruiters can spend more time connecting meaningfully with candidates during interviews, understanding their motivations, and building trust.
If you could give one piece of advice to the industry, what would it be?
Never stop learning. Continuously educate yourself, explore creative ways to approach candidates, and be unique in your communication. Authenticity and curiosity are what make recruiters stand out in a world increasingly driven by automation.
What would be the one lesson you would share from 2025 based on your professional activities?
2025 reaffirmed that this is still a candidate-driven market. Despite many layoffs, top talent remains in stable positions, and attracting them continues to be a challenge. Another major lesson is that AI has changed the game — it helps us, but also introduces new complexities. Candidates can now present themselves more convincingly with AI tools, so recruiters must sharpen their ability to spot authenticity and evaluate real skills beyond polished presentations.
What has been the biggest professional challenge for you so far?
Time management. Meeting and evaluating a large number of people across multiple regions and roles requires structure and discipline. Balancing efficiency with personalization has been both my biggest challenge and the key area of continuous growth.
What are some recruitment challenges you would highlight specifically in your country/region?
As I hire globally, challenges vary by market — but one of the biggest ongoing issues everywhere is salary and benefits alignment. Candidate expectations often differ significantly across regions, and ensuring fair, competitive, and sustainable compensation structures while maintaining internal equity remains a complex challenge for global hiring.
What has been your biggest professional challenge so far?
Staying at the top of the industry. The cybersecurity and tech recruitment space involves incredibly fast, and my biggest challenge has been keeping up myself and my team with all the new vendors, resellers, and emerging technologies. Remaining informed and relevant requires continuous learning, networking and adaptability but it's also what makes this field so exciting and dynamic.
Thank you for the answers Andjela Petrovic, the Head Of People Operations of SOCRadar® Extended Threat Intelligence!
