What candidates actually want in 2026

We surveyed over 2,000 candidates across India this year. The headline: pay gets you in the room, but it rarely closes the deal on its own.

Flexibility, growth, and managers people respect consistently outranked marginal salary differences. Candidates are optimising for trajectory, not just this year's CTC.

For employers, the lesson is simple: sell the journey. Show candidates the path, the people, and the impact — and make the process itself a preview of how you treat people.