AI reshapes hiring, but 84% Indian professionals feel unprepared in 2026: LinkedIn survey

As artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the hiring process, around 84% of Indian professionals feel unprepared to find a new job in 2026, even as 72% say they are actively looking for new jobs, according to a research conducted by LinkedIn.

The survey highlighted growing anxiety in India’s job market amid AI-driven hiring processes, rising competition, and rapidly changing skill requirements. About 76% said finding a new job has become tougher over the past year, citing intense competition, uncertainty over role fit, and widening skills gaps.

Despite 87% comfortably using AI at work, many professionals “feel lost” and remain unclear about the AI-driven hiring process. While 77% said hiring processes now involve too many stages, 66% described them as increasingly impersonal with delayed recruiter responses and lack of feedback adding to the stress.

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GenZ to Boomers unsure about AI-led hiring

LinkedIn found that professionals from GenZ to Baby Boomers share similar concerns about how to stand out amid uncertainty caused by the AI-led hiring systems. Nearly 48% said they struggle to make applications stand out, regardless of their experience level.

“Almost a third (32%) of Gen X job seekers are considering new functions or roles, while 32% of Gen Zers are looking for roles outside their current industry. At the same time, more people are stepping outside of traditional roles and into entrepreneurship, with ‘founder’ rapidly growing on LinkedIn,” the research found.

At the same time, AI is emerging as a coping tool. 94% of Indian job seekers said they plan to use AI tools in their job search, and 66% said AI boosts their interview confidence. LinkedIn data shows that applications per job opening in India have more than doubled since early 2022, significantly intensifying competition.

“The pressure is also being felt by employers. Nearly 74% of recruiters in India said it has become harder to find qualified candidates over the past year, indicating a widening mismatch between available roles and job-ready skills,” it revealed.

Top AI-led roles in 2026

LinkedIn’s latest Jobs on the Rise data shows AI-led roles such as prompt engineer, AI Engineer, and Software Engineer continue to top hiring demand in India. Growth has also been recorded in sales, brand strategy, cybersecurity and advisory roles, along with select non-tech fields, including veterinary services, renewable energy, consulting, and behavioral therapy.

The data also highlights a widening gap between job-seeker preparedness and evolving hiring expectations as AI reshapes recruitment across sectors.