Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

HR Priorities for 2026 Per New Surveys: Many employers are investing more in internal development and skills-building with 74% of 800 U.S.-based hiring decision makers surveyed planning to invest in AI training or upskilling this year. The Hiring WorkWatch Report issued by Monster also indicates employers are prioritizing retention over hiring in 2026, with 52% citing retention as their top workforce priority …. while only 45% cited hiring talent. 64% of employers said it was hard to find qualified candidates. 41% said they are already using AI in hiring or workforce management, whjile another 31% said they planned to adopt AI tools soon. 54% of employers said return-to-office mandates are making hiring harder. 72% of employers expected their current hybrid or on-site policies to stay the same, and 22% planned to increase in-office requirements. Another report released earlier this month by human capital management tech company Isolved found that nearly half of the HR leaders said they’re dealing with a self-inflicted skills crisis because they’re not adapting fast enough to technology and industry shifts. From the report “Retention is top of mind for employers” posted February 27, 2026, on HR Dive by Lara Ewen – U.S. journalist and from the report “Employers Focus On Retention Amid Skills Gap” posted March 3, 2026, on CHRO SmartBrief by Nina Snyder – U.S. editor, author. For more Thoughts And Observations about Upskilling and Workplace Learning go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/repowering-workplace-workforce-reskilling-mike-temkin/ For more Thoughts And Observations about Employee Retention go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/recruiting-retaining-minds-hearts-employees-mike-temkin/