HR leaders are entering 2026 facing growing complexity. AI adoption is accelerating, skill requirements are evolving faster than job descriptions, and people costs continue to rise—forcing HR teams to rethink how they hire, develop, retain, and support their workforce.
In this webinar, we explore six HR and people trends shaping 2026, based on insights from Software Advice’s 2026 HR Software Trends survey of 1,000 HR professionals. The session examines how AI adoption, AI‑driven skill gaps, and cost pressure are reshaping decisions across recruiting, learning, benefits, and payroll.
In this session, we’ll explore:
- 62% of organizations expect AI adoption to increase headcount in 2026, compared to just 7% expecting a decrease—highlighting that AI is replacing tasks, not people.
- 47% of HR leaders cite attracting and hiring skilled professionals as their #1 concern, surpassing training and upskilling.
- While 58% of organizations prioritize skills‑based hiring, fewer than half use live or in‑person assessments, increasing the risk of unverified skills (“skillfishing”).
- Benefits costs are increasing faster than any other HR spend, driven not only by inflation but by benefits being used as a primary retention lever.
- Payroll is a flexibility and retention tool in 2026, and earned wage access, pay equity analysis, and Employer of Record models are gaining traction.
Meet the Presenter
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Ines Bahr
Ines Bahr is a Associate Principal Analyst with nearly 10 years of experience. She specializes in human resources (HR) and digitalization strategies, and investigates new trends in markets around the world. Her digitalization tips are based on more than 30 studies she has conducted in several countries. Her primary research helps executives understand the latest trends that are critical to their business. Ines’ research has been published in multiple tier 1 media publications, and she has spoken at several events.
SHRM certification has approved this webinar for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webinar.