Keep Culture Flowing All Year Long

January 28, 2026

Hello Community,

The Great Resignation is over. We are facing the "Great Stay". 

With a frozen job market, ongoing layoffs amid an uncertain political landscape, AI disruption, and a looming global recession, employees are job-hugging: 75% plan to hold on to their jobs through 2027, according to Forbes. 

But staying isn't the same as being engaged.

This year, HR leaders will face a workforce that feels cautious in a polarized world. Emtrain’s 2026 Workplace Culture Report, based on 48 million employee responses, shows that change fatigue is spreading, along with measurable declines in manager empathy and psychological safety. 

Rebuilding trust in leadership and cultivating a sense of belonging and purpose will determine how people perform this year. Employee appreciation and recognition will be key strategic tools for HR, leaders, and managers to cultivate strong and resilient cultures. The 2026 Celebrations Calendar we share today aims to help you plan ahead to make recognition a daily habit, in a moment when being seen and valued is paramount.

Next week, we are kicking off the People and Culture Strategy Summit! 

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from seasoned HR leaders, connect with peers, and share the challenges you are facing with our Community. 

Inside this Edition:

  • Six strategic moves to make recognition part of your cultural rhythm

  • Kudos’ just-released 2026 Celebrations Calendar

  • The People and Culture Strategy Summit starts next week!

  • Starting in February: SAIL Certificate Program + New cohorts

  • NEW! We’ve partnered with People Strategy Hub!

  • 🌳 The Hacking HR Community is funding a reforestation project!

🗞️ In case you missed it: The Mini Master on Practical Applications of AI has already started, but is still open for enrollment! Enroll now

Promotional image for the "Kudos 2026 Celebrations Calendar" free guide. The left side features bold text with a "FREE GUIDE" label above the title. The right side shows a digital tablet displaying the cover of the calendar, which includes the year "2026" surrounded by colorful celebratory icons. A purple and teal curved arrow connects the text to the tablet. The Kudos logo is at the bottom left.

Celebrate culture all year-round with this tool.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

KEEP CULTURE FLOWING

Infographic titled "Keep Culture Flowing throughout the Year," co-branded by Hacking HR and Kudos. It outlines six strategies for maintaining workplace culture: (1) Use a Celebrations Calendar—plan recognition moments and keep priorities visible; (2) Celebrate the Moments that Matter—recognize key moments and reinforce values; (3) Engage and Enable Managers—equip managers with tools to embed recognition into routines; (4) Build Culture Campaigns—create repeatable themes aligned with goals; (5) Use a Recognition Platform—automate and sustain recognition; (6) Track ROI over Time and Refine—measure impact and align with leadership goals. Each strategy is paired with a colorful icon.

Recognition is one of the simplest and most effective ways to build strong cultures.

It makes values and priorities real in the moments that matter, and tells people: You belong here. Your work matters. We see you.

However, in many companies, despite seeing the value and the impact of recognition, scaling initiatives can be challenging.

  • Manager participation is low: They are often overloaded with admin work, and their capacity to set aside dedicated time for 1:1 recognition is limited. Recognition initiatives that feel heavy or time-consuming don’t last.

  • Budget Constraints: 64% of executives say their budgets for investment recognition programs are limited.

If this is the reality of your workplace, we see you. However, you don’t need a big budget to embed recognition into everyday life. You can use simple tools and budget-friendly strategies if you plan smart:

  1. Use a Celebrations Calendar: To help you, we're sharing the Kudos 2026 Celebrations Calendar today. A shared calendar helps managers and teams remember what to celebrate and when. You can display it in HR spaces and high-traffic areas, and use it to anchor campaigns across departments. Consistency builds culture, and calendars help make recognition a habit.

  2. Celebrate the Moments that Matter: Align recognition with meaningful observances (e.g., Mental Health Awareness Month, IT Professionals Day) and internal milestones such as anniversaries and product launches.

  3. Engage and Enable Managers: Make it easy for them to encourage participation. Enable managers by providing prompts, setting reminders, and sharing calendars so recognition becomes part of their routine without adding to their workload.

  4. Build Culture Campaigns: Turn important dates into storytelling opportunities: Highlight people's stories that reinforce values, highlight collaboration, and elevate internal champions.

  5. Use Recognition Platforms: These tools make practicing recognition easy and accessible. Use built-in automation features for anniversaries, birthdays, and celebration moments. Stories, eCards, rewards, and simple workflows help to keep recognition visible and inclusive.

