CHROs Share Their Priorities, Where Remote Work Is Heading And The Top Value Drivers For Employees 

CHRO confidence index chart
Chief Executive Research
Our third-quarter poll of HR chiefs in the U.S. reveals important areas of focus for the year ahead, including a shift in hybrid work models.

Ask any business leader in the U.S. to list their top three challenges these past few years—and even for the year ahead—and you’re likely to find recruiting and retaining qualified talent among them, if not at the top. 

So it’s no surprise that these issues are top priorities for America’s people chiefs, alongside upskilling.  

When StrategicCHRO360 asked senior HR executives to rank their priorities for the year ahead, as part of our third-quarter CHRO Confidence Index the third week of August, we found three-quarters listing “developing and upskilling employees” in first place and “finding and retaining qualified and engaged employees” in close second—with only 1 percentage point difference. 

Interestingly, only 36 percent listed improving or realigning their compensation scales as a priority, despite the fact that when asked what drives the most value for companies when it comes to recruiting, engaging and retaining talent, the most popular answer, with 77 percent of CHROs agreeing, was competitive compensation. 

The importance of flexibility also resonated among the CHROs surveyed: 75 percent ranked it as one of the biggest incentives when it comes to recruiting, engaging and retaining talent—behind compensation.  

This translates to how companies are choosing to operate: hybrid work is the work model of choice, according to CHROs at companies whose operations do not require an on-site presence. Overall, three-quarters say they use a hybrid model, and 51 percent offer flexibility as to when (or if) employees are required to come into the office—though data shows a slight shift in those practices in 2025, with a slight increase in the number of companies that plan to have mandatory in-office days. 

The good news for everyone: Only 4 percent of CHROs said cutting jobs was a priority over the coming year. 

And more good news, at least for companies: 65 percent of CHROs say they’ve seen improvements in their recruiting efforts, thanks to a cooling labor market. 

About the CHRO Confidence Index 

The CHRO Confidence Index is a pulse survey of U.S.-based CHROs and HR executives at organizations of all types and sizes on their perspective of the economy and how policies and current events are affecting their companies and strategies. Every quarter, StrategicCHRO360 asks participating CHROs about their top issues and challenges for the months ahead. The results are published on StrategicCHRO360.com and a report is distributed to participants. 

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