The HRCI Research Hub brings together original studies, workforce polling, reports, and expert analysis, so you can act on what's happening now and prepare for what's next.
The State of HR Featured ReportsManaging the Changing Workplace: A Framework for HR
From return-to-office decisions and hybrid work to contractors and other non-traditional workers, this HRCI report explores the latest research and how HR can use data to make more informed, evidence-based workplace decisions.
Original research and expert analysis on the issues shaping HR today, from workforce safety and emerging technology to DEI and employee well-being.
From career paths to culture, this research identifies what actually separates HR professionals who are just getting by from those who are truly fulfilled—and what leaders can do to close that gap and build a more committed team.
This research uncovers where professional development is falling short, from misaligned training priorities to gaps in AI readiness, and what it takes to build a workforce equipped for what's next.
From bullying, political tension to substance use and violence prevention, this research covers workplace safety—what the data reveals, what's at stake, and what you can do to reduce risk and build a more resilient organization.
From rising absenteeism to safety risks, HRCI research reveals how extreme weather is reshaping workforce management and what HR can do now.
The State of HR
Based on HRCI’s survey of thousands of HR professionals, the State of HR report examines the issues defining the profession today. From AI and workplace culture to talent, leadership, and career growth, the report reveals how HR teams are adapting to change and preparing for the future. Explore the data, trends, and insights shaping the world of work below.
Download the Full ReportState of HR Spotlight Reports
Half of HR professionals work in environments marked by polarized viewpoints, and 4 in 10 describe their stress as extreme or high. Find out what the data reveals about conflict, mental health, and what it means for your organization.
HR professionals are broadly optimistic about their field — but over 4 in 10 are considering careers outside of it. Explore what's driving both the enthusiasm and the tension, and what it takes to build a team of true HR believers.
71% of HR professionals use AI regularly, yet more than half say implementing new technology is the area they feel least prepared to handle. See where the preparation gap is widest and what needs to change now.
83% of HR professionals believe remote work benefits organizations—but the debate is far from settled. Get the data on where HR stands on flexibility, productivity, and the return-to-office conversation.
More Insights for HR Professionals
Explore the issues shaping HR today and get the data you need to lead with confidence, make informed decisions, and move the profession forward.
Recovery friendly workplaces reduce absenteeism, improve retention, and strengthen workplace culture—yet most organizations haven't made meaningful progress. This HRCI and Fors Marsh research reveals why: stigma, undertrained HR teams, and weak leadership buy-in top the list. Understand where the gaps are and what organizations that get it right do differently.
Earning an HRCI certification builds earning power. Within four years, the median HRCI certificant earns 33% more than they did before getting certified. That's double the salary growth of comparable HR professionals over the same period. See what the data shows about the career and financial impact of HRCI certification.
HR is ready to lead, but is the organization ready to let it? This 2024 HRCI and MindEdge research report surfaces a striking disconnect: while 88% of HR professionals believe HR should drive business strategy, only half say leadership agrees. Add in underfunding, understaffing, and persistent burnout, and the case for rethinking HR's role has never been stronger.
AI is reshaping the workplace, and HR professionals are watching closely. This HRCI and MindEdge survey of HR practitioners reveals how the profession is navigating AI adoption, persistent burnout, rising turnover, and the evolving push and pull of remote work. Find out where your peers stand, and what the data means for the work you do every day.
Browse our complete library of research reports, guides, and frameworks. Whether you're building a business case, navigating a workforce challenge, or staying ahead of what's next, the intelligence you need is here.
Over three-quarters of HR professionals use AI weekly, but most have had little to no training. Learn how to build real confidence and capability starting today.
Explore how HR can turn AI adoption into a strategic advantage—balancing innovation with ethical responsibility.
This research-backed guide gives HR professionals the data and practical steps to build a recovery-friendly culture that reduces risk and supports your people.
The report explores the realities of managing DEI programs in today’s climate—where values alignment, stakeholder trust, and business performance are all on the line.
This report provides critical insights and actionable strategies for HR leaders to foster a more harmonious and productive work environment.
HRCI webinars go beyond the basics. Each session unpacks the trends, data, and real-world strategies HR professionals need to lead with confidence today and adapt to what's coming next.
News and perspectives on the issues driving the HR profession forward.
