Enabling public sector organisations to procure suppliers to deliver digital, data, and technology services in line with government policies, standards and best practices.

If the last few years have taught us anything, it is this: waiting for certainty before making talent decisions is no longer an option.

The world of hiring, particularly interim and project-based work, is being reshaped faster than many organisations and individuals realise. At Malikshaw, we are seeing it play out in real time. Clients are rethinking how they access expertise, and professionals are reassessing what "career security" actually looks like.

The Big Trends Shaping Hiring for 2026

1. Skills Shortages Are Becoming Hyper-Specific
The conversation has moved beyond skills shortages in general. What we are seeing instead is acute demand for very particular combinations of experience. This might be regulatory knowledge paired with change delivery, transformation leaders who understand data, or operational specialists who can stabilise and scale at the same time.
For clients, this means traditional hiring timelines simply do not work. For interims, it means depth and relevance matter more than breadth.
The winners in 2026 will be those who understand where their expertise fits and position themselves accordingly.

2. AI Is Changing Recruitment, But Not Replacing Judgement
AI is now embedded across recruitment processes, including shortlisting, market mapping and predictive workforce planning. Used well, it speeds things up. Used badly, it creates noise.
What will not change is the value of human judgement, context and trust, especially when hiring interims into critical, high-impact roles.
Technology will support decisions, not make them. Relationships, track record and credibility will continue to matter, perhaps more than ever.

3. Flexibility Is the Default, Not the Exception
The growth of interim, fractional and project-based work is no longer a trend. It is the operating model.
Organisations are building blended workforces that combine permanent leadership with specialist interim capability. At the same time, many professionals are actively choosing interim work as a way to stay challenged, relevant and in control of their careers.

What Decision-Makers Should Be Doing Now

Build Talent Pipelines Before You Need Them
The most successful organisations we work with do not start searching when a problem lands. They already know who they would call.
That means mapping future projects and risk areas, identifying interim skill gaps early, and building relationships with trusted interim providers.
The cost of delay is no longer just time. It is lost momentum.

Think Strategically About Interim Talent
Interims are not just a stop-gap. Used well, they de-risk transformation, accelerate delivery, and bring external perspective at critical moments.
Organisations that treat interim talent as part of their long-term workforce strategy will move faster and with more confidence.

Your Employer Brand Still Matters
Interims talk. A lot.
Your reputation for clarity, decision-making, pace and culture will directly affect the calibre of talent willing to work with you. In a competitive market, how you engage interims is as important as the role itself.

What Interim Professionals Should Be Focusing On

Stay Relevant, Relentlessly
The most in-demand interims are constantly evolving. That might mean updating technical or regulatory knowledge, building digital or AI literacy, or strengthening change, stakeholder or leadership capability.
Standing still is the fastest way to become invisible.

Follow the Work, Not the Job Titles
Certain sectors and roles are already showing strong forward momentum, including transformation and change leadership, data, technology and AI-enabled operations, risk, governance and regulatory delivery, and programme and turnaround expertise.

If you are thinking about your next move, ask where organisations will feel pressure in the next 18 to 24 months.

Use Your Network Strategically
This year, the most successful interims will not be those applying everywhere. They will be those who are visible in the right places.
That means staying connected to trusted interim specialists, sharing insight rather than just availability, and being clear about the value you bring.
Opportunity increasingly flows through relationships, not job boards.

Final Thought

The future of hiring is not about prediction. It is about readiness.
Whether you are planning future hiring, exploring interim work, or simply thinking about what comes next, the advantage belongs to those who act early, stay visible and keep evolving.

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Hybrid and remote work are no longer stopgaps or temporary fixes. They’ve become part of everyday working life. But what does that really mean for interim professionals, whose roles depend on flexibility, speed, and the ability to deliver in all kinds of environments? If you’re hiring interims, or you are one, you’ve probably felt the shift already. The question now is not “Is hybrid here to stay?” but “How do we make the most of it?”

The Current Landscape. Look around the interim market and you’ll see the change everywhere. More roles are advertised as hybrid or fully remote. Some sectors have embraced it faster than others, but the direction is unmistakable. Digital and transformation programmes often run almost entirely online. Public sector teams blend remote work with on site days for key meetings. Consultancy and professional services continue to mix client site work with remote delivery. If you’re an interim, you may have already taken on a role you would never have considered before simply because distance is no longer a barrier. And if you’re hiring, you may have found yourself interviewing candidates from places you wouldn’t have looked at a few years ago. So the real question becomes: What opportunities does this open up?

