What happened
Canadian employers are running into more recruitment bottlenecks, as reported by Talent Canada. The report draws on a Job Insights survey run by The Harris Poll for Express Employment Professionals.
The survey found 32 per cent of Canadian hiring managers have open positions they cannot fill, up from 29 per cent in the fall of 2025. On average, 17 per cent of open roles close without anyone being hired, and 21 per cent of positions go entirely unfilled.
Hiring is also slower. Some 28 per cent of decision-makers say timelines are longer than two years ago. Three in 10 say resume review, interviews and the final decision take at least four weeks together, and candidates sit through an average of three interviews before an offer.
Candidates are frustrated too. Thirty-five per cent name automated hiring processes, instead of dealing with a human recruiter, as a top search challenge. Thirty-two per cent suspect employers collect resumes without hiring, and 25 per cent believe AI is shrinking their opportunities. Express CEO Bob Funk Jr. said technology delivers the most value when paired with human interaction.
Why it matters if you are hiring
A four-week process with three interviews is a long time to hold a good candidate. Strong people usually have other offers in that window. Every extra week raises the odds that your top choice accepts elsewhere, and a role that closes unfilled still costs you the work that did not get done.
The automation point matters just as much. If candidates feel they are applying into a void, some will not apply at all, and the ones who do may not respond to your outreach. That hits hardest in roles where skilled people are scarce: operations leads, finance staff, technical and plant roles.
The survey does not say which industries or regions are worst affected, so treat the figures as a national signal, not a sector verdict. Still, the pattern is plain. Screening tools save time on volume, but they do not replace a person who calls back, explains the process and moves quickly.
One thing to do this week
Pull your last three filled roles and count the days between application and offer, and the number of interviews held. Then cut one step. Merge two interviews, set a 48-hour limit for feedback after each one, and make sure a real person contacts every shortlisted candidate within a day.
Traverse helps Canadian employers reach the best operations, contract, technical and finance talent, with recruiters who speak to candidates directly and keep a search moving from first call to offer.