Here's what we and our partners are looking forward to in 2026

The EU Pay Transparency Directive

In the summer of 2026, the most important instrument against gender pay inequality will be introduced. It's the EU's Pay Transparency Directive, and it comes into force on June 7. We're really looking forward to it. Yes, a lot of people will probably have to do some work to get ready, but it's something that will make working life better and fairer for many of us, so a little extra work is more than worth it, if you ask us.

Read more about the EU Pay Transparency Directive here.

A few trends we believe in

AI for insight work
AI is good for many things, and not so good for some. But one thing AI is really good at is organizing chaos. That's why AI is perfect for helping to gather insights and make it clear. Insight work can often turn into a blissful chaos, so it's good to have a hand to hold to make it a little easier to process the information.

The HR department steers the culture ship
Another trend we like and believe in for 2026 is that HR professionals will play an even bigger role in culture work and change management. Yes, HR people already have a lot to say about culture, but we believe that they will become even more part of culture and change management.

Flexibility will become even more important
Most people who have a job that doesn't require them to be present are happy to work away from the office when needed. We believe that companies will have an even greater understanding that a fixed workplace is not "one size fits all", but that some employees may need to adapt their own working day. It may also open up for more remote hiring, as the very best talent may not be in the immediate vicinity or able to relocate.

Phygital
The digitalization of HR is accelerating every day, and it's not going to stop. But digital is nothing without the human touch. So even though you're getting more and more digital tools (or fewer if you're lucky enough to work with systems that do multiple things), the human touch and the people who run the systems will be more important than ever.

This is what our partners think

There's a lot we're looking forward to in the new year, but we have so many great partners we work with. Curiosity got the better of us, so we asked them what they're looking forward to. This is what the experts - our partners - are looking forward to in 2026.

Nichlas Wikblad, Higher

We believe that more and more companies will adopt methods to measure competence during 2026. We see this more clearly every year - simply because the demand for such tools is increasing, especially when working with a competence-based recruitment process.

Tove Schei, TMS Digitalisering

A strong employee experience becomes a competitive advantage. A holistic employee journey – from onboarding to offboarding – ensures that new hires become productive quickly, employees feel well taken care of, and turnover is reduced. HR tools are becoming increasingly important, also for companies without a dedicated HR department, as small and medium-sized businesses see the value of HR solutions in creating a professional employee journey.

Jonathan de Pater, Value People

We've seen tremendous development in the HR field in recent years, but we're not there yet! There's a lot of potential in HR technology and we're excited to help customers find the best solutions for their business. If we use technology in the right way, it will be able to lift and strengthen the HR work of onboarding, developing and retaining good employees. It will also free up time for relationships and development, creating more room for maneuver and opportunities for growth. We're excited to see if the new regulations for the use of AI coming in 2026 will help build crucial trust in HR tools, both among managers and employees.

Liselott Hjärpe, Tacting

The debate about reduced working hours and shorter working days - such as the six-hour day - continues to grow. Several studies show that shorter working hours can have a positive effect on health, lower stress levels and better work-life balance, in some cases without reducing productivity.

Taru Merikoski, Töölön Vire

In 2026, I'm looking forward to HR moving from "testing some AI tools" to building practical ways of working where humans and AI work together - throughout the entire employee journey. The most interesting thing is not the technology itself, but the discipline around it: clear rules for what data is used, what is documented, how bias is uncovered - and that the responsibility always lies with people. Get this right and you'll see less frustration, better decisions and real, stronger human results.

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