Why Is ERP Recruitment So Hard in 2026? The Hidden Factors Stalling Your Hiring
If your ERP roles stay open for months, you already feel the pressure. Projects slip, costs rise and stakeholders push for answers. You sign off budget, build a clear business case and set a sensible salary band. Yet ERP Recruitment still feels harder than it did even a year or two ago.
You do not need another reminder that "the market is competitive". You need a clear view of what blocks your hiring and what to change now.
How do mixed ERP systems complicate hiring decisions in 2026?
Running more than one ERP system makes role design harder. For example, you might use SAP for finance, Oracle or Workday for HR, Dynamics 365 in one region and a sector specific platform in one division. At the same time, you move more of this work into the cloud.
When you brief a new ERP role in that setting, it often turns into a long list of demands. The hiring manager wants someone who knows every system, every regional requirement and every reporting standard. Internal talent teams reflect that wish list in a job description. Only a small number of people come close to that list.
Specialist ERP recruiters work through these trade-offs every day. They challenge role design, test the brief against the live market and show which profiles exist at which level and salary band.
Which 2026 skill trends shrink ERP talent pools?
Many ERP roles now expect a blend of skills. You look for people who understand how ERP integrates with Azure, AWS or other cloud platforms, who work with data models, governance and analytics rather than just standard reports, who support audit, risk and compliance teams with clear evidence from systems and who handle senior stakeholders across finance, operations, HR and supply chain.
Each requirement makes sense on its own. Combined, they reduce the number of people who fit into your live market. Your ERP Recruitment challenge becomes less about volume and more about navigating a real ERP talent shortage and finding rare combinations. At the same time, vendors, consultancies and systems integrators hire from the same talent pool that you try to reach.
The answer is not to lower your standards. It means you decide which combinations matter most for this role and stay open to adjacent backgrounds and candidates who worked on different platforms but managed similar change.
An experienced ERP recruitment partner such as ITHR can map these with you and show you the real options, rather than a wish list that never lands.
If you want a clearer view of how the live ERP talent market looks for your specific roles, you can speak with an ITHR specialist. We work across SAP, Oracle, Dynamics 365 and Workday on a regular basis and can show you what skills are realistic at each level.
You can also request an early shortlist or talent map to see who is available across permanent and contract markets. It often helps you reset expectations and speed up hiring before projects start to slip.
What should you change in your ERP hiring approach in 2026?
Many delays in ERP Recruitment come from choices inside the hiring process rather than the market itself, and those choices are in your control.
How can you streamline ERP interviews?
Long hiring processes cut your chance of success. Multiple stages, long tasks and panels spread over weeks push strong candidates towards faster offers.
You still assess people in depth, but through a tighter design, for example by combining stakeholder panels, technical discussion and case work into fewer, well planned sessions. This is what ITHR is the best at. We simplify complicated hiring funnels to able our clients to gain competitive advantage in the recruitment market.
How can you set realistic ERP roles?
Many ERP job descriptions combine several roles into one. In practice they describe an ERP architect, project manager and functional lead in a single person. The market does not work that way.
Clear success profiles help. Define what success looks like at three, six and twelve months, then work back to the skills and experience you truly need.
How should you align ERP pay with the market?
If your budget sits well below live ranges, the process stalls. Candidates may enjoy the conversation but step away when they see the numbers.
Specialist ERP recruiters work with real time data from active searches. They advise on rate bands and help you adjust the brief, so you stay competitive without breaking your budget.
How can you use data to improve ERP Recruitment?
Track time to shortlist, time to offer and drop out reasons so you see where you lose people. When you fix those points, ERP Recruitment becomes more predictable and easier to explain to your leadership team.
When should you bring in a specialist ERP recruitment partner?
Internal talent teams manage many roles, protect your brand and handle process at scale. Niche ERP Recruitment often needs more depth than a general approach can give you.
You see the point for a specialist partner when key ERP roles stay open, ERP programmes slip, transformation work stalls, you need shortlists that cover more than one ERP platform, and you have to hire in markets where you have limited reach.
ITHR supports ERP Recruitment across permanent, contract and executive level roles. The group covers IT and SAP/ERP through dedicated brands, including Swan IT Recruitment for SAP and ERP specialists.
A specialist ERP recruitment agency such as ITHR can:
- Build shortlists from active and passive talent, not only applicants.
- Present cross platform options that fit your estate.
- Support you with compliance and regional hiring rules.
- Align recruitment activity with project timelines.
You can learn more about ITHR's SAP and ERP focus here:
- SAP and ERP recruitment
- Permanent recruitment services
- Contract recruitment services
- Executive search services
For multi region projects, you can also explore:
How can employers adapt to ERP recruitment in 2026?
ERP hiring in 2026 will not get easier on its own. Mixed estates, new skills and global competition for talent will remain part of day to day life for technology and transformation leaders.
The organisations that succeed treat ERP Recruitment as a strategic activity. They define realistic roles, move at market pace and partner with specialists who understand ERP work in detail.
If you recognise these patterns, now is a good time to review your ERP hiring strategy. You can speak with the ITHR team about your current roles and upcoming projects via the ITHR contact page.