Top Concerns of CHROs 2026: From Experimentation to Execution
Research by Larry Basinait

The sixth annual Top Concerns of CHROs report captures insights from 259 senior HR leaders across North America, EMEA, and APAC, offering a clear view into the priorities shaping the future of work. As organizations navigate accelerating AI adoption, persistent skills shortages, and ongoing disruption, CHROs are shifting from exploration to execution, focusing on driving measurable impact across the enterprise.

Leadership readiness has emerged as the defining challenge for 2026. Concern over senior leaders’ ability to lead in a rapidly evolving, AI-enabled workplace has risen sharply, alongside continued pressure to strengthen manager effectiveness. At the same time, organizations are grappling with ongoing talent shortages, cultural transformation, and heightened economic uncertainty, including a significant rise in concern over a potential recession.

Inside the HR function, burnout has reached critical levels, with four in five HR leaders expressing high concern. Yet despite the urgency around skills gaps, progress in upskilling remains limited, exposing a disconnect between strategic priorities and execution capabilities.

Meanwhile, AI adoption has surged, with more than three-quarters of organizations now leveraging AI in HR, particularly in workforce analytics. The conversation is no longer about adoption, but about impact: how effectively AI is embedded into decision-making, workforce planning, and business outcomes.
Looking ahead, nearly half of organizations plan to expand their workforce in 2026, signaling cautious optimism despite ongoing volatility. To succeed, CHROs must balance growth with resilience, redefining leadership, accelerating workforce transformation, and unlocking the full value of AI and HR technology.

Why It Matters:
The role of the CHRO has never been more pivotal or more complex. This report highlights a critical inflection point: organizations that can translate strategy into execution, particularly in leadership development, AI integration, and workforce agility will be best positioned to compete in an increasingly dynamic global environment.

The key takeaways from this research are:

• Leadership and manager effectiveness are the top concerns entering 2026.
• Skills shortages persist, with limited progress in workforce upskilling.
• AI adoption is widespread, but value realization is the next frontier.
• HR burnout is at an all-time high.
• Economic uncertainty is rising, yet workforce growth plans remain strong.

The full report can be downloaded here.