Why Organisations Are Embracing It. For many organisations, hybrid work has quietly become a strategic advantage. When location stops being a limiting factor, the talent pool widens dramatically. Suddenly, the “perfect fit” might live 200 miles away — and that’s no longer a problem. It also changes the pace of delivery. Less travel means more time spent actually moving projects forward. Teams can scale up or down more easily. And yes, the practical benefits matter too: fewer overheads, fewer delays, fewer logistical headaches. But perhaps the biggest shift is mindset. Organisations are starting to ask, “If the best person for the job isn’t local, why should that stop us?”

Why Interims Benefit Too. Interim professionals have always valued flexibility, but hybrid work takes it to another level. Many interims talk about having more control over their time, more balance, and more choice. You can take on roles that would once have been ruled out by geography. You can work with a wider range of clients. You can shape your working week in a way that suits your life, not just your commute. Some interims are even finding new ways to structure their careers — supporting more than one organisation at a time, for example, in advisory or specialist roles where full time presence isn’t needed. It raises an interesting question: What does a “typical” interim career look like now? The answer is: far less typical than it used to be.

The Challenges (and How to Handle Them) Of course, hybrid work isn’t perfect. Building relationships takes more intention when you’re not in the same room. Communication needs to be clearer. Teams need shared tools and habits that keep everyone aligned. But none of these challenges are insurmountable. In fact, many interims already excel at navigating them. Clear onboarding, regular check ins, and simple communication channels go a long way. So do shared project tools that keep everyone on the same page. The real question for organisations is: Are we setting our interims up to succeed in a hybrid world? And for interims: Are we showing clients that we can deliver just as effectively from anywhere?

Looking Ahead. Hybrid and remote work are no longer “nice to have” options. They’re shaping how organisations find talent, how interims deliver value, and how projects are structured from start to finish. The organisations that embrace this shift will access better talent, move faster, and deliver stronger outcomes.

At Malikshaw, we’ve spent 20 years helping organisations build high performing, transformational teams through every kind of change. We’ve seen the market evolve many times, and we know how to get the best out of each new phase. That experience puts us in a unique position to help you make the most of this latest shift — whether you’re hiring interim talent or looking for a new home for your skills.

Discuss your hybrid-ready interim requirements with Malikshaw: 

Find flexible interim roles that fit your lifestyle: 

It happens more often than you might think. You see a CV that looks flawless: an impressive university, excellent grades, and a career path that seems made for the role. You hire the candidate and yet they don't deliver as expected. It's not that the CV or qualifications aren't valuable. They are. But they only tell part of the story. What really matters is whether someone has the right skills, experience, and mindset to succeed in the role and the context they are stepping into.
This is why more organisations are embracing skills-first approaches, especially for interim, contract, and executive roles where results are expected from day one. It's about looking beyond credentials to the capabilities that will make someone successful in practice.

What is Skills-First Hiring?
Skills-first hiring means focusing on what candidates can actually do rather than just where they studied or the titles on their CV. It is about practical capability and real-world experience. Rather than relying solely on academic history, organisations are using case-based interviews, scenario exercises, and assessments that mirror the challenges of the role. The principle is simple: degrees and CVs matter, but demonstrable skills and proven results are what determine success on the ground.

Why Organisations Are Embracing It
There are several reasons organisations are shifting to this approach. It opens up the talent pool, giving opportunities to people who may have non-traditional backgrounds but have delivered strong results. It also focuses attention on what candidates can achieve immediately rather than what they studied years ago. And it can lead to faster, more accurate hiring decisions, with teams that perform effectively from day one.
Importantly, it also highlights the limits of purely automated searches. Algorithms are good at filtering for keywords and qualifications, but they cannot fully capture nuance, context, or the kind of soft skills and judgement that make someone excel in complex, high-stakes environments.

Implications for Interim Professionals
For interim professionals, this is a critical shift. Interim roles are project-driven and results-focused. Being able to demonstrate transferable skills, leadership, stakeholder management, and delivery experience often matters more than formal qualifications. Many high-performing interims have non-traditional backgrounds yet succeed because they can navigate complex projects, adapt quickly, and deliver tangible outcomes.
It also means candidates should focus on showing what they can deliver. Real-world examples, measurable outcomes, and demonstrable experience often speak louder than academic history alone.

