Results from the industry's biggest salary survey are in, explore national benchmarking data from 1,500+ Insurance, Personal Injury, and WHS professionals.
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52% of industry participants say they're casually keeping an eye on the market for new roles. That's not a mass exodus, it's something harder to manage: a workforce that looks settled on the surface while staying open to the right offer. Passive candidates now make up the majority of the talent pool, which means the businesses winning the best people are the ones building relationships before a role is even advertised, not just reacting when someone hands in their notice.
81% of the workforce received a pay rise this year. Yet 67% still have one eye on the exit. The link between compensation and loyalty is weakening, a pay rise is now viewed as table stakes, not a reason to stay. If retention strategy begins and ends with salary review season, it's missing most of what actually keeps people engaged: growth, recognition, and a workplace worth staying for.
Tenure used to be a proxy for value. Increasingly, it isn't. The report points to experience depth of skill and what someone can actually do becoming the sharper differentiator in hiring and promotion decisions. For employers, that means job design and career pathways matter more than service awards. For candidates, it means the story you tell about your capabilities matters more than how long you've been in the chair.
67% of the market sits in the same narrow band: wanting two to three days working from home. It's no longer a fringe preference, and it's no longer unlimited flexibility either, it's a specific, common middle ground. The paradox for employers is that "flexible work" policies need to be precise, not vague, because most of the workforce has already converged on what flexibility actually means to them.
60% of workforces are now embracing AI capabilities to improve efficiency. This is showing up in job requirements, not just internal tooling the expectation to work alongside AI, rather than around it, is becoming a standard line in role descriptions. Businesses that build AI fluency into onboarding and upskilling now will have a real advantage over those treating it as a side project.
Taken together, these five trends describe a talent market where the old levers, pay alone, tenure alone, a generic flexibility policy are losing their pull. The employers who get ahead in 2026 will be the ones who treat compensation, experience, flexibility, and AI readiness as one connected strategy, not four separate line items.
Want the full picture? Download the complete HAYLO Salary & Talent Insights Report 2026 for the full data set, industry breakdowns, and benchmarking detail. Download the Talent & Salary Insights Report 2026 here.
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