NA companies using equity plans to compete for talent, survey suggests

82% of companies expect increased employee participation in their firm's share plans

NEW YORK — A survey of over 600 companies in the US and Canada by global equity plan provider Computershare has highlighted how firms are increasingly using them to compete for talent.

The global equity provider's report, 2026 Outlook: Navigating strategic shifts in Employee Share Plans across North America, reveals how 94% of respondents said that ‘compensation competitiveness' – ensuring that they think beyond salary when seeking to attract and retain employees – is important.

The report also shows how 82% of surveyed companies said they expected increased participation in their plans.

Sheila Frierson, President Plan Managers NA at Computershare, said: “North America companies are increasingly aware of the critical role that equity plans play in the difficult battle to hire and retain the people they want.

“We're seeing increased engagement from North American companies seeking to understand what global best practice is - and how to fine tune their equity compensation strategies to meet the evolving market”

The report shows how 95% of respondents said that employee engagement is a key priority of their equity plan.

91% said that they view an ownership culture as foundational to their 2026 share plan strategy.

70% of respondents said AI was one of the issues most likely to have a significant impact on the future of employee share plans, while 67% cited financial literacy among their employees.

Just 28% of respondents thought that macro-economics would substantially affect share plans in the future.

ESPPs and company size

The survey also revealed corporate sentiment towards employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) and differences in approach between companies of different sizes.

Companies with at least 50,000 employees with an ESPP were more likely to expect the expansion or redesign of their plan as compared to those with an equity plan (78% compared to 64%).

Smaller companies (with fewer than 10,000 employees) were most likely (70%) to cite financial literacy as having the most important impact on the future of employee share plans (compared to 58% of medium sized companies with between 10,000 and 49,999 employees).

Equity plans involve companies allocating shares to employees, executives or board members typically at no at no cost subject to certain restrictions or performance requirements.

ESPPs enable employees to buy stock at a discounted rate, most usually via regular payroll deductions.