More than half of HR professionals say implementing technology is where they feel least prepared, even as AI continues to reshape how work gets done across every organization. The result is a workforce carrying fear about what comes next. This post makes the case that HR is uniquely positioned to resolve that fear, and that doing so requires treating workforce learning as a strategic infrastructure decision.
There's a finding in HRCI's State of HR report that I keep coming back to. When HR professionals were asked to identify the areas their departments feel least prepared to handle, more than half named implementing technology as a top vulnerability. Only 13% counted it among their strengths.
Individual skill gaps don't tell the whole story. This is about where HR stands as a function right now, and what that means for the people we're responsible for leading.
Why is that skills gap on my mind? In the same HRCI research, 71% of HR professionals said not only that AI will change their job within the next year, but that they are already using it daily at work. That same group said they're not at all concerned about AI replacing them.
So the fear spreading through the workforce right now isn't entirely about replacement. It's subtler, and in some ways harder to address. It's the fear of adapting without clear direction. Of responding to constant change without the skills or context to do it confidently.
One respondent in a State of HR survey put it plainly: "I think there's a real chance that AI might erode into the career path of professionals like myself. I often wonder what an alternative would be, especially given my age and years of experience."
That's a fear of being left behind, of the window to stay relevant closing before you had a chance to figure out what relevant even means. And it's showing up at every level of the workforce right now, with particular intensity in entry-level and foundational roles where automation is hitting hardest (we’ll share a blog on AI’s impact on entry-level jobs soon).
Workforce fear and work redesign are not separate problems. When people lack the context to understand how AI affects their role, fear fills the vacuum. The antidote is preparation—and preparation is HR's domain.
It's worth being specific about this, because the answer matters as much as the problem.
The anxiety workers are carrying right now isn't primarily about what AI can do. It's about what they don't yet know how to do alongside it. That distinction is important, because it means the fear is solvable—not by reassurance, and not by waiting for things to stabilize. It resolves when people develop real capability, moving from uncertainty about their relevance to confidence in their contribution.
Research consistently shows that workers who receive training on the specific things disrupting their work report lower anxiety and higher engagement. General professional development doesn't resolve this kind of fear, though; targeted preparation on the very thing that feels uncertain does. When someone understands how AI affects their role and has practiced working alongside it, the threat loses its shape. That's what learning produces that nothing else can: not just skill, but the confidence that comes from knowing you can handle what's in front of you.
That's why learning is about infrastructure in this environment. And for HR, building that infrastructure—deliberately, equitably, and at scale—is the work.
This is where I want to be direct about what the moment requires from HR as a function, not just individual practitioners.
A significant portion of the workforce is already using AI without formal training or organizational support. What's less discussed is what that condition demands of HR leadership in response.
It demands that we stop treating AI capability development as a learning and development line item and start treating it as a strategic infrastructure decision. The organizations that will navigate this transition well are not the ones that offered a webinar. They're the ones where HR made a deliberate, visible commitment to building capability across the workforce, and then designed the systems to deliver it.
That means a few things in practice.
Learning can't be episodic or self-directed. Asking individuals to figure out AI on their own sets people up to fail and eventually disengage. When it's designed well, learning is visible, woven into the flow of work and expected of everyone.
Access has to be equitable. Learning opportunities that reach only those with the right manager or the right visibility will only deepen existing inequities. HR has to design for everyone, especially those in the roles most disrupted by automation.
And managers have to be accountable. Connecting employees to development opportunities isn't optional. HR's job is to make that expectation explicit and give managers the tools to meet it.
HR is the function best positioned to determine whether AI integration strengthens the workforce or strains it.
The organizations where HR leads this well will look different from those that don't. Their employees will be less anxious and more capable. Their managers will be better equipped to support their teams through ongoing change. Their cultures will reflect the message that people are worth investing in.
That's a competitive outcome. And it starts with HR deciding that it owns not just the training calendar, but the entire architecture of how a workforce builds capability in a world where work never stops changing.
The fear in the workforce right now is real, but it isn’t permanent. And HR is how it gets resolved.
Andre Allen, GPHR, is Chief Business Officer at HRCI, where he oversees product development, governance, finance, human resources, legal, compliance, and enterprise services. With more than 30 years of experience in technology and global business, he has led large-scale HR enterprise systems and assessment technologies at organizations including Pearson Performance Solutions, Vangent, and General Dynamics. A former chair of the HRCI Board of Directors, Allen is known for building high-performance teams and driving strategic growth across complex, global organizations.