HR Benchmarks: Budget and Investment Insights for CHROs

Accelerate HR budget efficiency. Deliver HR cost savings. Fund the right initiatives.

HR Budget: HR spend as a percentage of revenue

Download the 2026 CHRO Budget Benchmarks Report

Use survey findings and data to compare key budget metrics against more than 500 organizations

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Benchmarking HR budgets and investments is key to good spending decisions

A well‑planned HR budget is essential to the function’s success, ensuring critical HR priorities are adequately funded while supporting enterprise transformation. In a continued environment of cost discipline, many CHROs lack clear external context to confidently assess whether their HR spend and staffing levels are aligned with business needs and peer practices.

Download the 2026 CHRO budget benchmarks to:

  • Assess your HR budget and resource allocation in peer context, identifying potential misalignment between spend, staffing and strategic priorities
  • Inform HR investment decisions by understanding how leading HR functions are balancing efficiency with capability building in 2026
  • Design a more flexible HR budget that supports AI transformation and evolving workforce requirements while maintaining financial discipline

About HR Budget Benchmarks

HR budgets typically encompass investment across core activity areas such as recruitment, learning and development, HR technology, total rewards and ongoing HR operations. In 2026, these investments are under heightened scrutiny as organizations remain cost‑disciplined while accelerating enterprise and workforce transformation driven by AI. By leveraging HR benchmarking data, CHROs can advocate with confidence for spending on new initiatives, defend preexisting spending, identify opportunities to drive functional efficiency and make the right future investment decisions. 

Drive stronger performance on your mission-critical priorities.