Applaud today released its 2026 State of HR Service trends report, based on first-party research conducted with Censuswide among 1,000 UK employees at organizations with 2,000+ staff.
The research highlights a growing “service gap” between how often employees need HR help and how quickly they get it. Nearly four in five employees (79%) seek HR help at least once a month, averaging 3.6 HR needs per person per month, equating to ~86,500 HR-related needs per year in a 2,000-person organization and more than 2 million in a 50,000-person enterprise. Yet much of that demand is hidden because employees start in email, chat, with managers, and informal conversations, not formal cases.
Key findings:
- Where employees start: Only 26% go to an HR system/portal first; 24% email, phone, or message HR; and just 15% use knowledge/FAQs. For frontline workers, 34% ask a colleague first and only 20% use HR systems.
- Speed: Only 6% receive help instantly via AI/chat. Meanwhile, 36% wait at least a full day, and ~22% often wait several days or a week or more.
- Self-service plateau: Employees resolve only 47% of HR needs themselves. A quarter self-serves just 0–25% of needs; hospitality workers self-serve 33%.
- Cost: A typical 1,000-employee organization loses ~12,800 hours per year to routine HR queries, about $385,000 / £300,000 in productivity. Live HR interactions average US$22 versus US$2 for self-service (a 91% difference).
“Employees are asking for clear, fast, trustworthy support across every channel,” said Ivan Harding, CEO at Applaud. “The organizations that win in 2026 will make service feel joined-up, with governed knowledge and AI that can both answer and act.”
The report outlines five shifts shaping modern HR service delivery in 2026: hidden demand, fragmented channels, stalled self-service, the cost of clunky service, and the new standard for employee-first support.
