Ashby

EMEA – September 12, 2026 -- Applications per hire in EMEA have doubled over the past five years, yet recruiters in the region have kept Time to Hire steady at 37-43 days since 2021, according to Ashby's EMEA Recruiter Productivity report.

Technical hiring shows the widest regional application gap

Business roles in EMEA draw a volume of applications comparable to the Americas, at 170 per hire versus 229 in AMER. Technical roles diverge sharply, with AMER positions receiving 610 applications per hire against just 254 in EMEA. The sharpest rise in application volume occurred between 2022 and 2023.

Amanda Johnson, Head of Global Talent Acquisition at DeepL, said inbound volume has doubled since she joined the AI company in 2024. She attributed part of the surge to candidates shifting from traditional SaaS firms toward AI companies, while noting rising competition from new AI entrants in London.

LONDON – September 12, 2026 -- Ashby, an all-in-one recruiting platform, launched WhatsApp messaging for candidate communication at its Ashby One London conference, adding a second chat channel alongside its existing SMS texting tools.

WhatsApp joins SMS as a candidate outreach channel inside Ashby profiles

The feature lets recruiting teams send and receive messages directly from a candidate's profile, using pre-approved templates for tasks such as interview scheduling and availability requests. WhatsApp is also available as a delivery option for automated interview reminders and booking confirmations, alongside SMS and email. Replies are stored in the same conversation thread as the rest of a candidate's activity in Ashby, giving recruiters a single record of outreach.