Top Talent Report 2026
+1,000 Nova members told us what they earn, what they want and what they put up with. Nova admits Europe's top professionals on merit: the people every company is trying to hire.
What this is
Nova's annual read on the people every company wants to hire. Fourth edition, since 2023.
A network selected on merit across Europe: the slice recruiters fight over.
One survey, 2026 edition. Where the answer is uncomfortable, it is printed anyway.
What it is costing you, and where
Satisfaction and retention have come apart. Here is the number, and what drains them.
The brief you are competing against
For recruiters, HR and TA: their demands ranked, the employers they name, a salary benchmark.
Where you stand
Pay, hours, remote days and AI use, next to people who do what you do.
Everyone got faster.
Nobody got a shorter week.
Where the saved time actually goes
The companies they would leave yours for.
Three names each, no list to pick from. Here, places 10 to 6.
They are paid well. They do not feel it.
The benchmark, role by role
Content at work, and answering recruiters anyway.
What is draining them, ranked
The brief you are competing against.
Their demands, ranked
One survey. No panel, no scraping, no modelling.
Some of the companies where these people work today
Where they work now. A sample, not the whole list.
Get the full report
Free. We ask who you are so the next edition gets better.
The report online
Opens the moment you send the form.
The short read
The six numbers that matter, and the ranking.
The complete edition
Every chart, by role, sector and market.
Send me the report
Both PDFs by email, and the online report opens straight away.
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