By Allison Ebner
The results from our latest member survey are in — and they paint a clear, candid picture of what’s keeping HR and business leaders up at night right now.
Nearly 200 members participated from across a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, human services, healthcare, professional services, finance, technology, and hospitality. We’re grateful for every response, and especially for the rich narrative comments that gave the numbers real context. Here’s what you shared.
What’s Challenging You Right Now
Despite the national conversation about AI-driven layoffs, our members told a different story. The single greatest challenge right now? Finding and hiring quality candidates. It wasn’t close. Close behind that is the equally pressing challenge of keeping good people engaged and on board once you’ve hired them.
Members also flagged succession and workforce planning — including thoughtful integration of technology and automation — as a growing concern, along with the need for leadership development that equips front-line managers with the skills to navigate constant change and evolving workplace expectations.
One notable finding: AI ranked surprisingly low as a current challenge for most respondents. That may be about to change — more on that below.
What’s Coming: Challenges on the 2–5 Year Horizon
Looking ahead is harder than ever right now, but our members gave it their honest best. The challenge that rose to the top? The great knowledge exit. As experienced employees retire, organizations are deeply concerned about losing the institutional knowledge they carry — and figuring out how to restructure roles and capture that expertise before it walks out the door.
Members also cited staffing for growth and expansion — new service lines, new geographies, new products — as a significant horizon concern. Financial uncertainty (funding pressures, inflation, broader economic instability) weighed heavily as well. And yes — AI and automation make their appearance here as a predicted challenge in the 2–5 year window, even if they’re not the top concern today.
Immediate HR Priorities for 2026
There was strong alignment on this one — members were clear about where they’re focusing their energy right now:
1. Leadership Development Nearly 70% of respondents flagged this as a top priority. Organizations are investing in their leaders’ core competencies — emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and change management — to help steady their teams and respond more effectively to a constantly shifting environment. Simply put: when the world keeps changing, your leaders need to be ready.
2. Employee Retention & Engagement Members are taking a hard look at their total rewards programs — compensation, benefits, wellness, recognition, and development — to make sure they’re genuinely aligned with what today’s workforce values. This isn’t a benefits refresh for its own sake; it’s a strategic response to what employees are actually asking for.
3. Succession Planning This one is closely tied to the knowledge-transfer concern above. Members are focused on the critical work of identifying internal talent, updating job descriptions, and reviewing workflows to improve both employee satisfaction and long-term productivity.
4. Benefits Evaluation (See #2 — we heard you!) Conducting a meaningful analysis of your total rewards package continues to surface as a high-priority action item for HR teams this year.
5. Organizational Strategic Planning HR professionals are increasingly stepping into a broader strategic role — helping their organizations evaluate current practices and build forward-looking plans that respond to market shifts and emerging trends.
Where Members Stand on AI
The AI snapshot from this survey is worth paying attention to:
- 61% of respondents describe their AI familiarity as beginner level; 32% consider themselves intermediate
- The most commonly used platforms are Copilot and ChatGPT
- Only 17% of members report offering any formal AI training to their employees
That last number is striking — and may explain why AI feels manageable today but looms larger on the 2–5 year horizon. There’s a window right now to get ahead of it.
What Comes Next
It’s clear that despite the diversity of industries represented in our membership, many of us are navigating the same terrain. The EANE team is carefully reviewing all the survey data — including your narrative comments, which were genuinely insightful — and will be using this feedback to shape new programs and services designed to meet you where you are.
For a full breakdown of the data, visit the complete report here.
As always, thank you for taking the time to share what’s on your mind. This is exactly the kind of conversation that makes our community stronger!
Allison