Forecasting for People Leaders: Turning Benefits Data Into 2026 Hiring Advantage
When you’re planning headcount and workforce strategy for 2026, it’s tempting to look only at external market trends — skills shortages, salary benchmarks, or economic forecasts.
But the truth is, one of the most powerful HR forecasting tools you already have at your fingertips is sitting inside your business: employee benefits data.
When you know how to interpret it, this data doesn’t just tell you what’s happening now — it helps you forecast where challenges are coming and how to retain the people you’ll need most.
The link between benefits data & retention
Employee retention is a critical piece of workforce planning. High attrition inflates recruitment costs, disrupts projects, and slows growth.
Benefits data gives you an inside view into the health, engagement, and priorities of your people. For example:
High uptake in wellbeing or counselling services can highlight stress hotspots.
Low usage of key benefits might signal a communication gap — or that the benefits don’t match what employees really value.
Consistent claims in certain areas could be an early sign of burnout risks in specific teams.
By tracking these patterns, HR leaders can act before issues turn into resignations. That’s where benefits data turns into a retention lever.
Absence, claims, usage – what to look at
Not all data points are equal. To forecast effectively, people leaders should keep an eye on three big ones:
Absence trends: Are sick days increasing in particular departments? This could flag workload or culture issues before they show up in exit interviews.
Claims data: Insurance claims show you where employee health is being tested most. Patterns can guide proactive support.
Usage rates: If benefits are underused, it could be a sign they’re not relevant — or that communication isn’t landing. Either way, it’s an opportunity to adjust before employees disengage.
Together, these three data points give HR forecasting a solid base that’s rooted in reality, not guesswork.
Benefits as a predictive HR tool
When you layer benefits data into your workforce planning, it moves you from reactive HR to predictive HR.Here’s what that looks like:
Anticipating workforce health challenges before they cause spikes in absence.
Shaping your 2026 hiring strategy around the wellbeing and engagement of your existing team.
Positioning benefits as part of your employer brand — attracting talent with evidence that you don’t just offer benefits, you actively manage and improve them.
This is how employee benefits data stops being a spreadsheet and becomes a strategic asset. Done right, it can give you a hiring and retention edge in a tight labour market.
Ready to use benefits data in your 2026 HR forecast?
If you’re finalising your workforce planning for next year, don’t overlook the data you already have. It could be the key to improving retention, boosting engagement, and giving you a competitive hiring advantage.
That’s exactly what we cover in our Q4 Ready Call — a 30-minute session designed to help HR and people leaders unlock the forecasting potential of their benefits data before heading into renewal season.
👉 Book your Q4 Ready Call today and turn your benefits data into a smarter 2026 workforce plan.
