January 09, 2026

In a recent Inc. Arabia feature, Iktimal Daneshvar, Vice President of RPO at Korn Ferry, explains how the rules of talent acquisition have been rewritten for 2026. The demand for talent is currently unprecedented in the Middle East, specifically within the Gulf countries, and hiring for scale requires innovative ways. As artificial intelligence is now a standard part of the workplace, the most successful companies are those balancing technological efficiency with a "human-centric" approach, ensuring that genuine connection remains at the heart of the hiring process.

The Temptation Of AI Agents (And The Truth No One Likes To Admit)

Korn Ferry’s research indicates that 84% of global talent leaders have integrated AI into their workflows. However, the focus has shifted toward "Agentic AI"—autonomous agents that function as digital teammates. Daneshvar warns that using these tools solely for cost-cutting risks losing the "organizational soul." Instead, winning firms use AI to handle administrative tasks like screening, freeing human recruiters to focus on empathy, negotiation, and cultural fit.

Critical Thinking: The New "Must-Have" Skill

The Korn Ferry 2026 Talent Acquisition Trends report 73% of talent leaders argue that critical thinking is the most vital skill in 2026. While technical skills can be taught quickly, the judgment required to verify AI outputs and solve complex problems is rarer. In the fast-growing Middle Eastern market, hiring for cognitive agility and adaptability is now the gold standard.

Skills — Not Sectors — Are the Real Battleground

The growth of economies in the Middle East has outpaced the talent available. As a result:

  • Organizations aren’t just competing with peers in their sector — they’re competing with every industry that wants the same highly skilled professionals.
  • People no longer stay loyal to specific sectors. Engineers, data scientists, and tech experts jump across fields — from aerospace to AI, from banking to retail — following opportunities, not job titles.
  • In this landscape, skills become the new currency. Recruiters must think beyond rigid job categories and evaluate potential based on transferable skills, critical thinking, and future adaptability — not just historical roles.

Hiring Is a Relationship — Not a Transaction

2026 candidates expect more than efficiency — they expect respect, clarity, and human engagement. That means:

✔ Clear hiring steps
✔ Honest feedback
✔ Evidence that someone actually reviewed the candidate’s submission
✔ A process that feels human — not robotic

Recruitment Process Outsourcing

More than RPO — talent realized

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The Bottom Line

In 2026, the competitive edge belongs to organizations that treat recruitment as a strategic, human-first function. By leveraging AI to enhance rather than replace human judgment, companies build a level of trust and capability that algorithms cannot replicate.

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