Salary Survey
UK Recruitment Market Update
Welcome to our annual Market Insights, Spring 2026, where we share our perspective on the evolving recruitment landscape within our sector. Our analysis draws on both professional bodies and our own extensive research, including a targeted survey of over 6,000 candidates working in business support roles.
This edition includes a detailed salary survey, with particular focus on temporary recruitment trends and bonus structures. Beyond compensation, we explore the broader employee experience - covering company culture, benefits, flexible working, EDIB, and wider candidate sentiment.
In summary, while overall pay growth remains subdued, we are continuing to see upward movement in salaries for top-tier business support professionals, driven by candidate demand. Exceptional EAs and PAs remain highly sought after, with the strongest talent commanding premium increases. The temp-to-perm and contract markets also remain robust, continuing to serve as a popular and effective route to hire in the first half of the year.
Looking ahead, the outlook for 2026 points to gradual improvement. Bain and Gray remains focused on delivering best-in-class talent solutions, with retained search emerging as a key growth area, particularly at Chief of Staff and senior levels. We hope you enjoy the read.
Explore further in depth:
Editors Note
Company Culture
Retained Partnership
SALARIES
Our figures show across all sectors that salaries have largely remained steady, with no significant shifts. This chimes with industry stats across the Recruitment and Employment Confederation research and the ONS. A now well reported reason is the increase in hiring costs with the rise in Employers NI, additionally the Employment Rights Bill brings some changes which create a more considered and risk averse approach to hiring as a whole.
Our client base is a cross section of industry sectors, however, a significant proportion of it is the Financial and Professional service industries, and it should be noted that the numbers reflected are dependent on the overall package, such as bonus schemes, employer pension and other benefits, these have an impact on the salary offering as a whole.
With 27% of our candidates coming from the financial sector, this is a key industry we use to benchmark salary movement. Our stand out observation in comparison to last year is the demand for senior level talent, particularly Chief of Staff candidates, with there being a 30%+ increase in average salaries for both executive assistants and private personal assistants, this goes to show the demand for top-tier experienced EA/PAs.
Key highlights include:
1. Salaries have largely remained steady
2. Key driver of attrition is candidates seeking increased remuneration
3. Demand for Chief of Staff candidates significantly increased since 2025
4. Candidates are increasingly open to a temp-to-perm arrangements
Additionally noted in our survey was that 21% of candidates still seek hybrid working or a work/life balance as a relatively high priority in their job search. But, with that said, 36% of our candidates surveyed, still sighted salary as the single biggest factor in their reason seeking a new job.
In addition to this 52% do not anticipate getting a pay rise in the next 6 months and 66% have not had a pay rise in the last 6 months, which will in itself continue to drive movement in the candidate market and competition if companies sense they will lose talent in their businesses to higher salaries offered elsewhere.
BONUSES
This year’s bonus expectations reveal a subtle but notable shift: 37% of candidates now anticipate receiving no bonus at all, a 6% increase on last year, while the remainder remain largely unchanged. Among those expecting a bonus, 7% expect to receive a bonus of 20% or more, 19% in the 5-10% mark, 12% under 5%, and the rest remain uncertain. Key drivers for candidates seeking a new role are salary, career progression and company culture continue to top the list, overtaking last year’s focus on work/life balance as a secondary motivator. This suggests that financial reward remains important, but long-term growth and the right cultural fit are increasingly shaping career decisions.
Temporary Recruitment
The demand for temporary business support has remained relatively resilient, despite wider economic uncertainty.
Many organisations have reduced permanent hiring due to cost pressures, instead relying on temporary staff to maintain operations and support key projects. Employers also continue to utilise temporary workers to manage short-term workload increases, as well as to cover maternity leave, sickness absence and hiring freezes.
Candidate availability has increased over the past year due to redundancies and reduced workplace flexibility, resulting in a larger pool of candidates available for immediate start. As a result, temporary-to-permanent hiring has become increasingly popular, allowing both clients and candidates to assess suitability in practice before committing to a permanent role.
In fact, 31% of candidates said they would consider temp-to-perm should they be seeking a new role. This approach often leads to stronger long-term retention, as both parties can establish a successful working relationship without the constraints of an initial job description.
RETAINED SEARCH
As clients focus on long-term growth and strategic hires, retained search has become a critical tool for identifying top-tier talent in the most competitive segments of the market.
Bain and Gray’s Retained Search Service is designed for senior or business-critical roles, where discretion, speed, and deep market mapping are essential. Our team provides targeted shortlists built through research-led search, tapping into passive talent networks that traditional recruitment rarely reaches.
Why clients choose retained search:
- Exclusive access to talent not visible through open market channels.
- Market insight reports and salary benchmarking included as standard.
- Dedicated project timelines and guaranteed shortlist delivery.
BENEFITS AND FLEXIBLE WORKING
There has been a modest shift back towards being full time in the office (+3% year-on-year) with only 11% of our candidate pool now fully remote and close to 30% working a three-day office model, that said, flexibility remains firmly embedded in candidate expectations. Traditional benefits such as enhanced maternity pay, wellbeing perks, gym membership, private healthcare and pensions continue to lead the way as priorities. However, interestingly, company culture follows after that, showing a wider shift of individuals prioritising a good work environment over flexible/hybrid working.
Although EDIB engagement remains relatively high at 74%, the drop from 82% last year may suggest a shift in focus towards more immediate, tangible aspects of the employee experience. This is echoed in perceptions of company culture, which remain strongly linked to flexible working structures, personal development and ongoing training. Notably, charity involvement has declined by 10%, indicating that candidates may be placing greater value on day-to-day flexibility and support, rather than broader, outward-facing initiatives.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
The fundamentals of a successful hiring process remain consistent, but candidate frustrations persist. Lengthy timelines and a lack of feedback continue to undermine the experience, with a clear preference for honest, constructive communication over silence or ambiguity. Transparency is no longer a ‘nice to have', it is expected.
AI adoption is also shaping recruitment, with most candidates using Microsoft Copilot for privacy-conscious admin and organisational support, while ChatGPT is increasingly a second choice. Bain and Gray continues to support clients and candidates with practical upskilling and resources, helping them leverage AI responsibly to streamline processes and enhance the experience.
We see the strongest outcomes where clients move efficiently, remain open to guidance, and treat recruitment as a collaborative process from brief to offer. Face-to-face engagement, both at briefing stage and interview, continues to elevate results, allowing for deeper understanding, sharper shortlists, and a more positive candidate experience. Ultimately, clarity around role scope, salary, progression, and AI-supported processes not only builds trust but attracts and secures the best talent.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The UK recruitment market in 2026 is no longer about “more hiring” it’s about smarter hiring. For clients, that means combining salary benchmarking, cultural fit, and speed of process to secure the right talent.
At Bain and Gray, we’re here to help clients navigate these shifts with insight and clarity. If you’d like a bespoke salary snapshot or market insight for your business, get in touch with our team.