Why Experience and Insight Still Matter
Experienced recruiters can spot talent that AI and CV scans miss. They know not just what someone has done, but how they work in practice. By keeping in touch with candidates after contracts end and supporting them into their next roles, recruiters build a fuller picture of their real skills. That insight helps match people to roles where they can make the most impact.

For organisations, it means stronger hires. For candidates, it means being seen for what they can truly do.

With 20 years' experience across public and private sectors, Malikshaw has helped clients identify talent that others miss and guided candidates in showcasing the skills and expertise that matter most. We know what works in practice, not just on paper, and help both sides make hiring decisions that lead to lasting impact.

Let us make the most of your skills... Get in touch 

Interim work gets talked about a lot these days. Scroll LinkedIn for five minutes and you’ll see posts celebrating the freedom, flexibility, and day rates. And to be fair, some of that is true. But what doesn’t get shared quite so openly is the reality of building a career as an interim, especially at senior level and in complex public and private sector environments.

Going interim isn’t just a change of contract. It is a change of mindset. And it suits some people far better than others. If you are thinking about making the move, here is what people don’t always tell you upfront.

Despite what it might look like online, very few successful interims sat down one day and decided, “I am going to be an interim now.” More often, it starts with a moment such as a restructure, a change in leadership, a project that needed doing quickly, or frustration with slow decision-making. An interim role appears at the right time, it plays to someone’s strengths, and it goes well. One turns into two. Two turns into a portfolio. What matters is not how you arrive at interim work, it is whether you understand what you are signing up for next.

One of the biggest surprises for people coming out of permanent roles is the gaps between assignments. There will be gaps. Sometimes short, occasionally longer than you would like. That does not mean you are doing something wrong. It is just part of the model. Good interims plan for this financially and mentally. They do not see themselves as out of work between roles. They see it as downtime, reset time, or space to be selective about what comes next. Where it gets uncomfortable is when people expect interim life to feel like permanent employment with better pay. It does not. If certainty and continuity matter more to you than variety and autonomy, interim work can feel surprisingly stressful.

There is also a myth that interim roles are somehow simpler, with shorter contracts, clearer objectives, and fewer politics. In reality, interims are often brought in because something is not working. You might be picking up a stalled programme, stepping into a leadership gap, managing through conflict or change, or delivering something under intense scrutiny. You do not get much grace period. You are expected to land, listen, diagnose, and act quickly. For many people, that is exactly the appeal, but it does mean interim work can feel more exposed than a permanent role, not less.

Another shift that is not always obvious is that being good in role is only half the job. Interims also have to manage their own careers much more actively. That includes thinking in terms of a pipeline rather than a single role, being clear about the types of assignments they will accept, and protecting their reputation carefully. Delivery matters, but so does how you leave an organisation, how you hand over, and how you are talked about afterwards. Experienced interims understand that each role sets up the next one.

And not all strong leaders make good interims. Some excellent permanent leaders struggle in these roles, while others thrive. The difference usually comes down to a few traits: comfort with ambiguity, low ego combined with high confidence, strong listening and diagnostic skills, and political awareness without becoming political. Interims often have to influence without formal authority. If you need time to build trust slowly or prefer stable structures, interim work may feel like hard work. That is not a judgement. It is about fit.

Public and private sector interim roles are also different beasts. In the public sector, interims often deal with complex governance, multiple stakeholders, and public scrutiny. In the private sector, the pressure is more likely to come from pace and commercial urgency, investor or board expectations, and tighter margins for error. Neither is easier. They are just difficult in different ways. Moving between sectors can be hugely rewarding, but only if you understand the context you are stepping into.

Your recruiter matters more than you might think. In interim work, a poorly briefed role is not just an inconvenience. It can damage your reputation. When expectations are not clear, when the scope keeps shifting, or when stakeholders are not aligned, it is usually the interim who feels it first. A good recruiter pushes back on vague briefs, is honest about the realities of the role, and matches people to environments they can genuinely succeed in. A transactional approach might fill a role quickly, but it rarely leads to long-term success.

