Staff Shortages, Burnout, and AI: A Recap of the HR Wisdom Summit 2026
10 July 11:44
On July 8, 2026, in Kyiv, the HR Wisdom Summit 2026, organized by Delo.ua and the business/media bureau Ekonomika, brought together more than 500 HR professionals, CEOs, business executives, and change leaders who are tackling the key challenges of the new labor market—labor shortages, professional transformation, team development, and building resilient organizations, according to
The HR Wisdom Summit 2026 was hosted by Iryna Prokofieva (1 1 media) and Sviatoslav Hrynchuk (TSN). Tatyana Smirnova, CEO of the business/media agency Ekonomika, delivered a welcome address on behalf of the organizers and set the tone for the event.
Maria Abdullina (OLX Robota) analyzed what really lies behind the figures of the Ukrainian labor market, showing how labor shortages, demographic trends, and shifting candidate expectations are forcing employers to rethink their HR strategies.
Daria Nagaeva (Gradus) presented a new analysis of burnout among Ukrainians and the impact of prolonged stress on work processes. The speaker emphasized that the mental well-being of teams is gradually becoming a factor in business efficiency.
The panel discussion “The Labor Market and HR Strategies—A Time for Active Adaptation,” featuring Tetiana Smirnova (Ekonomika), Tina Nikolova (Zhyttelub Charitable Foundation), Igor Liski (EFI Group), Daria Nagaeva (Gradus), and Anna Prykhodchenko (“Aurora”) demonstrated how businesses are changing their hiring approaches amid a shrinking talent pool and new demographic realities.
The generation set to enter the labor market in the coming years was the focus of a presentation by Denis Bloshchynskyi (civil society activist and businessman), who urged companies to start thinking now about the environment in which young professionals will build their careers.
Anastasia Kuzmenko (1 1 media school) explained how companies can not only seek out but also develop their own specialists, and presented a case study on the development of an internal educational ecosystem.
The professions of the future and the preparation of specialists for new roles were discussed by panel participants, including Serhii Beresnev (Kyiv School of Economics), Andriy Dligach (Advanter Group and the international business community Board), Igor Lukyanenko (UpPro School), Polina Aydin (CAPAROL Ukraine), Kateryna Zaloznykh (“ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih”), Natalia Lyashchenko (KYIV24), and Vadym Pukhalsky (Metinvest Polytechnic).
Watch us on YouTube: important topics – without censorship
Tetyana Popova (Uklon) spoke about corporate culture as a strategic asset for a company and ways to preserve its own DNA within a global group.
From individual initiatives to a systematic approach—Marta Martynenko (PrivatBank) presented PrivatBank’s experience in building a culture of well-being.
Veteran integration has already become a separate focus of HR strategy, and practical business insights gained over years of addressing this challenge were discussed by Natalia Yemchenko (SCM, the “Heart of Azovstal” NGO, and the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation), Marina Honda (Kyiv City State Administration), Oksana Filonenko (NGO “Employment Center for Free People”), Kateryna Zubenko (Starlight Media), Ksenia Sukhova (Rinat Akhmetov Foundation), and Petro Lukiyanchuk (Naftogaz Group).
Tetyana Sherman (Academy DTEK), Vusal Talibov (Foundation Coffee Roasters), Mariana Kosharovska (AB InBev Efes Ukraine), Marina Zvarych (INGO SK), Daryna Bagmet (Naftogaz of Ukraine), and Natalia Korol (TAS Agro) discussed how a strong employer brand is shaped by employees’ real-life experiences.
Prolonged stress affects not only people’s well-being but also companies’ management approaches—this was discussed during a panel on mental health as a management decision by Olena Matushenko (Power Mental Health), Dmytro Sudak (Teva in Ukraine), Svitlana Mozgova (“Astarta-Kyiv”), Tetiana Sakharuk (UN Global Compact in Ukraine), and Kateryna Agapos (Wellbeing Company).
Natalia Lysun (Kyivstar) shared her experience regarding the potential of Big Data for recruitment and how analytics helps companies better understand the candidate market and make HR decisions.
Natalia Lukash (HR Mentor), Ilona Pasechnyk (ALVIVA GROUP), Yulia Titurenko (Pivdenny Bank), and Tetiana Gonchar (DCT Consulting) discussed the role of the HR Director in modern business, a role that has long gone beyond personnel management to become an integral part of a company’s strategic decision-making.
The HR Wisdom Summit 2026 concluded with an awards ceremony honoring the best employers and HR directors, as selected by the magazine “TOP-100. Ratings of the Largest,” which recognized companies and executives for their systematic work with teams, people development, and the transformation of HR practices.
The HR Wisdom Summit 2026 demonstrated that competition for talent is entering a new phase: companies are competing not only for specialists but also for the ability to create an environment in which people are willing to stay, grow, and contribute to the company’s development.
The organizers of the HR Wisdom Summit 2026— Delo.ua and the business/media bureau Ekonomika— thank their partners for their contribution to the development of Ukraine’s modern HR ecosystem:
- General Partner—Naftogaz Group
- General Media Partner — 1 1 media
- Key Partners: INGO Insurance, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, OLX Robota, Teva in Ukraine
- Event partners: AB InBev Efes Ukraine, hospitality partner DTEK Academy, coffee partner Foundation Coffee Roasters, water partner “Morshynska,” confectionery partner ALVIVA GROUP, alcoholic beverage partner AZNAURI, and kombucha partner “Otaka Kombucha.”
- Media partners: “We Are Ukraine,” “We Are Ukraine,” the “Megapolis” advertising holding, “KYIV 24,” Live Marketing, Starlight Media, Reclen, Infovision, the “Apostrophe” media holding, Mediafusion, trueua, Hurma.work, VS Media, HiTech Expert, Kyiv1, Logist.fm,
"Komersant Ukrainian" , “Business Capital,” Burda Media Ukraine, Payspace Magazine, Glavkom, ProfBuild magazine, Marketer.ua, Founder, Economist, budynok.com.ua, 44.ua, “First Business,” Mind.ua, mc.today, InVenture, Worksafe.ua, HR Liga, Clever Stuff. European Business Association.
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
