HireQuest (NASDAQ: HQI) investors approve board, auditor and executive pay
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
HireQuest, Inc. held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on June 18, 2026. Stockholders elected all six director nominees, with each receiving more than 10.8 million votes in favor and relatively few votes withheld, so the existing board slate continues.
Stockholders also ratified the selection of Forvis Mazars, LLP as independent registered public accounting firm and approved, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers. Of 13,940,285 shares eligible to vote as of April 28, 2026, a total of 12,532,086 shares were represented in person or by proxy.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
8-K Event Classification
Item 5.07 — Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
1 item
Item 5.07
Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
Governance
Results of a shareholder vote on proposals at an annual or special meeting.
Key Figures
Shares outstanding eligible to vote: 13,940,285 shares
Shares represented at meeting: 12,532,086 shares
Highest director “for” votes: 10,931,631 votes
+3 more
6 metrics
Shares outstanding eligible to vote
13,940,285 shares
Common stock outstanding as of April 28, 2026 record date
Shares represented at meeting
12,532,086 shares
Shares voted in person or by proxy at 2026 Annual Meeting
Highest director “for” votes
10,931,631 votes
Votes for Lawrence Hagenbuch in director election
Auditor ratification “for” votes
12,529,693 votes
Ratification of Forvis Mazars, LLP for year ending December 31, 2026
Say-on-pay “for” votes
10,853,889 votes
Non-binding advisory vote on named executive officer compensation
Broker non-votes on director slate
1,594,866 votes
Broker non-votes recorded for each director nominee
Key Terms
broker non-votes, non-binding advisory vote, independent registered public accounting firm, Annual Meeting of Stockholders
4 terms
broker non-votes financial
"Director Nominee | For | Withheld | Broker Non-Votes"
Broker non-votes occur when a brokerage firm is unable to vote on a shareholder’s behalf during a company election or decision because the shareholder has not given specific voting instructions, and the broker is not allowed or chooses not to vote on certain matters. They are important because they can affect the outcome of votes, especially when the results are close, by effectively reducing the total number of votes cast.
non-binding advisory vote financial
"Non-binding advisory vote on the compensation paid to the Company's named executive officers"
A non-binding advisory vote is a shareholder vote that expresses investors’ opinion on a proposal (such as executive pay, corporate policy, or governance practices) but does not legally force the company to act. Think of it like a customer survey: it signals whether owners approve or disapprove and can pressure boards and managers to change course, so investors watch the result as an indicator of governance risk and potential future shifts in company strategy or leadership.
independent registered public accounting firm financial
"Forvis Mazars, LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm"
An independent registered public accounting firm is an outside accounting company officially registered with the government regulator to examine and report on a public company's financial records and controls. Investors treat its reports like an impartial inspector’s certificate — they add credibility to financial statements, help spot errors or misleading claims, and reduce the risk that shareholders are relying on unchecked or biased numbers.
Annual Meeting of Stockholders financial
"held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”)"
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 18, 2026
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)
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(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
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(Commission
File Number)
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(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
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(Zip Code)
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(843 ) 723-7400
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of Each Class
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Trading Symbol(s)
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Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
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The
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
On June 18, 2026, HireQuest, Inc. (the “Company”) held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”). At the Annual Meeting, the Company’s stockholders voted to: (i) elect each of the six nominees for director to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, (ii) ratify the selection of Forvis Mazars, LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2026, and (iii) approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in the proxy statement. The number of shares of common stock outstanding and eligible to vote as of April 28, 2026, the record date for the Annual Meeting, was 13,940,285. Of these, a total of 12,532,086 shares were voted, either in person or by proxy.
The final voting results were as follows:
Proposal #1
Election of Directors
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Director Nominee
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For
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Withheld
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Broker Non-Votes
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Richard F. Hermanns
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10,929,807
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7,413
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1,594,866
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R. Rimmy Malhotra
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10,849,211
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88,009
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1,594,866
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Lawrence Hagenbuch
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10,931,631
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5,589
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1,594,866
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Kathleen Shanahan
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10,806,960
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130,260
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1,594,866
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Edward Jackson
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10,931,256
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5,964
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1,594,866
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Jack A. Olmstead
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10,920,829
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16,391
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1,594,866
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Proposal #2
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For
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Against
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Abstain
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The ratification of the selection of Forvis Mazars, LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024
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12,529,693
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1,129
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1,264
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Proposal #3
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For
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Against
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Abstain
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Broker Non-Votes
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Non-binding advisory vote on the compensation paid to the Company's named executive officers
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10,853,889
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3,686
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79,645
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1,594,866
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Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
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HIREQUEST, INC.
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(Registrant)
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Date: June 19, 2026
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/s/ John McAnnar
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John McAnnar
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Chief Legal Officer, Vice President, and Corporate Secretary
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FAQ
What did HireQuest (HQI) stockholders approve at the 2026 Annual Meeting?
Stockholders elected all six director nominees, ratified Forvis Mazars, LLP as independent auditor, and approved, on a non-binding advisory basis, compensation for named executive officers. These outcomes maintain the company’s current board, auditor relationship, and executive pay framework.
Were all HireQuest (HQI) director nominees elected in 2026?
Yes. All six director nominees received strong support, each with more than 10.8 million votes cast “for” and relatively few votes withheld. Broker non-votes totaled 1,594,866 for each nominee, but these did not prevent any candidate from being elected.
Which audit firm did HireQuest (HQI) stockholders ratify for the 2026 year?
Stockholders ratified the selection of Forvis Mazars, LLP as HireQuest’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2026. The ratification received 12,529,693 votes for, 1,129 against, and 1,264 abstentions, showing broad support for the auditor.
How did HireQuest (HQI) stockholders vote on executive compensation in 2026?
On a non-binding advisory basis, stockholders approved the compensation of the company’s named executive officers, with 10,853,889 votes for, 3,686 against, and 79,645 abstentions, plus 1,594,866 broker non-votes. This advisory vote reflects stockholder views on disclosed pay practices.