Dive Brief:
- Forty-eight percent of HR professionals in the U.S. said they’ve considered leaving the field in the next 12 months, according to the 2026 State of People Strategy Report, released Wednesday by HR platform Lattice. Globally, of the more than 1,000 HR practitioners surveyed, 41% said the same.
- HR pros cited the emotional toll of managing workers’ problems, feeling undervalued or unheard and work-life balance challenges as their reasons for considering a career change.
- “HR teams carry the emotional and operational weight of the business, yet too often receive little recognition or support,” Rana Robillard, chief people officer at cloud technology company Tekion, said in the report. “People are the most valuable asset of any company, and the HR team is what keeps that engine running. Losing them doesn’t just set HR back. It slows the entire business.”
Dive Insight:
Notably, nearly a third of HR pros who considered leaving the profession said they found a reason to stay, per the report. Those who chose to pursue HR said they liked helping workers grow and develop, having an organization-wide influence and being considered a trusted advisor.
Despite thoughts about leaving the profession, more than 3 in 4 HR practitioners said they feel somewhat or fully engaged. In Europe, that number climbs to 85% compared to 72% among those in the U.S.
Whether someone in HR would recommend the profession varies by what type of workplace they’re in, the report found. For example, 77% of blue-collar and 75% of gray-collar HR pros — those that work in settings with a mix of white- and blue-collar work — said they were likely or very likely to recommend the field, but only 56% of white-collar professionals agreed.
Nearly all of the HR workers surveyed (93%) said they expect HR head count to either remain unchanged or grow, and 9 in 10 said they think HR budgets will stay the same or increase. Just shy of 80% said they feel their job is safe.
Amidst nearly nonstop change, HR pros said they are focused on performance management, employee engagement and integrating advanced technologies, such as agentic artificial intelligence, the report found.
Nearly 3 in 4 U.S. HR leaders said they can handle change and are confident about their organizations’ ability to manage future change, according to a July report from The Conference Board.
U.S. HR leaders, too, said they believe they can lead through ongoing political, social and regulatory shifts at the national level. Of those surveyed for a May report by The Conference Board, 73% said they feel confident about their ability to manage the national volatility.
