Syl · Hiring in the UK
Hiring in the UK: the 2026 to 2027 guide.
- 707,000UK job vacancies, May to July 2026, little changed since JanuaryONS, September 2026 ↗
- 2.5unemployed people for every vacancy, April to June 2026ONS, September 2026 ↗
- £39,039median full-time salary in the UKONS ASHE 2025, provisional ↗
- 8 weeksaverage time to hire, up from about 5 a year earlierTotaljobs, 2026 ↗
The UK hiring calendar
Key dates for employers.
Everything that changes how you hire or employ people in the UK, in date order.
- 1 April 2026National Living Wage £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and overgov.uk ↗
- 6 April 2026Sick pay from day one and day-one paternity and unpaid parental leaveEmployment Rights Act 2025 ↗
- 1 January 2027Unfair dismissal protection after 6 months instead of 2 years, so probation reviews matter moreEmployment Rights Act 2025 ↗
- 2027Limits on fire and rehire and changes to zero-hours contracts (dates still settling)Employment Rights Act 2025 ↗
Salaries by profession
What UK roles pay.
Full-time pay from the official UK pay survey: the middle half of people earn between the first and last figures. Every job post on Sylpen shows a salary range, and that data joins here as companies post.
| Profession | Official occupation | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and business development | Sales accounts and business development managers | £43,049 | £57,625 | £79,598 | Hire → |
| Accountancy and finance | Chartered and certified accountants | £38,696 | £50,062 | £68,056 | Hire → |
| Accountancy and finance | Financial accounts managers | £37,405 | £48,980 | £64,171 | Hire → |
| HR and people | Human resources and industrial relations officers | £29,116 | £35,194 | £43,735 | Hire → |
| HR and people | Human resource managers and directors | £43,676 | £57,529 | £78,677 | Hire → |
| Marketing and growth | Marketing associate professionals | £27,373 | £33,412 | £41,521 | Hire → |
| Marketing and growth | Marketing and commercial managers | £39,645 | £53,703 | £69,510 | Hire → |
| Software engineering | Programmers and software development professionals | £42,289 | £56,914 | £75,794 | Hire → |
| Product and technology | IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | £45,860 | £60,288 | £81,932 | |
| Design | Graphic and multimedia designers | £26,854 | £32,510 | £40,000 | Hire → |
| Data | Data analysts | £30,835 | £38,572 | £47,045 | |
| Research and insight | Business and related research professionals | £34,995 | £41,128 | £49,985 |
Full-time employee jobs, gross annual pay, United Kingdom. ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a, SOC 2020 occupations. Product managers and fraud and compliance roles have no separate official category yet; Sylpen job post data will cover them once companies post. Source ↗
What UK candidates ask for
What candidates are asking for.
From UK talent profiles on Sylpen, anonymised, and shown only once there are enough to mean something.
- Working pattern: office, hybrid or remoteAppears here when 50 UK profiles are live.
- Notice periodsAppears here when 50 UK profiles are live.
- Salary expectations by professionAppears here when 50 UK profiles are live.
How hiring is changing
Four shifts in UK hiring.
- Skills over CVsTwo thirds of UK organisations say they now hire for skills first, and candidates are more likely to apply when a role is described by its skills.Michael Page, May 2026 ↗How Sylpen does it: Syl checks must-haves against real work.
- AI in hiring, with a person in chargeAI now drafts adverts and screens applications, and employers face growing pressure to show fairness and human oversight.Rippling, UK hiring trends 2026 ↗How Sylpen does it: Syl suggests; people decide.
- Fewer, better hiresWith vacancies subdued, employers are moving from large intakes to fewer people who fit, and taking longer to be sure.ONS, September 2026 ↗How Sylpen does it: Evidence on every match, no CV piles.
- Salary up front, answers for everyonePay transparency and employer reputation now shape candidates' decisions before any interview. Silence costs employers good people.Russell Taylor, UK hiring outlook 2026 ↗How Sylpen does it: A salary on every post; every candidate hears back.
Hiring safety
Beware fake job adverts.
Scammers are posting fake job adverts in the names of well-known brands and real recruiters. Candidates are sent a booking page that looks like a real scheduling tool, then a fake Google or Facebook sign-in that steals their password. Marketing and communications roles are a favourite target, because those accounts can reach company systems and ad budgets.
Birmingham Live, 17 October 2026 ↗- Post your jobs on your own careers page too, so candidates can check they're real.
- Book interviews without asking candidates to sign in to anything.
- Tell candidates which email address you'll contact them from.
- Search for your company name in job adverts now and then, and report fakes.
On Sylpen, only verified UK companies can post jobs, and every job shows its salary. Read our Hiring safety page.
Live UK roles
Live UK roles on Sylpen.
Live job posts from verified UK companies, each with its salary range.
Live roles appear here as UK companies join.
Looking for work? Join as talent and Syl brings roles to you.
Guides and news
Guides for UK employers.
Plain-English guides and a short monthly round-up. Coming over the next few weeks.
- Guide · LawWhat the Employment Rights Act means for your next hireDay-one rights, six-month protection from January 2027, and what to do now.Coming soon
- News · MonthlyUK hiring this month: October 2026Vacancies, pay and the dates coming up, in two minutes.Coming soon
- Guide · ProbationRunning probation reviews that hold upReviews at 1, 3 and 5 months, and what to write down.Coming soon
- Guide · PaySetting a salary range people trustUsing benchmarks, and why ranges bring more applications.Coming soon
- Guide · Fair hiringFair interviews: questions to ask and to avoidA respectful process, from advert to offer.Coming soon
Questions
Questions UK employers ask.
How long does it take to hire in the UK?
About eight weeks on average in 2026, up from around five a year earlier, and longer for senior roles (Totaljobs, 2026). Clear must-haves and quick answers to candidates shorten it.
What is the minimum wage in 2026?
From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over. The rates change every April.
What changes in UK employment law in 2027?
From 1 January 2027, unfair dismissal protection is expected to start after six months of employment instead of two years, under the Employment Rights Act 2025, so probation reviews matter more. Limits on fire and rehire are also expected.
What does a software engineer earn in the UK?
The median full-time salary for programmers and software development professionals was £56,914 in 2025, with half earning between £42,289 and £75,794 (ONS ASHE 2025, provisional).
