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The HR Barometer 2026, the annual study conducted jointly by Hudson (part of Randstad Group) and Vlerick Business School, provides a clear picture of the reality HR departments in Belgium are currently facing. For the first time in ten years, HR capacity has declined significantly, while expectations regarding HR leadership and strategic impact continue to rise. Based on input from CHROs of 132 of the 250 largest organisations in Belgium, the study outlines the current state of HR in terms of priorities, levels of mastery and future challenges.
One of the most striking findings of this edition is the reduction in available HR resources. The median HR ratio has dropped to one HR professional per 73 employees, compared to one per 66 last year. As a result, HR teams are expected to deliver at least the same – if not a greater – strategic contribution with fewer resources.
This evolution significantly increases pressure on HR departments and makes clear choices around focus, efficiency and digitalisation more urgent than ever.
What tops the HR agenda for 2026? Three domains clearly stand out:
Notably, more traditional HR priorities such as Selection & Recruitment and Learning & Development no longer appear in the top three. This does not reflect weaker performance – on the contrary, mastery levels in these areas remain high and provide a solid foundation for further growth.
HR Directors report growing confidence across an increasing number of HR domains. Levels of mastery improve almost across the board, with hybrid working as the only exception. This confirms the continued professionalisation of HR within large organisations.
At the same time, the research highlights some persistent blind spots. Digital transformation, HR analytics and strategic workforce planning are recognised as key priorities but remain insufficiently mastered. These areas represent major levers for future progress.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR is also gaining importance, although application often remains experimental. A lack of digital skills and limited HR capacity are seen as the main barriers to becoming future-ready.
While HR capacity declines, the strategic role of the CHRO continues to grow. According to respondents, HR is increasingly evolving towards:
This positioning is now firmly embedded: in 89% of organisations, the CHRO is a formal member of the executive or leadership team, and 91% of boards explicitly recognise the CHRO as a strategic business partner.
To live up to this role, CHROs must continue to develop themselves. The three most critical future skills identified are:
Beyond their current responsibilities, CHROs expect HR to make a crucial contribution over the next five years in the area of reskilling and upskilling the workforce. These efforts are essential to meet the expectations of top management and keep pace with a rapidly evolving labour market.
While organisations are already investing strongly in company culture, agility and continuous change, a clear gap remains when it comes to structural learning and development strategies. Bridging this gap will be one of HR’s key challenges in the coming years.
The HR Barometer is a research project initiated by the Vlerick Strategic Talent Management Centre at Vlerick Business School. This expertise network focuses on knowledge building and sharing within HR and Talent Management. Together with 30+ member organisations from various sectors, the research centre closely monitors already for the twelfth time effective HR practices and key developments in the field.
Download the full HR Barometer report 2026.
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