From the Desk of Our CEO

This year marks our 10th year publishing our Human Capital Newsletter weekly. Using 2026 as a blank slate, we’ve revamped our format, our content, and where you can find us.  You’ll still hear from our team every week, just with a slightly different look and feel.  

To kick us off each month, I’ll share my thoughts on market trends, talent trends, technology innovations, and lessons learned.  As I look back on 2025, it is clear many organizations held their breath through the first half of the year, uncertain of what would unfold economically and the impact it would have.  As the year came to a close and we launch 2026, what I’m seeing now is no longer pullback, it’s cautious optimism.  On the other side of the 2020 fallout, we saw unbridled spending and hiring.  What I anticipate this year is a focus on sustainable growth.  

What I think this means for the Human Capital Market:

• Fewer roles, higher expectations.  Business acumen, critical thinking and adaptability will lead the day.

• Reengineering team structures.  Leadership skills will shine (see above) and execution teams will be lean and supported by technology.

• Technology as a multiplier.  We have moved beyond the fear of job replacement and are now viewing tech as an opportunity to pair human discernment with technology efficiency.

2026 is already showing itself to be a year less defined by reaction and more around refinement.  And in that refinement an invitation to be more intentional — about leadership, about talent, and about the systems we build to support both.  While I shied away from our standard NYE Resolutions this year, I am committed (and deeply excited by the opportunity) to spending time with people, ideas, and insights that challenge my thinking, brighten my day, and help shape the way we show up for each other.  I’ve shared a few below.

Cheers to 2026!  

Jennifer Vilines

__________________________________________________________________

What I’m:

Reading

• BE 2.0 – Jim Collins’ follow up to Good To Great.  I’m early in, but already enjoying the reinforcement of fundamentals.  
• The Alice Network– Kate Quinn – A fictional account on the very real Alice Network, a group of female spies tasked with gathering information on Nazi Germany.

Listening To

• maryjo – What a powerhouse of a voice.  
• Jesse Itzler -The founder of Big A** Calendars, which I live and die by.  His IG is dedicated to maximizing your time and your life.

Watching

• Task with Mark Ruffalo & Tom Pelphrey.  My favorite show of the year.
• The Golden Girls.  Reruns on repeat.