10 Research-Backed Shifts Helping Northeast Wisconsin Employers Build Talent Faster
We reviewed the latest research from Mercer, McKinsey, Korn Ferry, Gartner, Deloitte, LinkedIn and ATD, then layered in what we’re seeing on the ground with our clients across Northeast Wisconsin. The result is a report covering the 10 trends that will matter most to regional employers this year.
Here’s a preview of three of the ten trends you need on your radar right now:
Trend 1: The Leadership Pipeline is in Focus
“We need three new supervisors by Q2.” “Great—who’s ready?” [Silence.]
This conversation is happening at companies across the region. Aggressive automation and lean staffing have quietly eliminated many traditional “stepping-stone” roles, leaving a thinner bench of future supervisors and managers than anyone realized.
The result? Companies are paying 20–30% salary premiums for external hires who take six months to ramp up—if they can find candidates at all. In manufacturing and financial services, this gap is delaying new contracts and branch openings because no one is ready to lead the work.
The organizations starting “grow-your-own” leadership programs now will own the talent advantage in our region for the next decade.
Trend 2: Managers Must Become Coaches
The traditional “command-and-control” supervisor style now accelerates turnover instead of preventing it.
Supervisors equipped with practical coaching skills—real development conversations, stretch goals, meaningful feedback—create teams that are 30–50% more engaged. Frontline turnover drops noticeably when people feel invested in rather than simply managed.
2026 will separate organizations where managers are true coaches from those where they’re just bosses. The difference will show up directly in retention numbers.
Trend 3: 70% of Training is Wasted Without Reinforcement
Most corporate training fails not because the content is poor, but because nothing happens after the workshop ends.
Research consistently shows that 70% of learning fails to transfer to the job when there’s no follow-up. Yet simple 30/60/90-day manager check-ins, peer accountability calls, and application projects create 3× higher on-the-job use of new skills.
In 2026, reinforcement is what separates training that checks a box from training that changes a business. The full report includes a reinforcement framework you can implement immediately.
What Else is in the Full Report?
The complete 2026 Trends Report covers seven additional shifts reshaping how leading companies develop talent:
- Skills-based hiring replacing résumé-first screening
- AI predicting employee turnover 3–9 months out
- Personalized learning paths achieving 90%+ completion rates
- Micro-credentials that double as recruiting tools
- Peer coaching circles that cost almost nothing
- Internal mobility outperforming raises for retention
- Repositioning training as a revenue driver
The report also includes a 2026 Training Readiness Scorecard to help you assess where your organization stands.
Get the Full List + Scorecard by scheduling a 20-Minute Insights Session
We’re reserving 15 strategy sessions per month for CEOs, HR leaders, and other department heads in Northeast Wisconsin. In this focused conversation, we’ll:
- Share the complete 2026 Training Trends Report
- Include the Readiness Scorecard you begin using immediately
- Identify 2–3 high-impact actions to consider for your organization
No slides. No sales pitch. Just a productive conversation with your Talent Performance Partner at UW-Green Bay.
Contact us to schedule an “Insights Session” today.
Make your enhanced training strategy becomes one of your strongest competitive advantages.