Navigating the Future of Work: Key Insights from QTI’s 2026 HR Trends Survey
As HR Leaders prepare for the year ahead, QTI’s 2026 HR Trends Survey offers a timely snapshot of the challenges and priorities shaping the business landscape. Each year, we ask survey respondents to rank their top HR Challenges. With input from 118 primarily Wisconsin-based organizations across a wide range of industries, our survey revealed that Wisconsin HR leaders are focused on attracting the right talent, enhancing employee engagement, and improving leadership development.
#1 Attracting the Right Talent
For the fifth consecutive year, attracting the right talent is the top challenge facing HR leaders. 88% of survey participants ranked it as their top challenge for 2026, with more than half ranking recruitment as a top priority. Factors contributing to this challenge include:
- Quality of candidates: 58% state they are not satisfied to moderately satisfied with the quality of candidates their organization attracts.
- Low unemployment rates: Wisconsin continues to experience low unemployment, especially in the more sought-after and higher-level roles.
- Retirements: 40% of HR Trends participants expect 5-10% of employees will retire in the next three years, creating talent gaps and potential knowledge loss.
- Higher Total Rewards Demands: 70% of HR Trends participants state, “Meeting Higher Compensation, Benefits, and Total Rewards Demands” is a moderate-to-significant challenge for 2026. Additionally, organizations are projecting median base pay increases of 3%, which is consistent with the previous year.
#2 Enhancing Employee Engagement
Last year’s number six challenge jumped four spots to the #2 HR challenge for 2026. 74% of respondents rated enhancing employee engagement as a moderate to significant challenge for 2026. Engaged employees are critical to employers because they give discretionary effort, generate more revenue, deliver better service, move organizations forward, and, most importantly, stay.
Maintaining culture and engagement with a remote or hybrid workforce is a concern for Wisconsin employers, with 45% citing it as their top challenge related to remote or hybrid work. To improve engagement with this workforce, leaders should focus on regular check-ins with their employees, whether in person or virtually; maintain strong communication across multiple channels; offer team- and cross-functional events; and adopt a remote and hybrid strategy with clarity and accountability.
#3 Improving Leadership Development
Improving Leadership Development ranks third among the HR Challenges, with 71% of HR Trends Survey participants reporting it as a moderate to significant challenge for 2026. This sentiment is not exclusive to Wisconsin employers. A global study by McLean and Company found that HR Leaders rated “developing the organization’s leaders” as their highest priority.
Ready to learn more? QTI’s HR Trends webinar provides strategies to adapt to these challenges, along with insights on additional trends in total rewards, base pay budget increases, AI & HR, global and cross-border workforces, and voluntary turnover. Watch now: https://www.qtigroup.com/thought-leadership/2026-hr-trends-webinar
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