If the last few years taught us anything, it’s that people practices are business practices. HR isn’t just about compliance and policies, it’s a strategic lever for performance, retention, and brand reputation. As you set goals for the year, use this HR Resolutions Playbook to concentrate effort where it will deliver outsized results.
Resolution 1: Prioritize Employee Well-Being and Engagement
- Psychological safety: Managers trained to give feedback, invite ideas, and address concerns without blame.
- Flexible work options: Apply flexibility where possible (hybrid schedules, staggered start times, compressed workweeks).
- Proactive wellness: Provide access to mental health resources, EAPs, and well-being stipends.
- Measure it: Run quarterly pulse surveys; track eNPS, turnover, and absenteeism; set goals by team and review in manager one-on-ones.
Resolution 2: Strengthen Compliance and Reduce Risk
• Annual policy refresh: Update your employee handbook for current wage and hour, leave, and harassment policies.• Classification review: Verify exempt/nonexempt status, contractors vs. employees, and multistate tax registration.
• Training rhythm: Schedule mandatory training (anti-harassment, safety, cyber awareness) with completion tracking.
• Automate it: Use an HRIS to schedule tasks, document approvals, and log completion for audit readiness.
Resolution 3: Invest in Talent Development and Retention
• Skills mapping: Identify core skills by role and create learning paths (microlearning modules, certifications).• Leadership bench: Provide first-time manager training focused on coaching, feedback, and performance conversations.
• Internal mobility: Build transparent career ladders and encourage cross-functional projects.
• Make it visible: Publicize mentorship wins, promotions, and skill achievements to signal growth potential.
Resolution 4: Leverage HR Technology for Efficiency
- Single source of truth: Consolidate into an HRIS integrating payroll, benefits, time, and performance.
- Self-service: Enable employees to update profiles, request time off, and access pay/benefit info without bottlenecks.
- Data-driven insights: Share dashboards (turnover by department, cost per hire, time to fill, engagement metrics) to inform decisions.
- Guardrails: Implement role-based permissions, MFA, and regular audits of access rights.
Resolution 5: Foster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
- Measurable outcomes: Set goals for diverse candidate slates, equitable pay bands, and promotion rates.
- Bias training with follow-through: Update interview guides, performance rubrics, and promotion criteria to reduce subjectivity.
- Belonging in practice: Recognize cultural milestones, create ERGs, and invite feedback on inclusion experiences.
- Report it: Share progress transparently with employees and leadership each quarter.
Conclusion
Resolutions fail when they’re vague. Assign owners, set quarterly checkpoints, and translate goals into specific tasks. The organizations that win will build resilient, people-centered systems that scale.
Ready to prepare your business for the new year with confidence?
Download your Complete HR Resolutions Guide and kick start your 2026 with smarter HR strategies.
