How to End 2025 on the Right Note and Set 2026 Up for HR Success

By Gerry Murphy

If you’ve found yourself thinking, “If I read one more article telling me what I should have done this year, I might actually explode,” you’re not alone.

It’s easy to look back at 2025 and think, “We should’ve done that,” or, “That’s something we’ll definitely fix next year.” Retrospect is wonderful that way: everything looks clear and simple after the fact.

But in reality, in HR, we don’t operate in a vacuum. It’s hard to be proactive when the pace of change feels like warp speed, when priorities shift weekly, and when you’re trying to align strategy, budgets, and leadership buy-in, all at once.

So, rather than beating ourselves up over what didn’t get done in 2025, let’s look ahead. Here are a few things to think about for 2026 that can make next year a little smoother, a little clearer, and a lot more effective.

Think of it as your strategic HR planning checklist for 2026, without the guilt trip.

1. Give Your Job Architecture a Quick Health Check

If it’s been a while since you revisited your job architecture, 2026 might be the year to do it.

Roles evolve faster than they can be documented, especially with hybrid work, automation, and AI reshaping what people actually do.

Before another round of pay or promotion decisions, ask:

• Do job levels still make sense?

• Are AI-related or digital skills reflected anywhere?

• Is your governance process clear enough to avoid inconsistencies?

Even setting aside time in early 2026 to plan a review can bring clarity and prevent headaches later.

2. Tighten Up Pay Governance and Compliance

Pay transparency and equity aren’t slowing down.

If 2025 was about surviving pay planning, make 2026 about strengthening pay governance.

That might mean:

• Updating pay ranges to reflect new realities.

• Cleaning up inconsistencies across regions or functions.

• Getting ahead of evolving disclosure requirements.

You don’t need a full overhaul. But you do need clarity and structure to turn pay governance into a tool for clarity, fairness, and better decision-making.

3. Take a Fresh Look at Your Core HR Processes

Some HR processes look simple on the surface — but under the hood, they’re often stitched together from older systems and manual workarounds that no longer fit.

It’s common to see processes built years ago still running today, even though the technology around them has completely changed. As a result, tools don’t talk to each other, data doesn’t line up, and reports paint the wrong picture.

In 2026, take a step back and look at how things actually work end to end. Ask yourself:

• Where are we entering the same information twice?

• Where does data get lost or distorted between systems?

• Which processes are creating noise instead of insight?

You don’t have to rebuild everything. Start by identifying the biggest disconnects between process and technology and fix those first. That’s where you’ll see the quickest impact on both efficiency and decision quality.

4. Hack Your AI and Technology Capabilities

AI is showing up everywhere in HR — from analytics dashboards to generative tools — but being “AI-ready” isn’t all about having the latest tech. Your team needs to embrace and use the technology.

This brings up one activity you and your team can do before the end of the year. Undertake your first (and hopefully not the last) AI Hackathon. It can help the teams think creatively and find their own way to adopt AI tools that you have not envisaged, as well as open new opportunities for the company overall. You might be surprised by what you learn from your people who are already experimenting with AI.

With the right groundwork, AI can enhance your people’s capabilities rather than overwhelming them. If you are still wondering if your company is AI-ready, take our quiz to find out and receive an AI-readiness checklist at the end. 

5. Rethink Total Rewards with a Fresh Lens

The world of work and what people value has shifted. Post-pandemic realities, hybrid work, and the ongoing tug-of-war over returning to the office have reshaped what “a great employee experience” looks like.

It’s worth taking a closer look at who your employees are today. Are those who were once paying off student debt now starting families? Are some living paycheck to paycheck while being offered yoga classes and snack bars?

Yes, most employees value money in their pocket - that’s a given. But you can still make a real impact by offering programs that help them succeed outside of work.

We’re seeing more companies explore financial wellness programs, giving employees tools to manage money, plan ahead, and feel more secure. It’s a practical way to show you understand what really matters right now.

6. Revisit Your Talent and Skills Inventory

The skills your business needed even two years ago aren’t the same ones it needs now, and they’ll keep evolving as AI and automation reshape how work gets done.

As we highlighted here, AI transformation isn’t just about hiring technical talent but strengthening business, leadership, and change-management skills that make AI adoption possible.

Use early 2026 to zoom out and ask:

• What capabilities will drive our business strategy next year?

• Do we have the right mix internally, or do we need to build or buy?

• How are we developing managers and teams to adapt as technology evolves?

Even a light-touch review can reveal gaps and priorities that shape smarter hiring and learning plans for the year ahead.

7. Prioritize Your Work and Rethink Resourcing

It’s easy to tell HR leaders to “focus on what matters most.” But when everything feels urgent, when budgets are tight, roles are unfilled, and expectations keep growing, that’s much easier said than done.

Sometimes the challenge isn’t knowing your priorities; it’s having the right people, skills, or capacity to act on them. You might need deeper expertise in one area, extra hands for a critical project, or support while key roles are open.

That’s where Nua’s Embedded Support can make a real difference. It gives you access to senior HR expertise at a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time from people who know your work, your culture, and your goals inside out. They become part of your team, not just consultants. And they are truly awesome to work with.

8. Take Time to Reset

Having said all that, one thing we can all do before the year wraps up is enjoy the holidays and the time with family. Switch off, take a real mental break, and come back in 2026 not just for a fresh start, but for a supercharged year.

And we’ll be right here with you for the ride.

That’s a wrap on 2025. Have a great break, and here’s to whatever 2026 brings.

And if you need our help, now or next year, just get in touch.