What the Best HR Teams Do After Focal Planning Ends

By Joe Farris

As another focal planning cycle wraps up and the final pieces fall into place, many HR teams are already shifting focus to what’s next.

But before everyone moves on, it is worth pausing for a moment to reflect. A simple postmortem— a thoughtful look at how things went—can help carry this year’s hard work forward. Instead of dissecting what went wrong, it builds on what worked, spots what could be better, and sets up next year’s cycle to run more smoothly—with clearer decisions, better manager conversations, and outcomes that feel fair and aligned for the employees.

Here’s why postmortem is worth doing—and how to make it a useful one.

Why an HR Focal Planning Postmortem Matters

Because you don’t want to rely on memory

Right now, the details are still fresh. You remember exactly where the process hit a snag, which teams needed extra help, and what kinds of decisions ended up being more difficult than expected. But fast forward a few months, and those memories will fade and will be harder to pin down once the next year’s planning kicks off.

Action step:

Set up a debrief meeting with your HR Business Partners, compensation leads, and key managers to give everyone a chance to share what worked, what didn’t, and what they would like to see improved next time. Keep it focused, but most importantly, get it on the calendar before the momentum fades.

Because small issues can turn into bigger problems

Whatever the issues you encountered—from rewards that didn’t quite land to small process frustrations like clunky tools or unclear timelines—they’re worth paying attention to now, before they turn into bigger problems next time around.

Action step:

Pick 2–3 friction points from this cycle and do a mini root-cause analysis. Ask:

• Did the tools support the process—or get in the way?

• Did managers understand the guidance?

• Where did decisions deviate from principles?

Capture themes, not just anecdotes.

Because “fair” isn’t always obvious

One of the hardest parts of compensation planning is making sure the process feels fair—not just that it is fair on paper. Even when decisions are consistent and justifiable, employees can still walk away feeling disappointed, confused, or questioning how outcomes were determined.

Action step:

Analyze where your fairness story might have broken down:

• Quantitative: Review outcomes by performance rating, gender, department, etc.

• Qualitative: Ask managers: What conversations were hardest? What didn’t they feel equipped to explain?

Use these insights to strengthen your talking points, manager training, and overall messaging for the next cycle—making sure fairness is not only practiced but also clearly felt.

How to Run a Useful Postmortem

You don’t need a big project to make a postmortem worthwhile. The most useful ones are often the simplest—lean, candid, and focused. Here’s a lightweight playbook to get you started.

1. Run a “lessons learned” session

Start by pulling together a small group. Invite your HR Business Partners, a few frontline managers who lived the process, and one or two senior leaders who can offer a broader view. During the session, guide the conversation with a few easy prompts:

• What surprised you during this cycle?

• What created the most friction?

• What support do you wish you had?

Keeping the conversation open and candid will surface the kinds of insights you can actually act on.

2. Dig into the data

Take some time to review your data. But instead of just looking at the high-level numbers, dig a little deeper. Review: 

• Distribution of increases by performance

• Outliers and overrides

• Budget usage by team or region

Often, the most useful lessons are hidden just beneath the surface of the topline metrics.

3. Document three action items

Once you’ve gathered the feedback and the data, choose three small wins that will create momentum, such as: 

• Clarify eligibility rules for next year

• Improve calibration prep templates

• Adjust system deadlines to give managers more time

The key here is to keep things realistic and achievable. You don’t have to fix everything at once. Small improvements build trust and show progress.

Finally, write down and share a brief summary of learnings internally and revisit it in the fall when you start the next focal planning cycle.

One Final Thought

I know it’s tempting to move on once the focal planning cycle is finished. There’s always another initiative waiting. But the best HR teams know: the real value of compensation planning isn’t just in execution—it’s in evolution.

If you’d like support with your postmortem or planning for next year, get in touch—we’d be happy to help.