Haseeb Malik

Founder building in U.S. staffing
Hiring | Recruitment | Business
Sharing what employers get wrong about hiring

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Stop viewing "the hiring market" as a single entity.
The demand for generic talent is cold. The demand for execution ready specialists is at an all time high.
Position yourself for execution, not exposure.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

The job market hasn’t collapsed it has split.

Early career talent:
→ Build proof based skills.
→ Show what you can deliver.
→ Reach hiring managers directly.

Specialists:
→ Your expertise is scarce.
→ Use that leverage.

The market rewards proof and specialization.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Why is this happening?
In 2026, companies no longer have the margin or patience for multi month training projects.
AI and workflow automation handle baseline data processing.
Employers want talent that can deploy on Day 1 and generate immediate, measurable execution.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

The hiring numbers look strong:

→ 43% of global companies plan to add headcount in Q4.
→ Only 14% expect cuts.

But early career hiring is shrinking.

Companies are moving away from generalists.

They want specialists who can deliver immediate results.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

43% of employers plan to increase staffing in Q4 2026.

Sounds great, right?

Here’s the catch: entry level hiring is shrinking.

ManpowerGroup surveyed 39,878 employers across 42 countries.

The data reveals a bigger shift in how companies are hiring. ��

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

The market hasn't flipped overnight into a hyper growth bubble.
It's stabilizing into a high accountability market.
The companies winning right now aren't chasing headcount they're hiring for immediate operational output.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

What this means for operators right now:
For Employers: High caliber candidate availability is at a multi year peak. You don't need speed you need precision evaluation.
For Candidates: Competition is still fierce. Generalist resumes get rejected specialized execution wins.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

How can hiring grow while job postings keep falling?
Simple: This isn't a hiring boom. It's selective execution.
Companies aren't opening hundreds of new requisitions.
They are finally unfreezing budget to hire for the mission critical roles that sat open for months.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

UK permanent hiring just turned positive for the first time since September 2022.

That’s a major shift but not a hiring boom.

The latest KPMG/REC data signals the recruitment downturn may finally be ending.

Here’s what it actually means for the UK hiring market in 2026: 🧵

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

The numbers look positive:

→ Permanent placements hit 50.5 in August first growth in nearly 4 years.
→ Temporary billings grew for the 5th straight month.

But vacancies fell for the 34th consecutive month.

The market is improving. But hiring demand remains weak.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

To hiring managers and CEOs:
​When you outsource your candidate screening to off the shelf software vendors, you aren't filtering for quality. You're copying everyone else's mistakes.
​Human talent requires human evaluation.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

This is called “Algorithmic Monoculture.”

When companies use the same ATS vendor, they can inherit the same screening blind spots.

One algorithm can misread a career gap, degree, or skill and reject you across multiple companies.

One system. Multiple rejections.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Stop applying through the same portal for every job.

Diversify:

→ Email founders directly
→ Use different ATS platforms
→ Network with hiring managers

Don’t let one algorithm control your job search.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Stanford researchers analyzed 4 million job applications.

They found 4% of candidates applying to 10+ jobs using the same software were rejected everywhere.

Not by 10 hiring managers.

By one algorithm.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Applied to 10 companies. Rejected by all 10.

You blame your resume.

But what if the same AI filters are rejecting you everywhere?

A Stanford study of 4 million applications highlights a growing risk: algorithmic monoculture. 🧵

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

@yifanfu_r Smart execution. Removing friction between taking a meeting and actually getting the work done is huge. Keep buildin’ man

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

@AlexHormozi Comfort is the ultimate growth trap. The hard chapters aren’t delays they’re the exact tax you pay for buildin something that actually lasts.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

@BOSRAIsa Exactly. If you can’t hand a rep a proven offer with a predictable reply rate you’re just funding expensive trial and error. Founder has to validate the pitch first.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Hiring a senior salesperson before you have founder led sales traction can be a $150K mistake.

Sales reps don’t create positioning. They execute what already works.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Stop selling candidates. Sell reduced vacancy time, protected revenue, and restored team capacity.
When you anchor your fee to solving a $200,000 operational bottleneck, a 20% placement fee stops looking expensive it looks like a bargain.

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Before I ever discuss candidate profiles I diagnose the commercial bleeding:
"What specific deliverables are stalled today?"
"What is this open seat costing your existing team in burnout and overtime?"
"What metric will prove this person was a successful hire 6 months from now?"

[Haseeb Malik @Wander_Malik]

Modern hiring managers aren't lacking resumes. They're drowning in them.

What they lack is clarity on risk.

They want to know:

→ Which product launch is delayed?
→ How much revenue is lost while the role stays open?
→ How do we prevent this hire from quitting in 90 days?