The DEVELOR L&D Kaleidoscope survey of more than 1,300 international HR and L&D leaders shows that artificial intelligence (AI) has doubled its strategic importance within HR over two years and is now the second most important strategic HR task. At the same time, leadership development remains the top business priority for organisations heading into 2026.
Csaba Szabó, Chief Executive Officer of Develor, told Portfolio that adapting global trends requires attention to local and regional specificities. He will discuss the topic further at the HR Revolution 2026 conference on November 17, where tickets are still available.
AI adoption and shifts in HR activity
The research charts AI’s role in learning and development: 39.5% of surveyed organisations already use AI in training; a further 29.0% plan to introduce it; 29.6% find the topic interesting but have no concrete plans yet; and just 1.9% reject the use of AI.
These figures indicate significant variation in AI maturity between organisations and the risk that the gap will widen between adopters and those that wait. Csaba Szabó argues that treating AI purely as a technology project risks disappointment, while approaching it as a capability- and leadership-development issue can generate real competitive advantage.
Develor notes that catching up need not require a huge budget or a full-scale transformation. Organisations can start with small, low-risk use cases (for example, consolidating internal knowledge assets), implement basic AI guardrails, and build AI skills in L&D teams to show time savings and quality improvements.
Leadership development and key competencies
Leadership development remains the most frequently selected strategic HR priority for 2026. Companies view leadership quality as a primary means to operate in uncertainty, execute change, and maintain performance.
According to the survey, the top leadership competencies are: motivating and engaging employees (30.7%), agility and adaptability to change (29.9%), and developing employees and talent management (27.1%).
Szabó emphasises that the AI era increases, rather than reduces, the importance of good leaders: the faster the technological change, the more critical it is to have senior professionals who can make sense of change, maintain trust, and deliver business results.
Training formats and delivery channels
The research also shows a practical shift in training formats. While 49.8% of respondents still consider one-day workshops the ideal development unit, the share of half-day formats rose from 30.2% in 2024 to 36.7% in 2026. Organisations are seeking shorter, more focused and easily scheduled learning pathways rather than fewer interventions.
Delivery channels remain balanced in 2026: 47.4% of programmes are delivered offline and 42.6% online.
Regional tailoring and the domestic emphasis
Develor’s study highlights regional differences: in several countries within the region, digitalisation and AI integration have become central to learning and development strategies. In Hungary, however, employee engagement and retention remain particularly strong priorities. This suggests Hungarian HR leaders must balance technological transition with labour-market pressures and the business risks of losing key people.
About Develor and leadership
Csaba Szabó has led Develor’s Hungarian business for 15 years; Develor has more than 30 years of history and operates in 18 countries. Szabó stresses that successful localisation of global trends requires attention to local context.
Further discussion of the survey results and these topics will take place at the HR (R)evolution 2026 conference organised by Portfolio on November 17; tickets are still available.
