7 HR Survey Topics to Explore in 2027

HR teams are heading into 2027 with no shortage of questions.

How are employees using AI? What do they expect from workplace technology? Are managers and employees having the same experience — or even the same conversations?

For HR technology companies, employers and workplace brands, these questions create an opportunity to contribute something valuable: original research.

A well-designed PR survey can help you understand the people you serve while giving your team insights to use across thought leadership, media outreach, marketing and business planning.

Here are seven HR survey topics worth exploring for 2027.

1. How employees are actually using AI at work

Organisations are discussing AI from every angle. But what does that discussion look like in an employee's day-to-day work?

A survey could explore which tasks employees use AI to support, where they feel confident and where they want more guidance.

Potential questions include:

What are employees using AI to help them do? Have they received training or workplace guidance? What concerns do they have about accuracy or appropriate use? What would help them feel more comfortable using these tools?

You could also survey HR leaders or managers separately to understand their expectations. Just be clear about what each group is qualified to answer.

2. The gap between employer and employee expectations

A workplace programme can look different depending on where someone sits.

Leadership may believe a policy is clear, while employees may still have questions. Managers may think development opportunities are easy to access, while employees may not know where to begin.

Research can explore those perspectives across topics such as communication, flexibility, training and career development.

These studies are especially useful when the goal is to understand why experiences differ — not just establish that they do.

3. Career development and skills

Employees and employers may both value career development, but they do not necessarily define it the same way.

A study could investigate how employees identify the skills they want to develop, what opportunities they know about and what they expect from their managers.

HR leaders might be asked a different set of questions about workforce planning, training priorities and the challenges of supporting development.

For an HR technology brand, those findings could create a foundation for a broader conversation about learning and growth at work.

4. What employees expect from workplace technology

Companies invest in tools to help people work. But are those tools helping employees accomplish what they need to do?

Rather than ask whether employees simply "like" their technology, focus on a specific experience. How easy is it to find benefits information? Request time off? Complete onboarding? Get an answer to a workplace question?

A survey can help identify which parts of an experience are working and where people need more support.

5. HR leaders' priorities and pressures

HR leaders balance employee needs with business priorities, budgets and changing demands.

Research can explore which challenges take up the most time, where leaders want to invest and what makes it difficult to put plans into action.

The audience definition matters here. An HR executive responsible for strategy may see different issues from a manager responsible for a particular process. Both perspectives can be valuable, but they may need different questions.

6. Communication and trust at work

A message sent is not always a message understood.

Research can examine how employees prefer to receive important information, whether managers feel equipped to answer questions and where people go when they need clarification.

For example, a study could explore communication around benefits changes, new technology or workplace policies.

The goal is to understand what makes communication useful — not simply count how many messages were distributed.

7. The experience of joining a new organisation

Onboarding involves more than completing paperwork. New employees are learning how to navigate a company, understand expectations and find the people and information they need.

A study could ask new hires what helped them feel prepared, where they wanted more support and what they wish they had known sooner.

HR teams could also be surveyed about their goals and challenges. If you want to compare the groups, plan those audiences and sample sizes before fieldwork begins.

Start with the question — not the headline

A strong HR survey does not have to cover every workplace issue. It needs a focused question, the right audience and a reason for people to care about the answer.

Think about the conversations your customers, colleagues and prospects are already having. Where could original data add a new perspective?

Our thought leadership research starts with exactly those conversations.

Planning an HR or future-of-work study for 2027? Contact CITE Research to discuss your ideas.