HireQuest Updates Executive Employment Agreements and Incentive Plans

HireQuest ( (HQI) ) just unveiled an update.

On March 2, 2026, HireQuest, Inc. entered into new employment agreements with Chief Executive Officer Richard Hermanns, Chief Financial Officer C. David R. Hartley, and Chief Legal Officer, Vice President, and Corporate Secretary John McAnnar, effective the same date and running through August 31, 2027. The contracts set base salaries of $430,000 for Hermanns and $260,000 for both Hartley and McAnnar, along with eligibility for discretionary and performance-based bonuses tied to pre-tax income, Adjusted EBITDA growth, and operational metrics, plus grants of 25,000 restricted shares for Hermanns and 10,000 restricted shares each for Hartley and McAnnar that vest over time with accelerated vesting in certain termination scenarios.

The agreements detail a range of severance and equity-vesting protections if the executives are terminated without cause, resign for good reason, die or become disabled, or if the company undergoes a change of control at or above the 50% level, including salary continuation, pro-rated bonus payments, and full or partial vesting of restricted stock. By formalizing these compensation, retention, and change-of-control provisions for its top leadership, HireQuest reinforces management stability and aligns executive incentives with shareholder interests and long-term financial performance.

The most recent analyst rating on (HQI) stock is a Buy with a $13.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on HireQuest stock, see the HQI Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on HQI Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, HQI is a Neutral.

HQI scores strongest on financial quality—solid cash flow and low leverage—while the uptrend in price supports the outlook. The score is held back by deteriorating profitability and recent revenue declines, and valuation (P/E ~21.8) looks only fair given those fundamentals; earnings-call updates were mixed with margin improvement but continued year-over-year softness.

To see Spark’s full report on HQI stock, click here.

More about HireQuest

HireQuest, Inc. is a staffing and workforce solutions company that operates through subsidiaries such as HQ LTS Corporation, providing temporary and permanent employment services across its system-wide network. The company focuses on leveraging performance-based incentives and equity awards to align executive compensation with profitability, sales growth, and operational efficiency metrics across its franchise and corporate locations.

Average Trading Volume: 35,012

Technical Sentiment Signal: Hold

Current Market Cap: $151.4M

Find detailed analytics on HQI stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.