What's in and out for HR and compensation in 2026: Predictions, opportunities, and challenges

HR and compensation leaders are facing a new set of challenges and opportunities in 2026. From new pay transparency laws to AI-driven decision-making, the landscape is shifting fast. This episode unpacks what is in and what is out for the year ahead and explores the trends that will define the future of work. Email: [email protected] for listener questions and suggestions. Payscale End-of-Year report and HR Predictions: https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/end-of-year-top-jobs-report?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_eoyreport_wv&utm_content=eoyreport_pst Compensation translator: https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/your-compensation-translator?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_comptranslator-asset_wv&utm_content=compensation-translator-asset 2026 Pay increase report – https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/2026-salary-increases-preview?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_payincreasereport_wv&utm_content=payincreasereport_pst

Everyone agrees that pay matters. What they do not agree on is what it means. HR talks about fairness and equity.Finance talks about cost and ROI.Legal talks about compliance and defensibility.Leaders talk about performance and business outcomes. These perspectives are all correct, yet they often conflict. When they collide, compensation decisions lose clarity, employees feel confused, and managers deliver mixed messages—leaving HR as the translator. In this episode, Ruth Thomas is joined by Hannah Beaver, Director of Compensation at Trilogy Health Services, and Kim O’Grady, Compensation Supervisor at Designer Brands. Together, they break down how organizations can turn pay into a shared language that builds trust, alignment, and credibility from the C-suite to the front line. Episode resources: Email: [email protected] for listener questions and suggestions.   Compensation translator: https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/your-compensation-translator?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_comptranslator-asset_wv&utm_content=compensation-translator-asset

Another conversation about pay transparency? We know what you are thinking, haven’t we already covered this?  But the truth is, 2025 changed everything. From a wave of new state laws in the U.S. to Canada and the EU rewriting the playbook, pay transparency has moved from policy talk to daily reality. With 2026 around the corner, the stakes are only getting higher.  In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas sits down with Vicky Peakman, Director at Fair Pay Partners, and Lulu Seikaly, Senior Corporate Attorney at Payscale, to unpack the year’s biggest developments and what is coming next.  Episode resources: 2025 – 2026 Salary budget survey - https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/salary-budget-survey-sbs?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_payforperformance-blog_wv&utm_content=payforperformance-blog_sia  Your voice deserves to be heard! Participate in this year’s compensation best practices survey - https://www.research.net/r/CBPR26Coffee   Email: [email protected] for listener questions and suggestions.

At HR Tech 2025, AI stole the spotlight, but not everyone was convinced. Amid the hype and bold claims, HR and compensation professionals were asking tougher questions: What’s actually working? What’s just marketing? And how can AI really make their jobs easier? In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas sits down with Peh Keong Teh, Chief Product Officer at Payscale, Olivia Sedler, Product Manager at Payscale, and Mark Feffer, contributing analyst at 3Sixty Insights and editor of WorkforceAI.News and HCM Technology Report. Together, they cut through the noise from HR Tech, unpack what vendors got right and wrong, and discuss where AI can and cannot move the needle for HR and comp leaders today. Episode Resources: Pay trends report -  https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/pay-trends-report How AI is reshaping your workforce - https://www.payscale.com/compensation-trends/how-ai-is-reshaping-your-workforce AI 101 - https://www.payscale.com/compensation-trends/ai-101-the-hr-and-compensation-starter-p[…]gn=brd_ai-blog-engagement_wv&utm_content=data_blg_ai-101_pst AI Webinar - https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/how-ai-is-reshaping-pay-decisions-on-d[…]ement_wv&utm_content=data_wbn-o_how-ai-is-reshaping-comp_pst Email: [email protected] for listener questions and suggestions

In a year of tight budgets and increasing expectations of pay transparency, pay conversations are more critical than ever. Skipping, delaying, or diluting these conversations can erode trust and leave employees disengaged. In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas is joined by Payscale leaders to explore the “compensation telephone game,” share how HR trains managers to deliver clear messages, and discuss strategies for keeping the right talent engaged in a volatile environment.  Guests:   Lexi Clarke – Chief People Officer, Payscale  Lauren Hein – Head of Total Rewards, Payscale  Lauren Cole – Senior Director, Services & Customer Education Resources:   2025 – 2026 Salary budget survey - https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/salary-budget-survey-sbs?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_payforperformance-blog_wv&utm_content=payforperformance-blog_sia  Your voice deserves to be heard! Participate in this year’s compensation best practices survey - https://www.research.net/r/CBPR26Coffee   Your pay communications playbook - https://www.payscale.com/compensation-trends/your-pay-communications-playbook-building-trust-through-compensation-transparency?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_payforperformance-blog_wv&utm_content=payforperformance-blog_sia  Email: [email protected] for listener questions and suggestions

