HR.com has announced the formation of its 2026 Advisory Board on Employee Retention, bringing together senior HR executives and talent experts to shape new research and a virtual event focused on improving employee retention, increasing performance, and driving organizational success. The board's insights will directly inform the 2026 HR Research Institute survey and virtual event programming, according to a press release.
"The organizations that retain top talent are those that continuously adapt to the changing needs of their workforce," said Debbie McGrath, CEO of HR.com. "We're excited to bring together this exceptional group of advisors to share their expertise and help HR leaders build more effective retention strategies."
The upcoming State of Employee Retention 2026 Virtual Event, scheduled for November 10, 2026, will explore today's biggest retention challenges, emerging workplace trends, and practical strategies for reducing turnover. Attendees will gain research-backed insights into topics such as organizational culture, employee well-being, leadership, benefits, flexible work, AI, and the proven practices of organizations that excel at retaining talent.
The newly formed advisory board features distinguished experts including Douglas Brown, Founder of Manage2Retain; Mary Damas, VP of Recruiting and Employee Engagement at ServiceLink; Dick Finnegan, CEO of C-Suite Analytics; Teri Frangie, Chief Human Potential Officer at Frangie-Young Solutions; Barrie Goodman, HR Consultant and Founder of FelbarrsHR; Andy Hall, Founder of Andy Hall Coaching LLC; Larren Oliver, VP of Human Resources, Talent & Retention at Excalibur Data Driven Performance Management; Lisa Reinhardt, Senior Manager of Learning & OD at The CCS Companies; Sonja Talley, President of CORE HR Solutions, LLC; and Natalie Wintermark, Chief People & Culture Officer.
The HR Research Institute, powered by HR.com, releases annual "State of the Industry" reports across various HR topics, including last year's State of Employee Retention 2025-26 report. These and other free research reports and infographics can be downloaded at hr.com/researchinstitute.
This initiative is significant as employee retention remains a critical challenge for organizations worldwide. High turnover costs businesses billions annually in recruitment, training, and lost productivity. The advisory board's work aims to provide HR leaders with actionable strategies to reduce turnover and enhance workforce stability, which is increasingly important amid evolving workplace dynamics such as remote work, shifting employee expectations, and the integration of artificial intelligence.
By leveraging the expertise of these senior executives, HR.com hopes to identify best practices that can help organizations not only retain top talent but also boost performance and drive long-term success. The research and event will offer data-driven insights that HR professionals can apply to their own retention efforts, potentially impacting industries across the board.
