Closing that gap will require clearer alignment between HR priorities and business outcomes, stronger storytelling with data, and a sharper focus on the metrics that matter most to executive leadership. Many HR teams have earned credibility as problem-solvers and advisors, but not all have converted that trust into formal influence. While nearly one-third of CHROs (31%) say executives view HR as a reliable service function supporting the business, fewer see HR fully embedded in top-level decision-making. CHROs are aligning around a clear set of performance metrics to evaluate HR’s impact in 2026, with an emphasis on measures that reflect hiring quality. Clear priorities, meaningful metrics, and alignment with business outcomes are increasingly tied to earning—and sustaining—a seat at the decision-making table. As expectations for HR’s strategic impact continue to rise, the way success is defined and measured plays a critical role in shaping how HR is viewed by executive leadership.
They’d also like to thank Siri Anderson and Negina Rood (both with Deloitte Services LLP) and Narasimham Mulakaluri, Akshay Jadhav, Abha Kulkarni, and Saurabh Bansode (all with Deloitte Services India Pvt. Ltd.) for their contributions to the research and analysis. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Peter Fasolo (former CHRO of Johnson & Johnson) and Christian Meisner (CHRO of GE Aerospace) for sharing their insights with the research team. To gain insights into how organizations are recruiting for CHRO and other talent leadership roles, we analyzed data from 748 publicly available job postings across 20 industries in both the public and private sectors. By focusing on strategic initiatives and maintaining a balance between business acumen and people-centric leadership, CHROs can help their organizations thrive in an ever-changing landscape. This implementation can benefit from the kind of quantitative and technical skills that have become table stakes for the CHRO in recent years.
CHROs have historically been expected to confirm that their organization is compliant with labor and regulatory mandates, but the demand for a stronger business-talent integration is often changing how CHROs are expected to activate these ideas on behalf of the enterprise. For instance, our analysis shows that skills pertaining to labor compliance jumped over 90% in that time frame. In one use case, the team deployed predictive analytics to proactively identify employee turnover. They need to have a command of not only the facts and the trends but how to do the type of analysis that can support a credible business case.” The CHRO for a large health care network emphasizes that HR leaders should be “much more data-driven, and able https://kenyanrides.com/types-of-work-and-residence-permits-in-kenya.html to come to the table with a business case for everything. From 2018 to the first half of 2024, demand in job postings for general finance backgrounds increased by 34%, general science and research skills increased by 15%, and most notably, policy analysis, research, and development skills increased by 60%.
What retail CHROs want from AI in 2026
AI-powered background check enhancements are a top priority across industries, including retail. Retail HR leaders are clear about where AI can provide the most immediate operational value, particularly in workflows that reduce manual screening and accelerate hiring. All data found within this report is derived from a survey conducted online via a third-party survey platform.
How Holly Kuzdzal Shapes HR Strategy for Mancini Companies
When it comes to attracting and retaining top talent, CHROs point to a clear (and consistent year over year) set of top employee value propositions that have the greatest impact on candidate decisions. It’s about ensuring the right systems are working together to deliver speed, trust, and consistency at scale. While most HR teams have invested in modern tools, CHROs report mixed results when it comes to whether those technologies are meeting expectations.
Top 2026 perceived competitive advantages keep the focus on AI and tech stack improvement. Hiring success now depends not only on attracting candidates but on delivering experiences that build confidence while meeting evolving expectations. This consistency shows that the most friction working against AI and tech improvements is still spread across technology, people, and cost. To understand what’s slowing progress, CHROs were asked to identify the biggest roadblocks to optimizing their hiring technology stack. Year-over-year comparisons highlight how CHRO priorities have shifted since last year and where pressure to modernize is accelerating across the hiring function.
Activating the analysis skill sets
In total, 2,500 Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) across multiple industries were surveyed over a two-week period spanning December 2025 and January 2026. Our modern background check technology integrates seamlessly with your hiring tech stack and provides transparency, automation, and trust at scale. CHROs point to a clear set of workforce risks that could pose the greatest risk if left unaddressed, highlighting where attention and resources will be most critical moving forward.
