When HR leaders want to keep their teams engaged, they might assume that compensation is the key. However, new research from Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) suggests the bigger levers are more closely centered on daily work and responsibilities.
The report, The Secret Ingredients of Workplace Fulfillment, draws on HRCI’s 2026 State of HR survey of 4,583 HR professionals, 85% of them U.S.-based. Researchers used logistic regression, a statistical method that isolates which factors independently predict an outcome, to identify which workplace conditions best predict whether someone becomes what HRCI calls an HR Evangelist. About 37% of respondents qualified as these professionals who enjoy the work, would recommend the field and aren’t looking to leave.
Compensation didn’t top the list of “secret ingredients,” but seven actionable factors did, and they tend toward preparedness, purpose, relevance and support.
“Money and other incentives have their place, but they do not by themselves create fulfilled employees,” said Dr. Amy Dufrane, CEO of HRCI. “Our research shows that providing professional development, a career path, adequate resources and a culture that values HR can have real impact on a team.”
Here’s what the data says HR professionals want most.
1. Professional development that prepares them
Quality of professional development was the strongest predictor of fulfillment in HRCI’s model. Among those who rated their development as excellent, 56% qualified as Evangelists, compared with 21% of those who called it poor or very poor.
Nearly all respondents completed some form of HR-related development in the past year, but only a quarter described it as excellent. The report advises managers to vet options for relevance rather than treating cost as a proxy for quality.
2. A career path they can see
The ability to advance professionally was the second-strongest driver of fulfillment. In an HRCI LinkedIn survey, 47% of HR professionals rated their department leaders as poor at providing clear career paths, and more than a quarter of State of HR respondents said they have no path at all.
“Every employee deserves the chance for advancement without having to leave the organization,” Dufrane said. “When we show employees the road ahead, we send the signal that we are investing in their future, and they will respond in kind.”
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3. A role that stays in HR
Professionals whose roles are entirely focused on HR are significantly more likely to be fulfilled than those pulled into other functions. Loaning HR talent out to adjacent projects is often framed as growth, but the data suggests it erodes commitment to the field. Only about 15% of respondents said they have both a clear career path and a role focused solely on HR.
“It can be hard to create growth plans for individuals and to keep non-HR responsibilities away from your team, but the payoff could be more committed, longer-tenured professionals,” according to the report.
4. A workload that doesn’t burn them out
Forty percent of respondents described their stress level as extreme or high. Lower work stress was a significant predictor of fulfillment, and Evangelists were far more likely than others to agree they have sufficient resources to do quality work. Only 28% of respondents in an HRCI webinar poll of more than 1,000 HR professionals completely agreed that HR leadership in their organization addresses stress and overwork proactively.
5. Leadership that values the function
Fulfilled HR professionals work for executives who treat HR as a strength. Among those who feel valued by company leadership, 49% qualified as Evangelists, versus 20% of those who feel undervalued. Yet just 22% of respondents said they feel highly valued, and only 37% consider their department a strong strategic contributor.
The report cautions against treating these findings as a menu of one-off fixes. “Organizations that are most successful at fostering Evangelists will be those that treat these themes systemically, rather than as a checklist of initiatives,” Dufrane said. “Even incremental improvements across these drivers could meaningfully shift the composition of your team in a positive direction.”
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