Ventra conducted a study on HR strategies for 2026–2027, surveying over 700 business representatives, primarily HR leaders and executives. The findings indicate that automation and AI have shifted from being top priorities to secondary concerns as businesses focus on labor productivity.
Data shows that 37.1% of employers view automation without clear results as the primary source of inefficient HR spending. Only 11.3% of companies recently prioritized active HR automation, while 43.5% focused on hiring quality, 38.3% on performance evaluation, and 33.9% on retention.
Regarding AI adoption, only 8.1% of companies use it actively, while 38.7% do not use it at all. Employers cite low motivation (33.9%) and poor role matching (32.3%) as the main productivity constraints, whereas only 9.7% blame a lack of automation.
If HR budgets were cut by 30%, only 3.2% of firms would reduce automation spending, preferring to cut corporate events or consultants. However, if additional funds were available, only 17.7% would invest in automation, compared to 46.8% for salary increases.