  6. Track ROI and Refine: Measure what matters—engagement, participation, retention—and use post-campaign insights to refine efforts quarterly. Recognition becomes more defensible when it demonstrates clear outcomes.

⭐ Want to make recognition easier, more meaningful, and consistent?

📅 Kudos has just released the 2026 Celebrations Calendar!

It’s packed with tips and inspiration for campaigns, as well as planning tools to turn special dates into opportunities to practice employee recognition and strengthen connection, engagement, and inclusion.

Promotional image for the "Kudos 2026 Celebrations Calendar" free guide. The left side features bold text with a "FREE GUIDE" label above the title. The right side shows a digital tablet displaying the cover of the calendar, which includes the year "2026" surrounded by colorful celebratory icons. A purple and teal curved arrow connects the text to the tablet. The Kudos logo is at the bottom left.

Now that you have all the tools you need to make Employee Appreciation Month (and every month) memorable, check out the amazing topics we will cover at the People and Culture Strategy Summit!

STARTING NEXT WEEK

PEOPLE & CULTURE STRATEGY SUMMIT

Promotional graphic for the "People and Culture Strategy Summit" organized by Hacking HR. The image features a black background with bold white text announcing the event, along with the tagline: "Harnessing the Power of People and Culture to Solve Complex Business Challenges in a Volatile World." At the top is the Hacking HR logo in an orange circle, and at the bottom, it notes the event is "Brought to you in partnership with" Spark Hire and Emtrain, whose logos appear side by side. The design is minimalistic and professional, emphasizing collaboration and strategic leadership in HR.

The People and Culture Strategy Summit kicks off next Tuesday!

Get ready for a three-day immersive experience (Feb 3-5, 07 am - 11:25 am Pacific Time) focused on aligning business priorities with workforce strategy, building organizational readiness for execution, and establishing systems that sustain performance over time. This free, virtual event is brought to you by Spark Hire and Emtrain.

👑 Premium members of the Hacking HR community who participate in this event can earn 13.5 SHRMs + 13.5 HRCIs + 13.5 IHRMs credits.

📜 All attendees who participate live or watch the post-event recordings may download a certificate of participation.

⭐ JOIN US! ➡️ Log in to the Hacking HR LAB to explore the amazing agenda and speaker lineup we put together for you!

HR Community Survey

We have an ambitious goal: to build a hiring framework. Participate in this survey to share your experience and contribute your perspectives! It only takes 10 minutes. ➡️ Take the survey now

Banner for an HR community survey presented by Spark Hire. The text reads: "HR Community Survey – Hiring for Cultural Fit (Not Vibes): Building an Intentional Hiring Framework." The design features a dark blue background with light decorative elements and logos for HR and Spark Hire.

The initial findings will be shared by Josh Tolan, CEO of Spark Hire, during the panel “Hiring for Cultural Fit (Not Vibes): Building an Intentional Hiring Framework" at the People and Culture Strategy Summit (February 3–5), and the downloadable report will be available later this year.

UPCOMING COHORTS

MINI MASTERS & CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Mini Masters (available with Premium+ Membership)

Certificate Programs (enrollment is open)

  • Strategic AI Leadership in Business (starts February 13)

  • Global Chief People Officer (starts March 23)

  • People, Work, and HR Technology Strategist (starts March 24)

  • Workplace Well-Being and Mental Health Strategist (starts March 24)

  • People Experience & Culture Strategist (starts in June )

  • Strategic HR Business Partner (starts in June )

  • Fundamentals of HR (starts in June )

NEW! Enrollment Opens Soon

  • 🔥  Global Compensation Architecture & Pay Strategist

  • 🔥 Global Workplace Compliance, Risk & Governance Leader

  • 🔥 Global Change Leadership Strategist

ALL these Certificate Programs are included in our Premium Membership.

▶️ To check out the syllabi and enroll, log in to the Hacking HR LAB and visit the Learning Center / Certificate Programs

💬 Do you have questions about team memberships? Connect with Assia, our new Growth Director. Connect with Assia on LinkedIn. Email her at [email protected] 

HR EVENT PARTNER

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: WE’VE PARTNERED WITH PEOPLE STRATEGY HUB

We are thrilled to officially announce a new Strategic Partnership between Hacking HR and People Strategy Hub!

This collaboration is born from a shared mission: to support the growth and visibility of the global HR, workforce planning, and people strategy communities. By combining Hacking HR’s global reach with People Strategy Hub’s specialized focus, we are creating a powerful ecosystem for turning foresight into action.

