'Human Capital Management Survey 2026': HR Tech Adoption Leads in Recruitment at 57%

## 'Human Capital Management Survey 2026': HR Tech Adoption Leads in Recruitment at 57% On May 25, the Nikkei Human Resources & Education Business Unit released the 2026 edition of its 'Human Capital Management Survey,' conducted among major enterprises. This third annual survey received 560 responses. For the first time, respondents were asked about their level of HR Tech (IT and AI technology) utilization across fields including recruitment, development, selection, placement, and evaluation. Recruitment led the way at 57%, marking the most advanced field. However, significant challenges for future efforts also emerged. ### HR Tech Utilization Nears 50% in Talent Development When asked about the utilization of HR Tech, the combined rate of those who 'utilize it well' and 'utilize it somewhat' was highest in recruitment at 57%. Development followed at 46%, with evaluation, selection, and placement coming next. Regarding organizational challenges in promoting human capital management, over 40% of companies selected 'improvement of productivity.' HR Tech serves as the key to enhancing HR department productivity, with new technologies continuously being developed. Even in fields like selection and placement, where utilization is currently lower, new technology adoption is likely to advance in the future. ### Utilization of Talent Information: Gap Between Current State and Goals Narrows When asked if they manage 'As is To be gaps' (the difference between current state and goals) and create talent portfolios regarding talent information, the most common response remained 'Neither managed nor created' (37%), the same as the previous two surveys. However, the percentage of companies answering this has steadily decreased since the first survey, falling below 40% this time. It appears that efforts by companies are narrowing the gap between current and target states. In questions regarding challenges in employee transfers and placement, the top responses included 'talent placement from a medium- to long-term perspective,' 'visualization of employee skills,' and 'creation of talent portfolios.' This reflects companies' efforts to improve the precision of talent evaluation and placement that support human capital management. ### Visualization of Skills and Aptitudes: Implemented by Nearly Half When asked about the tools or assessments introduced to visualize employee skills and aptitudes, the most common response (multiple answers) was 'assessments to measure aptitude, character, capabilities, and skills as a leader/manager,' at 49%. This response rate has increased since the previous survey, indicating that the visualization of talent skills and aptitudes is becoming more active among enterprises. Analyzing those who responded 'assessment to measure aptitude, character, and capabilities' by employee size, the response rate for companies with 10,000+ employees remained at the same level as the previous survey, while it increased for those with 3,000–10,000 and fewer than 3,000 employees. It appears that not only giant corporations but also those with fewer than 10,000 employees are adopting objective, data-based talent evaluation to assess employee potential. Survey Name: Human Capital Management Survey (2026 Edition) Survey Target: HR executives at TSE Prime-listed or companies with 1,000+ employees Survey Period: Feb 2–Feb 13, 2026 Survey Method: Internet survey Number of Respondents: 560 Survey Organizer: Nikkei Human Resources & Education Business Unit Survey Institution: Nikkei Research