Mark Pearce on What Hiring Managers Will Look for in CVs in 2026

At Yotru, we share stories from people who are shaping how work continues to evolve. Each Voices of Work feature highlights practitioners who see hiring decisions up close and help explain how expectations are changing.

This time, we spoke with Mark Pearce, Marketing & Communications Business Partner at MPI Recruitment in Perth, Australia. With more than 20 years of experience across recruitment, employer branding, and marketing strategy, Mark has reviewed thousands of CVs and worked closely with hiring managers across industries. As the job market moves into 2026, he sees a clear shift in how CVs are being evaluated and what candidates need to do to stand out.

How CVs Are Being Read Going Into 2026

According to Mark, one of the biggest changes heading into 2026 is attention.

Recruiters and hiring managers are managing high application volumes, multiple open roles, and increasingly automated recruitment systems. As a result, CVs are often scanned for seconds rather than minutes. In that environment, responsibility-based CVs struggle to make an impact.

“Most CVs still focus on what someone was responsible for,” Mark said. “But hiring managers already understand the role. What they want to know is what changed because that person was there.”

Clarity and relevance now matter more than length, layout, or polish.

Why Achievements Are Becoming More Important

Across more than two decades of working with hiring managers, Mark has seen one consistent pattern. When decisions need to be made quickly, outcomes matter.

Hiring managers are trying to understand what value a candidate can bring to their team. Achievements help them visualize capability before an interview even takes place. Without clear evidence of results, strong candidates are often overlooked.

“Achievements help hiring managers cut through noise,” Mark explained. “They show confidence, clarity, and capability.”

Turning Experience Into Evidence

To prepare for the 2026 job market, Mark encourages candidates to shift how they think about their experience. Rather than listing tasks or responsibilities, he suggests focusing on evidence of impact.

He recommends asking five practical questions:

• What problems were you hired to solve, and what results followed?
• Where were you promoted or recognized, and why?
• Did you improve sales, productivity, efficiency, or delivery in a measurable way?
• What systems or processes did you improve, and who benefited?
• Have you trained or mentored others, and what outcomes did they achieve?

These questions help candidates uncover achievements they often overlook. They also make CVs easier for hiring managers to assess quickly.

What Job Seekers Should Focus On

Looking ahead, Mark believes CVs that clearly communicate value will continue to perform best. As AI screening and recruiter workload increase, relevance and clarity will matter more than ever.

“The candidates who stand out are the ones who can clearly show the value they bring,” he said.

For job seekers preparing for 2026, the guidance is simple. Focus on outcomes, not activity. Show what you achieved, not just what you were asked to do.

About Mark Pearce

Mark Pearce is Marketing & Communications Business Partner at MPI Recruitment and an independent marketing consultant based in Perth, Australia. With over 20 years of experience across recruitment, employer branding, and marketing strategy, he works closely with hiring managers and talent teams to clarify how value is evaluated in modern hiring.

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