Before making the move, it is worth being honest with yourself. Are you comfortable with uncertainty? Can you walk into difficult situations and make decisions quickly? Do you have the financial runway to manage gaps? Do you want variety right now, or stability? Interim work can be hugely rewarding, but it works best when expectations are clear on all sides.

Interim careers are not built on hype. They are built on realism, trust, and delivery. For the right people, at the right stage, interim work offers variety, challenge, and genuine impact. For others, a permanent role may still be the better fit. That is fine. What matters is understanding the reality before you make the leap.

If you are thinking about going interim, or just want to talk through whether it is right for you, we would be happy to have an honest conversation. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a chance to walk through the realities and help you decide what comes next. Contact us

My Biography

Passionate about guiding people into roles they love and partnering with companies to create high‑performing, future‑ready teams.

My Areas of Expertise

TBC

My Languages

English

My Interests

TBC

My Biography

I am a Recruitment Specialist with over 20 years’ experience in 360° recruitment and executive search across the UK and international markets. I have successfully built and led my own consultancy, partnering with start-ups, scale-ups, and global organisations to deliver strategic hiring solutions

My Areas of Expertise

360° Recruitment, Business Development, Technology

My Languages

English

My Interests

• Family
• Sport
• Socialising with friends

On Christmas Eve 1914, along parts of the Western Front, something unexpected happened.

The guns fell silent.

For months, young men had been living in freezing trenches, separated from the enemy by little more than mud, wire and fear. Orders were clear. The system was clear. The mission was clear. Hold the line. And yet, as darkness fell, soldiers on both sides began to hear singing. Christmas carols drifted across No Man's Land. Candles appeared. Small trees were raised above the parapets. A few brave individuals climbed out of the trenches, unarmed.

By Christmas Day, soldiers were meeting between the lines. They exchanged food, shared cigarettes, buried the dead, and in some places even played football. For a brief moment, the machinery of war stopped, not because it was instructed to, but because people chose something different.

It is often described as a miracle. It was not.  It was humanity asserting itself when systems failed to recognise it.

No general planned it. No command authorised it. There was no programme, no governance structure, no change office. It emerged organically, driven by shared values, mutual recognition, and a simple, powerful truth: the people on the other side were not so different.

And that is what makes it so interesting.

In organisational terms, the Christmas Truce was a transformation that did not come from leadership hierarchy, policy, or enforcement. It came from belief. From identity. From people acting in line with deeply held values when the system around them allowed no space for those values to surface.

Of course, the truce did not last. Orders were reissued. Authority reasserted itself. The war resumed.

But the moment matters.

Because it reveals something fundamental about change.

We often assume that transformation fails because of poor plans, insufficient funding, or inadequate technology. Sometimes that is true. More often, it fails because the change is imposed on people rather than emerging with them. Because it asks people to behave differently without acknowledging what they believe, fear, or care about.

The Christmas Truce reminds us that people do not resist change because they are stubborn or irrational. They resist it when it conflicts with their identity, when it feels imposed, or when it ignores what matters to them. Equally, it shows what becomes possible when those same people feel seen, respected, and aligned around a shared sense of purpose.

In modern organisations, we talk a great deal about culture, engagement, and leadership. We design transformation programmes with milestones, dashboards, and delivery plans. All of these have their place. But culture does not change because a programme says it should. It changes when people believe the change makes sense, aligns with their values, and improves their world in some meaningful way. That is why the most enduring transformations are not the loudest or the fastest. They are the ones where leaders understand that their role is not just to direct, but to create the conditions in which people choose to move together.

The Christmas Truce lasted only days. Its impact has lasted more than a century.

As we pause at the end of the year, it is a useful reminder that even in the most complex, pressured environments, transformation is ultimately a human endeavour. Systems matter. Plans matter. Technology matters.

But people matter more.

And when people are trusted, understood, and placed in the right roles, extraordinary things can happen — sometimes even without being asked.

 2025 was a year full of change and bold moves. Technology kept evolving, work and leadership looked different almost overnight, and everyone seemed to be trying out new ways of doing things. AI started showing up in everyday workflows, hybrid work became the norm, and people experimented with fresh ideas for growth, culture, and transformation. It was a year that challenged how we focus, make decisions, and actually get things done. This short quiz is a fun way to see how much of those lessons stuck with you as we move through 2026.

Question 1: When it comes to big projects, what’s the real value of an interim step?

