As we move through 2026, employers continue to refine the fundamentals of the employee experience. Two recent MRA studies — our HR Trends for 2026 Hot Topic Survey and the National Business Trends Survey — reveal a consistent theme: employees want clarity, growth, and strong everyday leadership. And employers are responding with practical, foundational improvements.
In our HR Trends for 2026 survey, HR leaders identified their top focus areas for the coming year: developing future leaders (64%), expanding training and upskilling (60%), and improving employee engagement (57%). These priorities align closely with what employees value most — clear advancement pathways, meaningful work, and supportive managers.
Our National Business Trends Survey highlights similar pressures. While many organizations are cautious about economic conditions, most still expect stable or increased revenue and are investing where it matters most for retaining talent. Leaders are focusing on modernizing onboarding, evaluating compensation structures, and improving communication around pay and performance. The message from both surveys is clear: organizations are concentrating on the essentials that shape day-to-day employee experience and long-term satisfaction.
Across the member community, we’re seeing employers take several tangible steps:
Building better leaders at all levels
Organizations are not just offering leadership development – they’re expanding it. Many are enrolling supervisors in full leadership courses, layering in short-form skill classes, and providing focused coaching for senior leaders. Frontline leadership has become a major lever for improving the employee experience.
Clarifying pay and progression
As benefit and wage costs continue to rise (63% of respondents expressed concern about benefit costs), employers are improving transparency. More organizations are updating compensation structures, refreshing pay ranges, and introducing clearer total rewards statements, so employees understand their complete package.
Smoothing the employee journey
A renewed emphasis on the basics — strong onboarding (54%), updated handbooks (63%), clear job expectations, and consistent performance conversations — is helping create a more predictable and supportive experience for employees at every stage of their employment.
Taken together, the survey findings show that 2026 isn’t about flashy perks or sweeping culture overhauls. It’s about discipline and consistency: strengthening leadership, clarifying communication, and ensuring employees feel supported in the moments that matter most. These fundamentals remain at the core of a strong employee experience and organizations that focus on them will be positioned to attract and retain talent in the year ahead.
Brittany Rittershaus is the surveys manager for MRA. She can be contacted at [email protected]. To connect with MRA’s office in Moline contact Sydney Larson, member relations manager at [email protected] or (309) 277-4199.
