Written by Gemma Sofield
Director, Four Recruitment & Head of Four HR.
As 2026 unfolds, businesses are taking time to reflect on 2025- what went well, what didn’t, and what needs adjusting. One thing evidently clear is that people strategy can no longer be a ‘later’ conversation.
To get a better sense of how businesses are approaching this, we spoke to senior HR professionals across our network about their people plans for the year ahead. More and more businesses are recognising that their people strategy is crucial to long-term business success.
In today’s competitive market, the organisations that put their people at the heart of every decision are the ones best placed to thrive.
People strategy is no longer just a HR responsibility - it’s a business priority. From productivity and performance to culture, retention, and growth, people directly influence every commercial outcome.
Our survey revealed a few interesting trends. The top focus for 2026 is culture and engagement, with 25% of senior HR leaders naming it as their main priority. Talent retention wasn’t far behind at 21%, reflecting the ongoing challenge of keeping high performers motivated in a competitive market.
On the other hand, only 10% of leaders said internal succession planning is their top priority, a potential blind spot for organisations relying heavily on a few key individuals.
When people strategy is forward-thinking rather than reactive, businesses are also far better placed to adapt to change and scale sustainably.
The most successful organisations we work with aren’t just filling vacancies, they’re thinking strategically about their workforce. They ask questions like:
Yet, our survey shows a gap between intention and action. Only 17% of HR leaders described their hiring approach as fully proactive, while 83% admitted their organisations are still hiring reactively or somewhere in between.
Workforce planning data tells a similar story. Just a third of businesses currently have a 12–18 month plan in place, with more than half still developing one and 13% with nothing formal at all.
Proactive planning helps businesses anticipate future needs instead of firefighting vacancies. It reduces risk, improves retention, and builds stronger, more resilient teams.
Succession planning continues to be a concern. When asked how confident they’d be if a key individual left unexpectedly, only 42% of HR leaders said they had a plan to manage the impact. This highlights the risk of knowledge, leadership, or specialist skills being concentrated in too few hands.
Partnering with a recruitment agency is not just about filling vacancies – it’s about building a long-term talent strategy that supports your wider business goals. The right recruitment partner can:
At Four Recruitment, we work closely with businesses to understand their people strategy as a whole, not just the next hire. Acting as an extension of your team, we help organisations plan, attract, and retain the talent needed for sustainable growth.
The message from senior HR leaders is clear: investing time and effort in people strategy, workforce planning, and talent retention now will pay dividends for your organisation in 2026 and beyond.
Our 2026 Guides will help you understand the current market and will provide a comprehensive overview of what you can expect in terms of salary and benefits for Finance and HR roles.