A. It’s just paperwork or a placeholder
B. It gives a chance to test, learn, and adjust
C. It slows things down unnecessarily
D. It’s only for formal reporting

✅ Answer: B
Interims aren’t just in-between stops, they are a chance to test ideas, gather feedback, and make smarter decisions before fully committing.

Question 2: What created the biggest challenges to focus last year?

A. People weren’t motivated enough
B. Too many things were competing for attention
C. Work was too simple
D. Creativity disappeared

✅ Answer: B
The real challenge wasn’t effort or talent, it was all the distractions and constant information coming at us. Protecting your attention became more important than ever.

Question 3: When people chase trends in work, lifestyle, or creative projects, what’s the real risk?

A. It’s time-consuming
B. It often lacks lasting impact or purpose
C. It’s hard to find trending topics
D. It doesn’t look impressive

✅ Answer: B
Trends in social media, lifestyle, or creative work can get attention, but without intention or alignment with your values, they rarely create anything that lasts.

Question 4: What defines a true transformation, as opposed to a regular project?

A. Making small, incremental changes over time
B. Applying a few cosmetic updates
C. A wholesale, root-and-branch change that shifts systems, processes, and mindset
D. Completing a task faster than usual

✅ Answer: C
A transformation goes beyond a normal project. It reshapes structures, processes, and sometimes even culture, creating a fundamental shift rather than just improving things bit by bit.

Final Question: If these insights sound familiar, where were they explored in more depth?

A. Random threads online
B. Personal trial and error
C. Trend reports
D. Malikshaw blogs

✅ Answer: D

Whether it's taking on a transformational project, leading a high-performing team, or stepping into an interim role, now is the time to put these insights into action. If you're ready to make your next move count, check out our latest interim opportunities and find the role that's right for you.

Imagine stepping into a time machine and fast-forwarding a few years; the world of work you'd encounter would look strikingly different. Rapid technological breakthroughs, shifting demographics, and evolving global priorities are not just changing how we work; they are redefining which roles will matter most in the decade ahead. For anyone charting a career path or building future-ready teams, understanding these changes is no longer optional; it is essential.

Here's our take on the careers likely to see strong growth by 2030:
1. Technology and Data Experts
As digital transformation continues, the demand for tech-savvy professionals will rise. AI developers, cybersecurity specialists, data analysts, and cloud engineers are already in high demand—and by 2030, this need will only intensify. Organizations will seek individuals who can manage advanced systems while safeguarding data and ensuring responsible, ethical use.
2. Healthcare and Wellbeing Professionals
An aging population and growing focus on health and wellness mean the healthcare sector will keep expanding. In addition to doctors and nurses, mental health counsellors, telehealth providers, senior care experts, and public health consultants will be increasingly vital. The recent global health crises have reinforced the importance of these roles, a trend set to continue.
3. Green and Sustainability Roles
Climate change is driving a shift toward sustainable business practices. Careers in renewable energy, environmental consulting, sustainable engineering, and green construction will be crucial as organizations work toward net-zero goals. Professionals who can guide companies in reducing environmental impact will be highly sought after.
4. People-Focused Careers
While automation may take over repetitive tasks, roles that require creativity, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills will flourish. HR leaders, learning and development managers, diversity and inclusion specialists, and executive coaches will play key roles in fostering resilient, adaptive workforces.
5. Educators and Skills Trainers
Rapid technological change means continuous learning will be essential. Trainers, teachers, and digital learning professionals will help workers develop new skills, pivot careers, and remain competitive. Lifelong learning won't just be encouraged—it will be necessary.
6. Creative and Digital Media Professionals
The creator economy continues to expand, and businesses will increasingly rely on digital storytellers. Skilled content creators, UX/UI designers, digital marketers, and immersive media developers will be in high demand. Creativity, audience engagement, and innovative thinking will distinguish successful professionals.

Looking Ahead: A common thread across all future careers is adaptability. Professionals who blend technical expertise with creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence will continue to stand out. For individuals, this means embracing continuous learning and staying attuned to emerging trends. For organizations, it means cultivating teams that are not only skilled but also agile and forward-thinking. And if we were to step back into our time machine and look ahead once more, we'd see that by 2030 the people and companies thriving are those that adapt, innovate, and invest in their talent. Proving that the future rewards those ready to evolve with it.

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