The HR Director

1. Leadership needs justice and courage now more than ever

   Leadership is often envisioned as heroic, visible or dramatic. In reality, courage most frequently shows up in far more ordinary moments: a quiet decision to choose a difficult truth over a convenient path. As organisations face economic volatility, cultural tension, increasingly activist stakeholders, and growing stakeholder expectation, these small acts of courage and justice matter more than ever.

2. Five predictions that will define HR in 2026

   The trends already identified include workforce data at the board level, AI ROI demands, internal capability building, and psychological safety, all signal a fundamental transformation. But the real story isn't any single trend. It's how they converge to force a reckoning about what HR actually is and does.

3. From chaos to cohesion: lessons for changemakers in a shifting world

   Disruption today is multi-layered. It can come from a new regulation, a shock to the supply chain, another leap forward in AI, or any number of macro forces flowing through global markets. And those external factors are often compounded by internal ones – such as a leadership change, a restructure, or a strategic pivot. The real challenge for leaders isn’t just managing change but managing how change feels. How can organisations stay aligned, focused, and retain their creative spark when the world is constantly shifting?

4. Why workplaces need angry people

   For generations, organisations have been fuelled by the power of positivity. Bold visions, upbeat messaging and smiling employees all rallying together to meet their shared goals. But maybe that power, like fossil fuels, has been causing more damage than good, putting the whole environment of workplace relationships and engagement under threat.

5. Preparing for pay equity: How employers can stay ahead

   With new UK gender pay gap requirements on the horizon, the EU Pay Transparency Directive taking effect in 2026, and growing international regulations, HR and Reward teams face a rapidly shifting landscape. Caroline Pryce looks at what’s coming, what data you’ll need, and how to prepare now - from collecting diversity data responsibly to building robust evaluation and pay frameworks that can stand up to scrutiny.