What Leaders Are Changing in Total Rewards in 2026

HR Trends: What Leaders Are Changing in Total Rewards in 2026

Total rewards leaders are adjusting strategies in response to tighter budgets, rising healthcare costs, and changing employee expectations. Many are negotiating aggressively with healthcare vendors, offering high-deductible plans with HSAs, and expanding mental health and wellness programs. There’s a growing focus on non-monetary recognition and career development to keep employees engaged. While AI use is rising, most organizations are still in early testing stages for strategic applications. Leaders who balance wellbeing, recognition, and careful use of technology may show the most value this year. Read more.

HR Insights: Culture Makes Work Better When Values and Behaviors Match Actions

New culture case studies from McLean & Company emphasize that simply stating values is not enough to shape workplace behavior. Successful organizations collected data from engagement surveys and employee voice efforts to identify where culture was weak. They then defined clear values and linked them to everyday actions and expectations. Embedding these values into performance, hiring, and leadership development helps make culture visible and measurable. Read more.

HR Tips and Tricks

Tip: Introduce a “culture snapshot” exercise every quarter where teams anonymously score how well company values show up in daily work. Compare results over time to spot gaps between value statements and real behaviour.

Trick: Use reverse exit interviews with long-term employees who stay to learn why they stay. This can reveal positive cultural traits often missed in standard exit interviews.

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HR Case Files: Target Faces Another Political Firestorm and HR Responds

Target employees around the U.S. faced internal and external scrutiny after a political controversy over company decisions. HR leadership told staff that the company supports safe expression while reinforcing expectations around respectful communication at work. Leaders emphasized the importance of having civil conversations and reminded employees about behavioral policies that apply regardless of topic. HR also offered resources for employees feeling stressed or unsafe, including counseling and discussion forums. Read more.

Key Takeaways:

• Target HR stressed respectful communication is required at work.

• Employees received access to mental health and peer support resources.

• Managers were reminded to reinforce behavioural standards in their teams.

HR Toolkit

Resources

The Mental Health America (MHA) organization launched a webpage dedicated to rural health transformation resources. The site provides tools, guides, and information to help HR and health leaders support rural communities facing workforce shortages and limited care access. Resources include program frameworks that address mental health, workforce training, and community outreach tailored to rural needs. This central hub is meant to simplify access to evidence-based practices and assistance programs. Know more.

Events

The HCI Spark HR Conference for 2026 is now open for registration. This event brings HR leaders together to explore talent management, employee engagement, technology innovation, and strategy practices. Sessions are designed for practitioners and people managers focused on practical solutions. The conference also includes networking opportunities and workshops to help HR teams tackle current and future challenges.

Click here to be a part of this event.

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