International HR Day 2026: 25 Years of Insight
As the world of work continues to evolve at pace, International HR Day 2026 puts a spotlight on the themes shaping the future of the profession – from trust-led leadership and human-centric AI to continuous learning and change readiness.
For 25 years, Ashley Kate HR & Finance has partnered with organisations across the UK to build high-performing HR and finance teams. With a unique view of the talent market, we see first-hand how these shifts are playing out – not just in theory, but in hiring decisions, candidate expectations, and organisational priorities.
To mark the occasion, we spoke to three of our long-serving consultants to share their perspectives on the future of HR – and what it means for recruitment, leadership, and business success.
Future-Focused Leadership: Building Trust and Empowering Employees
Jacqui Wall, Head of Ashley Kate HR & Finance, has spent over a decade at the heart of HR recruitment, working closely with organisations to build leadership teams that shape both performance and culture. Leading the business through a constantly evolving market, Jacqui has a clear view of how leadership expectations have shifted – and how those shifts are now directly influencing hiring decisions. Aligning with this year’s focus on future-ready leadership, she shares her perspective on why trust has become a defining factor in attracting and retaining top HR talent.
How have you seen leadership styles evolve, and why is trust now more important than ever?
What we’re seeing in the recruitment market is a clear shift. Candidates are no longer just assessing the role; they’re assessing the leadership. Control-led environments are being rejected in favour of trust-led cultures. The leaders who attract and retain top HR talent today are the ones who are visible, transparent and genuinely empower their teams. Trust isn’t a soft skill anymore; it’s a hiring differentiator.
What role does HR play in developing empowering leadership cultures?
HR is critical, and we see that first-hand through the clients we partner with. The strongest organisations are using HR not just to support leadership, but to shape it. They’re hiring HR professionals who can challenge, influence and embed people-first behaviours. At Ashley Kate, we’ve spent 25 years helping businesses build those HR teams, and it’s those hires that ultimately define culture.
What advice would you give to organisations looking to build empowering leaders?
Start with who you hire. Too many businesses still recruit leaders based on technical capability alone. The market has moved on. If you’re not assessing leadership style, emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust, you’re making the wrong hire. The organisations winning right now are the ones hiring leaders who bring people with them – not just deliver results.
Human-Centric AI: Raising the Bar for HR Talent
Amanda Underhill, HR Recruitment Business Manager, works closely with organisations navigating digital transformation and changing workforce expectations. With deep insight into evolving skill demands, Amanda sees firsthand how AI and technology are reshaping not only HR functions, but the profiles of candidates businesses are looking to hire. Through the lens of human-centric AI, she explores how organisations can strike the right balance between embracing innovation and maintaining a strong human focus.
How is AI and digital transformation impacting the HR and finance talent landscape?
It’s fundamentally changing what “great” looks like in the market. Employers are no longer just looking for HR professionals who can operate processes – they need individuals who can interpret data, influence strategy and navigate technology.
We’re seeing a significant increase in demand for commercially minded HR talent who can partner with the business, make sense of digital transformation and still maintain a strong people focus.
How can businesses ensure tech enhances, rather than replaces, the human element?
It ultimately comes down to the people you bring into the organisation. Technology on its own doesn’t create value; people do. The organisations getting this right are investing in HR professionals who can balance tech adoption with human insight. That’s where we add real value as a recruitment partner, identifying talent that understands both the commercial and people side of transformation
What should HR leaders be doing to build trust around AI?
They need to bring the right capability into their teams. Trust in AI doesn’t come from the system – it comes from the people implementing and managing it.
That means hiring HR professionals who understand governance, ethics and communication and change management. After nearly 16 years in HR recruitment, one thing is clear: transformation only lands when you have the right people in place to lead it.
Continuous Learning: Hiring for Potential in a Changing Market
Natasha Murphy, Managing Consultant, specialises in connecting organisations with HR talent across a wide range of sectors, giving her a strong understanding of how skill requirements and candidate expectations are evolving. Working at the intersection of hiring and career development, Natasha sees a clear shift towards organisations recruiting for adaptability and growth potential, rather than static experience. Reflecting the theme of continuous learning, she shares how businesses can future-proof their teams through smarter hiring and development strategies.
How has the need for continuous learning evolved?
From a recruitment perspective, it’s now non-negotiable. The most in-demand HR professionals are those who are constantly evolving; whether that’s building commercial acumen, embracing new tech, or developing leadership capability. Employers are no longer hiring for what someone can do today, but what they can grow into tomorrow.
How have you seen organisations successfully support upskilling?
The best businesses are aligning hiring with development. They’re not just filling gaps; they’re building capability for the future. That means bringing in HR talent with the right mindset and then giving them the tools to grow. In my 12 years at Ashley Kate, I’ve seen that organisations that take that long-term view consistently outperform in both retention and performance.
What practical steps can HR teams take to embed learning into everyday work?
It starts with hiring the right people – individuals who are curious, adaptable and motivated to develop. From there, it’s about creating environments where learning is expected, not optional. The HR teams that stand out in today’s market are the ones who are constantly evolving, and as recruiters, that’s exactly the talent we’re helping our clients secure.
25 Years On – And Looking Ahead
International HR Day is a moment to recognise the critical role HR plays in shaping organisations, but also an opportunity to look forward.
Across all three themes, one message stands out:
People remain at the centre of progress.
Whether it’s building trust-led leadership, navigating digital transformation, or embedding continuous learning, success ultimately comes down to the talent organisations attract, hire and develop.
After 25 years in HR and finance recruitment, Ashley Kate continues to support businesses in securing that talent – helping them not only respond to change, but lead it.
Final Thought
The future of HR isn’t just being written in strategy documents; it’s being shaped in hiring decisions every day.
And the organisations that get those decisions right will be the ones that define the next 25 years.