Retail AI adoption intent mirrors the overall market
To navigate these challenges, HR leaders can consider the following strategies to help balance competing needs and growing responsibilities in their roles. In this kind of situation, the CHRO of a US state government said that leaders might consider adopting a mindset that “I’m not here for management; I’m here for the organization” in order to help balance the different needs http://hi-ce.org/papers/1995/making_systems_dynamic_modeling/index.html of stakeholders and focus on value creation over the long run. As Fasolo puts it, “the primary framing of the function and the CHRO role is to deliver value as the recipients see it, not as the function sees it.” In fact, in both Deloitte’s 2025 Human Capital Trends report and in a recent study on evolving C-suite roles, leaders frequently reinforce that as the world continues to change in unpredictable ways, having enduring human capabilities to navigate these changing landscapes will be important for success across the enterprise.14 “As an example, we were going through a major transition from being a decentralized organization to a platform-centric technology organization, and the HR team had to lead a lot of that change. Whether it is understanding global regulations or rethinking how analytics can bolster talent initiatives that support the business, the executives interviewed stressed that context matters.
Modernizing hiring and retention at scale
- In light of this, CHROs should consider ways they can avoid getting stretched too thin by disparate responsibilities and requirements and focus instead on approaching the role with a strategic focus on serving business priorities.
- The teams conducted individual market and talent assessments and developed training to help the growing workforce gain the required skills to deliver on increasing demand while maintaining a commitment to the highest safety standards.
- When the organization is more mature and you’ve got a well-oiled machine, you tend to focus on things that are sustainable” to continue to support scalable business growth.12
- Retail leaders take a strategic view of what matters most in 2026, with priorities including hiring acceleration, employee experience, and technology modernization.
The research details these unique career pathways and each category’s specific advantages and possible business outcomes. Using data provided by Seekout, an AI-powered recruiting and talent intelligence company, the initiative’s inaugural report, Understanding the Path to CHRO, explores the quiet but radical evolution of today’s top human and talent management executives. The Josh Bersin Company research team introduces the groundbreaking CHRO Insights Initiative with the Understanding the Path to CHRO report. What do current CHROs, those hiring them, and those hoping to assume the role in the future need to know in order to move this leadership position from its traditional compliance-based approach to a consultative executive function? As a result, Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) have one of the toughest — and most critical — jobs in business, serving as the conduit between business goals and talent strategy.
Retail CHROs report mixed performance when evaluating whether HR technology investments deliver on promises. These priorities mirror the all-industry benchmark suggesting retail hiring challenges reflect broader CHRO concerns around speed, scale, and integrity. As retail organizations modernize, leaders are focusing on the hiring workflow areas where automation and technology can relieve recruiter burden, improve consistency, and strengthen integrity.
What questions are CHROs most focused on when planning for success in the next 2-3 years? Across generations, CHROs consistently highlight these three hiring strategies year over year as more effective than others in attracting and engaging a diverse workforce. Year over year, CHRO priorities have remained largely consistent, suggesting steady focus areas rather than wholesale changes in strategy.
- CHROs have historically been expected to confirm that their organization is compliant with labor and regulatory mandates, but the demand for a stronger business-talent integration is often changing how CHROs are expected to activate these ideas on behalf of the enterprise.
- Once again, we see a need to balance human-centered support with high-impact AI technology.
- These differences highlight that technology alone does not determine success.
- Top 2026 perceived competitive advantages keep the focus on AI and tech stack improvement.
- As expectations of HR leadership expand, many retail leaders are assessing whether their teams are prepared not only for today’s hiring needs but also for the risks and complexity ahead.
Leader of the HR Function
57% of organizations reported having no way to track DEI’s business impact. CHROs indicate culture has never been more important to the success of their business. CHROs are placing a significant focus on fostering a positive and engaged workforce. In total, 500 Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) working in the retail industry were surveyed over a two-week period spanning December 2025 and January 2026.