Pay transparency laws are forcing the conversation—but alignment is what makes it stick.  When it comes to pay transparency, HR, Legal, and leadership often speak in different “dialects.” HR frames it around equity and structure, Legal around compliance and risk, and leadership around outcomes and cost. The challenge? These perspectives rarely align into a shared understanding that employees can trust.  In this episode of Comp and Coffee, we’re bringing together three leading voices to explore how organizations can move beyond compliance and turn transparency into a universal language of trust and alignment:  Ruth Thomas – Chief Compensation Strategist and pay equity thought leader and advisor, helping organizations build consistent, bias-free pay practices.  Lulu Seikaly – Corporate attorney guiding employers through the legal realities of pay transparency laws.  Elaina Van Kirk, PHR – Principal Consultant at Exude Human Capital, advising organizations on compensation, performance, and inclusive culture strategies.  Together, they’ll uncover how HR, Finance, and Legal can stop speaking past each other—and start building a pay narrative that employees not only understand but believe.

Salary budgets are tightening — but strategy doesn’t have to.  Payscale’s 10th Annual Salary Budget Survey reveals that planned pay increases for 2026 are dipping slightly from 2025, with economic uncertainty replacing competition for talent as the top driver of budget changes. But even in a cooling pay environment, HR and comp pros have a window to realign strategy before Q4 — if they have the right data in hand.  In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas sits down with Amy Stewart, Payscale’s Principal of Research & Insights, and Kathryn Gombos, HR & Total Rewards Leader and Founder of Gombos Group. Together, they unpack the latest salary budget trends, explore what’s behind the shifts, and share how organizations can use these insights to plan smarter, communicate with confidence, and navigate survey season without burning out.  2025–2026 Payscale Salary Budget Survey - https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/salary-budget-survey-sbs Email: [email protected] for listener questions and suggestions

Fair pay means nothing if no one believes it. That’s the wake-up call from Payscale’s latest Fair Pay Impact Report. Despite rising wages, transparency laws, and improved market conditions, employees don’t believe they’re being paid fairly—and it’s costing businesses their best people. In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas is joined by Lexi Clarke and Kate Peter—three women in the C-suite who are putting fair pay back at the top of the agenda. They unpack what the data tells us, what it feels like as leaders, and what needs to happen next. Episode Resources: Fair Pay Impact Report - https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/fair-pay-impact Email [email protected] for listener questions and suggestions Connect with us Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.payscale.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/payscale X: https://twitter.com/payscale YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/payscale Chapters (00:00) Commitment to Fair Pay and Leadership Introductions (02:52) The Importance of Staying Loud About Pay Equity (05:06) Challenges and Realities of Fair Pay Perception (13:14) Economic Pressure and Trends Impacting Compensation Trust (17:06) Defining and Practicing Real Transparency (24:02) Personal Experiences Shaping Pay Advocacy (31:01) Rebuilding Trust Through Honest Conversation

When the CFO asks why… will you panic or present your case with confidence?  In this episode of Comp and Coffee, we go behind the scenes with Lexi Clarke and Philip Watson to uncover how HR and Finance can stop speaking past each other—and start building stronger pay strategies together. Whether you're preparing for budget season or defending comp decisions in the boardroom, this episode gives you the language, data, and mindset you need to show that compensation isn’t just a line item—it’s a lever for business success.

Compensation isn’t just an HR function—it’s a core business strategy. In this episode of Comp and Coffee, we look into the pay crystal ball with Rebecca Toman of Pearl Meyer, Ruth Thomas, Chief Compensation Strategist at Payscale, and Sara Hillenmeyer, Payscale’s Director of Data Science. Together, they explore how trusted data, AI, and a forward-thinking approach to comp strategy can help organizations not just keep up—but lead. If you care about performance, retention, equity, or executive pay, this episode is your blueprint for aligning comp strategy with long-term business success.