By Amy Schabacker Dufrane
Astrologers believe that 2026 will bring great progress. Known as the “Year of the Fire Horse,” its characteristics of energy and fire are said to come around every 60 years. The last such occurrence was in 1966, when NASA flew several successful missions, ATMs were introduced, and the Beach Boys released one of the most influential records in pop music history.
In those days, HR was usually known as “Personnel,” and in many cases, reported through finance, operations, or “industrial relations.” Our predecessors had maintained file drawers filled with paper folders, administered pay and benefits according to policy and union contracts, and managed timekeeping – without calculators. Performance reviews were for pay decisions, and the ideas of job design, coaching, or behavioral science weren’t yet part of the picture.
Returning to the present: According to a study by Nick Bloom and Mert Akan of Stanford University, CHRO pay now aligns with that of other senior executives. In 2024, American businesses employed 1.3 million HR professionals, with a similar trend in Australia, the U.K., and Germany. With state governments requiring greater oversight of sick leave and pay equity, HR professionals manage countless complexities that few other business functions have to face. One might speculate that it’s why former HR executives, such as General Motors’ Mary Barra, thrive in the CEO role.
As I reflect on the promise of a new year and memories of how far we’ve come as HR professionals, poet Mary Oliver’s famous quote plays in my head: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Is there something magical about January 1? Do we count on astrology to decide our fate? Or are we in control of our future, deciding how to seize the brass ring starting today?
Certified HR Proficiency
At HRCI, we’ve spent a lot of time this year helping our community prepare for the innovations, disruptions, and strategies that will define the years to come. Our HRCI Pro Series is a collection of certificate courses that focus on advanced HR and business concepts.
The AI for HR certificate, for example, includes Artificial Intelligence and the Employee Experience, Generative AI for HR Professionals, and Responsible Implementation and Compliance. Other HRCI Pro Series courses include compensation, ethics, benefits, talent acquisition, and employment law. HR professionals tell us that these certificate courses are helping them be practical today while preparing for tomorrow and are earning them respect among their colleagues.
Already accustomed to an accelerated business environment, HR teams turn to HRCI because their time for learning new technologies and practices is limited. Technology is coming at them from every possible angle, combined with return-to-office challenges, workforce reductions, and the endless quest for qualified talent. The pace of change gallops at the rate of the fire horse, yet adoption and depth of usage for new ways of solving problems remain uneven.
People Still Matter More
There are also the inherent challenges related to culture and the role of human decision-making. While it feels like everything will be automated soon, think back to when HR was “personnel.” Are there still a few file cabinets within your line of sight? Perhaps an Excel spreadsheet for labor scheduling? Or grievance management that’s being intentionally kept off the company’s email system? HR knows that not everything can be driven by AI. Whenever there are people involved, there are subtle complexities that must be weighed, which is why the organization turns to HR for guidance.
If there’s anything we can all take away from the start of a new year – whether it’s to debate the energy of the year of the snake vs. the horse; whether or not to implement AI across the enterprise; or to lean into a skills-first talent strategy –I think we can agree that every big win starts with readiness.
Identifying gaps inside your HR team – whether in change management, vendor selection, compliance, or AI fluency – means you can take full advantage of the corresponding courses at HRCI. Planning what to do with your one wild and precious career can make you the north star within your organization. HRCI can help you get there.
