Recruiting great talent is only half the challenge. HERC's 2026 Higher Education Workforce Survey shows that the same workplace conditions that attract candidates also influence whether employees choose to stay.
Based on responses from more than 800 current and prospective higher education professionals, this year's report reveals a workforce that remains committed to higher education's mission, but is placing greater emphasis on career sustainability, workload, leadership, flexibility, and growth opportunities.
Among the findings:
• 79% of current higher education professionals are actively seeking or open to new opportunities.
• 70% report being satisfied with their current role, yet nearly half are considering leaving their employer within the next year.
• Half of employees fall into the Rising or Critical categories of HERC's new Workload Strain Index, highlighting workload as a widespread workforce challenge.
The report offers actionable insights to help institutions strengthen both recruitment and retention by focusing on the workplace factors that matter most.
The full report, Closing the Gap: Recruitment, Retention, and Career Sustainability in Higher Education, is now available to members on HERConnect.
Coming later this fall: The Retention Risk Index Special Report will take a closer look at where retention pressure is emerging, the workplace conditions associated with it, and what the findings reveal about opportunities for earlier intervention.
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