hh.ru, a Russian job-search platform, analyzed vacancies and identified the specialists companies are most frequently seeking in 2026. The list of these occupations is not disclosed in the material provided, so the publication cannot be used as a ready-made list of hard-to-fill roles. For an employer, the value of the study lies in the market signal itself: staffing needs require the hiring plan, budget, departmental activities, and personnel risks to be linked in advance.
Market research is a reference point, not a ready-made hiring solution
The results of the hh.ru analysis cited by RIA Novosti (РИА Новости), a Russian news agency, show which specialists employers are seeking most often in 2026. For an HR department, this is a reason to compare the external situation with its own hiring process: which vacancies remain open for a long time, which teams are expected to expand, and where the absence of an employee is already affecting operations.
The original description does not provide a list of in-demand occupations, demand figures, or a comparison of regions. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that a particular position is hard to fill specifically for your company or in your market. The practical takeaway is different: the hiring plan should be based on your own data—the candidate funnel, reasons for rejections, team workload, and departmental needs.
How to identify positions at risk of remaining unfilled
Start with a single list of open and planned vacancies by department. It is useful to divide roles into those critical to business continuity, growth positions, and employee replacements. For each position, the manager and recruiter can record why it is needed, which skills are mandatory, and what consequences will arise if the search is prolonged.
This approach helps avoid confusing market demand with an internal company problem. For example, a vacancy may be filled slowly not only because of a shortage of specialists, but also because of uncoordinated requirements, uncompetitive terms, or an excessively long approval process. Vacancy research does not answer these questions, but it allows the company to begin checking them in good time before publishing the job posting.
Foreign hiring should be included in the personnel process in advance
If part of the shortage is expected to be addressed by hiring foreign workers, immigration screening (checking a foreign candidate’s legal status and work authorization) should run in parallel with recruitment, rather than after a candidate has been selected. Before entering into an employment contract, the employer should determine the lawful hiring route, verify the foreign national’s status, the region where the work is expected to take place, and whether the job duties correspond to the conditions under which the candidate is permitted to work.
High demand for an occupation by itself does not create the right to employ a foreign national. Depending on the individual’s status, a patent, work permit, or other grounds for employment may be required. The material provided does not establish new rules or name a universal set of documents: this must be determined based on the specific candidate’s status and the conditions of the vacancy.
Document checks do not replace skills assessment
Documents confirming the right to stay and work in Russia must be checked before the individual is allowed to start work and then monitored throughout the employment relationship. The position stated in the contract, the actual duties, and the information in the candidate’s work authorization documents, if required, must be consistent with one another. The employer must also separately take into account notification obligations applicable to the worker’s chosen status.
At the same time, immigration-compliant paperwork does not confirm an applicant’s professional skills. To reduce the risk of a bad hire, it is advisable to assess experience separately, conduct an interview focused on the job duties, request references, or use a skills test where appropriate. This dual control prevents the presence of work authorization documents from being treated as a substitute for verifying qualifications.
What to check
- Compile a list by department of open, planned, and critical vacancies.
- Identify positions that are difficult to fill with candidates from Russia and the reasons for this difficulty.
- Before onboarding a foreign candidate, check their status, work region, and whether the selected job duties are permitted.
- Request documents confirming the right to stay and work in Russia, and make sure they are valid as of the contract date.
- Compare the position stated in the contract, the actual duties, and the work authorization documents, if required.
- Set up monitoring of the expiration dates of immigration and work authorization documents, as well as applicable notification obligations.
- Check the candidate’s experience and qualifications separately from their immigration status.