Our First Landmark: SWP Summit 2026

We are kicking off this partnership at the Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) Summit!

Promotional image for the SWP Summit London 2026, with the tagline "Shape the Future of Work with Strategy, Skills & Workforce Foresight." Event details include the date, 19th March 2026, and the location, The Brewery. The URL swpsummit.com is shown at the bottom. The right side of the image features photos of diverse attendees engaged in the summit, arranged within geometric blue shapes on a bright blue background.

📅 When: 19th March 2026 | 📍 Where: The Brewery, London

Join us in London to gain insights directly from real-world leaders, including teams from Rolls-Royce, HSBC, McDonald's, and Merck.

  • Networking and Learning: Meet with peer leaders and embrace adaptive scenario thinking and workforce agility.

  • Beyond the Event: Attendees gain On-Demand access to all sessions and slides, ensuring the learning continues well after the summit ends.

  • Purpose-Driven: We believe in impact. 5% of all ticket sales are donated to the mental health charity Mind.

Join us as we shape the future of work. You can explore the full agenda and register for our exclusive UK event below.

🌟 Hacking HR community members get a 20% discount! Use the code HACKINGHR when getting your Single Pass.

All Upcoming Events

👉 Strategic Workforce Planning Summit (March 19) - Explore now

👉 HR Analytics Summit (September 3) - Explore now

👉 AI Experience Live (June 16) - Explore now

☘️ Every action you take in our community has ripple effects, including your membership!

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT

Logo for Evertreen, featuring a green outline of a leaf within a circular border to the left of the company name “evertreen” written in lowercase green letters.

Did you know that for every membership you sign up for at the Hacking HR LAB, you help reduce carbon emissions?

Hacking HR has partnered with Evertreen to fund the Madagascar Reforestation Project, which is restoring critical ecosystems, combating deforestation, and supporting local communities for a sustainable future.

  • 🌲 1,332 Trees funded

  • 🌏 1,198.80 Tonnes of Co2 being offset

  • 🌱 166.50 Working hours created

➡️ Learn more about this project here.

Evertreen is a London-based platform that enables real climate action through tree planting and carbon offsets, creating both environmental and social impact by supporting farmers in poverty. Companies benefit from full transparency with 24/7 satellite monitoring, geotagged photos, clear project data, and marketing support, including a branded profile page and the option to gift trees. It’s a simple, credible way for businesses to strengthen their sustainability efforts. ➡️ Learn more.

👩‍🏫 Want to take your involvement to the next level? Share your knowledge with the global HR community.

SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE

CALL FOR FACULTY

We are opening faculty applications for 2026 and invite experienced practitioners to apply to teach in our Live Certificate Programs and the new Mini Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Human Capital and Global Business Leadership

This is an opportunity to share your expertise, broaden your professional presence, and contribute to the development of the next generation of global leaders.

If you are interested in becoming one of our speakers or faculty members, reach out to us at [email protected].

👩‍🏫 👋 That’s it for this edition! Before you go, stop by the Hacking HR Store to explore our merch, downloadable resources, and more.

💼 Are you part of an HR tech company or service provider? Let’s connect! If you're interested in becoming a sponsor of any of our summits, events, or learning programs, scroll down to connect with Laurie.

😊😊 We are Still Celebrating…

Take 10% off all Holiday Season gear while it lasts! Mugs that say what you really mean in meetings, t-shirts that speak fluent burnout, or digital checklists, ebooks, and templates that might actually save your sanity

Swag for your soul. Resources for your role.

A promotional image for Hacking HR features a smiling woman wearing a black t-shirt that says, "I'M IN HR – I celebrate wins in between FIXING AVOIDABLE DISASTERS." Next to her are four colorful HR document templates: "Skills Gap Analysis Checklist" (green), "People Metrics Cheat Sheet" (purple), "Individual Development Plan" (yellow), and "Managers' Onboarding Checklist" (orange). The Hacking HR logo is at the top center, and the background is a pink radial pattern. A banner at the bottom reads: "Your HR toolkit, reimagined: Templates and merch for modern HR pros."

SPONSORSHIPS­

Thousands of HR executives will gather at these upcoming summits in 2026 to shape the future of work:

If your company provides solutions in HR tech, benefits, people analytics, DEI, or workforce strategy, these events are your opportunity to connect with the exact decision-makers who control HR budgets and are actively searching for partners.

👉 Book an Intro Call with Laurie Baggarly: [email protected] to explore sponsorships and secure visibility at the summits where HR leaders are making buying decisions.

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