The 2026 Radical Simplification Checklist: A Quick Way to Spot What’s Slowing HR Down

In our recent article on what HR teams should actually focus on as we head into 2026, we talked about a pattern we’re seeing again and again. It’s not a lack of effort, investment, or intent. It’s the steady build-up of complexity that makes even well-designed HR programs harder to run and harder to explain.

Over time, layers get added. Frameworks evolve. Systems are bolted on. AI tools arrive with big promises. None of this is wrong on its own. But taken together, many HR teams are now carrying more than they can realistically manage, and that pressure shows up in day-to-day work. Managers struggle to explain pay decisions. Processes work in theory, but not end-to-end. Data increases, but clarity doesn’t.

That’s why we created the 2026 Radical Simplification Checklist.

This checklist isn’t a transformation roadmap or a list of fixes. It’s a practical way to pause and notice where complexity may be holding HR and the business back. It brings together the signals we see most often across job architecture, compensation, day-to-day leadership, HR processes, and how AI is actually being used.

Radical simplification doesn’t mean fixing everything at once. It starts with seeing clearly where things no longer help people do their jobs with confidence. If our thoughts on radical simplification as the approach for 2026 resonated, this checklist is a natural next step. It's a simple tool to help you decide what’s worth keeping, what needs simplifying, and what areas to focus on in 2026.

If you’d like a sounding board as you work through it, we’re always happy to help.