Omnia’s five-year longitudinal study shows rising leadership effort across SMBs, yet progress remains too gradual to keep pace with rapid AI change.
TAMPA, FL, UNITED STATES, February 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Omnia Group has released Talent Trends Report 2026, its fifth annual longitudinal study covering the most pressing developments in talent acquisition and management for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
The 2026 report, titled Never Leaving the Human Behind in Talent Decisions, reflects insights from 451 respondents across 21 industries and examines the growing tension between rapid AI adoption and leadership readiness.
The biggest message from this study is that leadership teams are actively adjusting how they manage and develop talent to keep pace with the changes driven by rapid AI adoption. 2026 saw a clear shift in leadership efforts from the previous year.
• 73.8% of organizations now conduct regular one-on-one meetings (up from 71.3%)
• 57.1% run employee satisfaction surveys (up from 49.4%)
• 51.8% collect structured employee exit data (up from 48.2%)
Despite increased effort, five years of data indicate that progress remains gradual and insufficient to drive transformative change. AI adoption has risen sharply, reaching 42.3% in 2026, while leadership capability and formal development structures have evolved more slowly.
Omnia refers to this growing tension as the “AI acceleration vs. talent readiness gap.”
Keather Snyder, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Omnia Group, who introduced the study five years ago, said: “The findings from our largest study to date reflect what we are seeing across industries. Leaders are learning, unlearning, and investing in new tools to keep pace with the speed of AI-driven change. This pace is unlike anything we’ve seen before, and moving our teams forward while we stay ahead of the curve is a challenge.”
She added: “In this environment, I love how the world has brought back its focus on self-awareness and soft skills. Omnia’s findings, along with other industry research from ManpowerGroup and Korn Ferry, show that soft skills and critical thinking are the fastest-growing skills needed by 2030. As work continues to become more complex and as there’ll be more technology embedded in decisions, performance will increasingly depend on how people think, interpret information, and exercise judgment.”
Five Key Insights from the Talent Trends Report 2026:
1. Leadership Effort is Increasing – Outcomes depend on whether effort becomes consistent practice.
2. Engagement is Now Dependent on Trust – Employees are evaluating leadership follow-through, not perks.
3. Growth is Happening Through Movement – Internal mobility is rising where the development structure is limited.
4. Technology is Outpacing People Readiness – AI adoption is moving faster than organizations are building their systems.
5. Soft Skills Now Define Performance – Decision quality and communication matter more than technical skill alone.
The findings are based on data gathered in Q4 2025 from respondents across job roles, focusing primarily on companies with fewer than 500 employees. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, blending quantitative data with qualitative insights.
The study also provides the state of talent acquisition and management over the past five years to provide a comprehensive insight.
Download your complimentary copy of Omnia’s Talent Trends 2026 report to explore the full findings.
Shaliya Khan
White Ideas Media
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