With the new year rapidly approaching, we're taking a moment to reflect on the challenges HR and compensation teams faced in 2025 and how they should best prepare to tackle 2026.

1. Expert panel:
Key HR and
compensation
priorities for 2026

2. Today's Speakers
Chief Financial Officer
Philip Watson Lexi Clarke
Chief People Officer
Ruth Thomas
Chief Compensation Strategist
Kate Peter
Chief Customer Officer

3. 1. Introductions
2. Panel questions
3. Audience questions
Agenda

4. Poll #1: What is a key priority for you in
2026?
A. Attracting key talent
B. Retention
C. Understanding the employee-employer relationship
D. Pay transparency
E. Pay communications
F. Compensation data usage
G. AI in compensation
H. Other- let us know in the Q&A!

5. How do you think the economy will shape up in
2026, and how will this impact how employers
think about attracting and retaining talent?

6. As we look toward 2026, how is the employee–
employer relationship evolving? What do you see as
the biggest points of friction, and how can
organizations address them effectively?

7. With pay transparency accelerating, compensation is
now a multi-stakeholder issue—no longer a back-office
cost, but a strategic investment that shapes growth.
How do you see this shift continuing into 2026?

8. Poll #2: Who do you have the most
trouble having comp conversations with?
A. Executives
B. Finance
C. Human Resources
D. Managers
E. Employees
F. Other- let us know in Q&A!

9. How is this shift impacting the relationship between
HR and Finance or the Executive team – what do HR
and Comp need in order to be prepared to have these
conversations?

10. With data availability accelerating—market data, skills
data, benchmarking, and internal talent analytics—how
do you see this reshaping the way organizations
approach compensation decisions?

11. How is AI impacting the landscape of work, and
specifically compensation?

12. What has been the biggest surprise in the world of
work to you in 2025, what can we learn from this as
we pivot into a new year?

13. What do you anticipate being top of HR and
Compensation teams to do lists in 2025? How
will Payscale support this?

14. Q&A
Feel free to ask any questions in the
Q&A section of your dashboard!
Interested in a demo of
Payscale’s compensation
management solutions or data
and how they can help you
succeed in 2026?
Let us know in the poll currently
open in the polling tab and the team
will be in touch!