SHRM Unveils 2026 Talent Trends Report: Data-Driven Insights for the Future of Work
Nearly 70% of HR Professionals Still Face Challenges Recruiting for Full-time Positions
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – SHRM, the trusted global authority on work, workers, and the workplace, today released its 2026 Talent Trends Report. The report explores HR’s role in addressing recruiting challenges and highlights the strategies that organizations are using to fill jobs, including training existing workers and relying on apprenticeship, internship, and mentorship programs.
Based on a survey of over 2,000 HR professionals, the report highlights critical shifts shaping talent management through 2026. The report arrives at a crucial time, as employers struggle to fill roles amid a cooling labor market and widening skills gaps. While external recruitment has been the norm, SHRM’s insights highlight the need for organizations to rethink how they cultivate and retain talent for long-term success.
Organizations are confronting ongoing recruitment difficulties, widening skills gaps, and shifting workforce expectations driven by technological and strategic change. The 2026 Talent Trends Report urges a strategic shift: move beyond traditional hiring and adopt data-driven, skills-based talent strategies to build resilient, inclusive, and future-ready workplaces. These findings highlight a leadership imperative: Hiring alone won’t solve talent challenges. Organizations must rethink how they identify, develop, and deploy talent, emphasizing internal mobility, upskilling, and agile deployment.
“We must fundamentally rethink how we find and build talent,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO of SHRM. “Our research demonstrates that organizations embracing skills-based hiring, leveraging technology, and fostering inclusive cultures are best positioned for sustained success. The 2026 Talent Trends Report provides HR leaders with actionable data and strategies to navigate the evolving workforce landscape.”
Key Findings reveal:
- In the past 12 months, 4 in 10 HR professionals (42%) reported having difficulty retaining full-time employees.
- Over a third of HR professionals (41%) train existing employees for hard-to-fill roles.
- Nearly 70% of HR professionals still face challenges recruiting for full-time positions.
Recruiting challenges remain widespread
- Nearly 7 in 10 professionals (68%) reported difficulty recruiting full-time employees and half of those HR professionals (53%) said recruiting has become more difficult compared with one year ago.
Skills shortages persist as a major hiring challenge
- 80% of HR professionals report the greatest difficulty finding candidates with systems and resource management skills, including judgment, decision-making, complex problem-solving, and time management.
The same set of recruiting strategies remains the most popular
- Social media was the most frequently reported recruiting strategy used by HR professionals (59%), but they ranked it ninth in effectiveness at filling open roles.
Learning and development pathways show strong potential for filling hard-to-fill roles
- Job rotation programs are highly effective in addressing talent gaps (93%) but remain underutilized, with less than (25%) of HR professionals implementing them compared to other L&D pathways.
Talent and the road ahead
As recruiting challenges and skills gaps persist, organizations that invest in continuous development, leverage technology, and foster inclusive cultures will build resilient, future-ready workforces. Success depends on designing talent systems that balance immediate needs with long-term growth, ensuring agility and engagement in a rapidly evolving workplace.
Methodology
SHRM surveyed 2,094 HR professionals via its Voice of Work Research panel (Feb. 9–20, 2026). Respondents represented organizations of all sizes and industries across the U.S. Data is unweighted. How to cite: 2026 Talent Trends, SHRM, 2026.
Learn More
For more information and to access the full report, please contact: press@shrm.org.
About SHRM
SHRM is a member-driven catalyst for creating better workplaces where people and businesses thrive together. As the trusted authority on all things work, SHRM is the foremost expert, researcher, advocate, and thought leader on issues and innovations impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM touches the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally. Discover more at SHRM.org.
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