HSE Graduate School of Business: Key HR Trends for 2026 in Russian Companies
In 2026 the Russian labor market is entering a phase of substantial transformation: companies are becoming more pragmatic, concentrating on solutions that deliver quick operational results and respond to workforce challenges. A study conducted by the HSE Business School in collaboration with hh.ru and the Ancor staffing group revealed that the structure of HR trends is changing significantly.The study highlighted a noticeable shift in the priorities of HR trends compared to the previous year. Human resource management remains a core topic in HSE Graduate Scool of Business MBA and executive education programs and the new research provides up-to-date insights that will enrich HSE HSB students’ learning experience.
Based on a survey of 382 managers and HR specialists, ten key directions were identified: increased focus on productivity and operational efficiency initiatives; employer branding; employee retention; development of mentoring practices; enhancing employee-centric approaches; revisiting engagement strategies; HR digitalization; attention to employee learning and development; addressing the shortage of frontline staff and internal mobility.
Yuliana Verbitskaya
Director of the Center for Management Analytics of the HSE Graduate School of Business
"Our annual research into current trends forms the foundation of our educational programs: we translate survey results into concrete case studies, modules, and tools that students can apply directly in their work"
Three trends stand out as top priorities for HR strategy in 2026. First is the continued focus on improving labor productivity and operational efficiency. Nearly three-quarters of companies (72.8%) plan to enhance process optimization programs, introduce additional KPIs, review workloads, and explore ways to accelerate work. This trend received the most votes and is seen as the most reliable approach to strengthening business resilience under resource constraints.
The second key trend is strengthening employer branding, which rose three positions in the ranking compared to last year. Most companies (73.1%) aim to refine their value propositions and improve the overall experience of interacting with the organization, understanding that a strong HR brand can help offset talent shortages, increase job attractiveness, and reduce turnover. Budget limitations, however, will push employers to seek creative approaches and focus more on internal communications.
The third most significant trend remains employee retention, which was the top priority last year. Nearly 69% of respondents plan to continue retention efforts, focusing more on targeted actions—retaining key employees, creating conditions for top performers, and assessing the actual effectiveness of HR initiatives. The trend is gradually shifting from active firefighting to calculated and pragmatic solutions. In 2026, revisiting engagement strategies also enters the top 10 for the first time. With engagement levels stagnant for years, companies are expected to move beyond standard formal procedures, experimenting with new mechanisms that genuinely boost employee involvement.
Director of the Center for MBA Programmes of the HSE Graduate School of Business
"Today, human capital management is no longer just an HR function, it is a management policy and a fundamental element of organizational development. That’s why HR topics run through all levels of HSE GSB: from undergraduate programs, where initial management competencies are formed, to the MBA, where we teach leaders to build strategic models for managing teams"
The study also found that Russian companies currently pay limited attention to HR trends actively discussed abroad, such as AI-driven HR management and skills-based HR models. Researchers explain this by companies’ focus on immediate challenges, budget constraints, and the complexity of implementing new concepts.