Decision Intelligence Benchmark: CSR & Social Impact Talent Decisions for 2026 – 2027
How CSR leaders are keeping mission-driven teams engaged, and why limited career paths could put top talent at risk
CSR teams are the most engaged of any function we studied, and engagement is still rising. After a difficult 2025, many CSR leaders feel things have steadied. But most senior leaders worry this could be the calm before a bigger storm. And with flat headcount, few new roles, and a strong bench of rising talent with nowhere to move up, the bigger risk may already be inside the team.
This report takes you inside CSR teams to see what’s driving their momentum, and what could stall it.
Inside, you’ll discover:
- Why CSR leads every function we studied on engagement, and what’s behind the jump this year
- Why senior leaders and managers see their team’s skills so differently, and what that gap could mean
- The two skills CSR teams need most as pressure grows to tie giving, grantmaking, and volunteering to business results
- Why CSR is tied for the least expected AI impact on headcount in the benchmark
- Why CSR has the lowest expected turnover of any function, yet the strongest concern about career advancement
- How a strong emerging talent bench could turn into a retention problem if career paths don’t open up
- What leaders can do now to build resilience before the next wave of external pressure hits
Download the report to see how your peers are keeping CSR teams strong today and ready for whatever comes next.
