Three Non-Negotiables for Your People Strategy in 2026

Ever wondered what makes a people’s strategy stand out? No, it’s not free coffee or ping-pong tables. It’s the bare minimum we rarely talk about.

It’s the strategy that helps companies recognize the value of their employees and channel their potential to achieve key business goals. Just like an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) Strategy, as Gartner calls it.

So, whether statistically tailored for value or crafted with intent, a people strategy that creates a two-way bridge between employee needs and business goals is non-negotiable in 2026. And here we have it all decoded for you!

Table of Contents:

• People Strategy: A Plan That Works or Just Another Buzzword?
• People Strategy Is No Longer a Checkbox! Here’s Why.
• Three Must-haves to Tailor a 2026 Ready People Strategy.
• IBM’s Future Ready People Strategy: Smart Firm, Smarter Move!
• Creating a Fine People Strategy? Here’s Your Cup of Insights.

This blog isn’t the typical write-up you’ve seen elsewhere—it’s the true essence of HR wisdom, shared by Samidha Mohanty, an HR strategist passionate about culture, people, and business alignment.

So, HR professionals, ready to elevate your people strategy for 2026? Let’s plunge into it!

People Strategy: A Plan That Works or Just Another Buzzword?

No! A people’s strategy is not a buzzword that’ll fizzle soon. It’s here to stay forever. Yes, always!

It’s a company’s plan to leverage its workforce to achieve their long-term business goals. While it lays focus on multiple aspects that keep business running, it also keeps a side eye on essentials that’ll help their business scale at a defined pace. For example, if it acquires talent, it’ll determine whether it aligns with the long-term vision of a business. Why? So that businesses have people with skill sets that not only perform but are engaged and loyal too. This saves a company’s time, effort, energy, and what not.

And that’s how a successful people strategy is the core of a business and the smart way to make calculated growth without toxic productivity and other negative HR buzzwords.

So, what are the essentials of a people strategy? Here’s the gist.

• Hiring the right people
• Building a culture of trust and ethics
• Ensuring employee well-being
• Aligning employee goals with business vision
• Measuring purpose-fit, not just productivity

In a nutshell, a people strategy ensures your company’s people practices—like leadership, performance, engagement, culture, well-being, and initiatives—are aligned with long-term business goals—in the right way!

People Strategy Is No Longer a Checkbox! Here’s Why.

Companies treated people’s strategy like a back-office function for years, and not something that was central to business outcomes. Today, a people strategy Isn’t a ‘Nice to Have Checkbox Anymore.’ It’s a prerequisite for business revenue.

According to Gartner’s ‘Boost Revenue with Adaptive EVP Strategy,’ companies that adopted an adaptive EVP model and responded swiftly to employees’ evolving needs outpaced competitors financially by 9.6% in 2020 — during a time when many businesses struggled to stay afloat!

But navigating it as a GPS can lead to:

• Retention of top talent
• More engaged teams
• Productive work environment
• Less workplace fatigue and job burnout
• Enhanced leadership with a clear vision

On the flip side, treating people’s strategy as an afterthought leads to high attrition, disengaged teams, and a limitation to adapting to the shift.

Let’s reflect on real-world examples of a people’s strategy and their huge impact on improving overall culture.

Here’s a popular case of a people’s strategy for doing magic at the workplace. Salesforce invested in leadership training by embedding the popular “Ohana” culture to enhance and streamline the way their teams collaborated. And the impact it had? It not only increased retention and improved engagement but helped employees learn resilience to deal with the economic shifts.

Another real-world exemplar is Zerodha that introduced transparency in its culture by launching an internal culture forum to give employees a relaxed space to discuss work culture and suggest improvements without any constraints. Moreover, the company follows a strict capped work hours policy, allowing employees not to endure toxic productivity. And guess what? The company could successfully retain high performers without any glamorous benefits.

Not just Zerodha, but it’s universally true.

Companies that prioritize people-centric practices show 2.3x faster growth than their counterparts, as per Deloitte’s 2024 Human Capital Trends report. So, in short, the message is clear, people strategy isn’t a nice to have goodie that comes packed with a celebrated work culture but it’s a core lever to push up your business growth.

Three Must-haves to Tailor a 2026 Ready People Strategy.

When asked for the three must-haves for a people strategy that’s 2026-ready, Samidha unveils three non-negotiable requirements. Without these requirements, a people strategy is nothing but a hollow sphere—no depth, no impact.

Yes, while tailoring and adjusting a people’s strategy, there may be trials, tweaks, and custom fits based on your company’s unique rhythm. But there are 3 must-haves it should never miss out on—non-negotiables that form the core of any future-ready strategy.

And here we are, bursting open those three must-haves that separate a strong people strategy from just another HR deck.

1. Include ethics and purpose-fit—hire to retain, retain to achieve.

Samidha says that a good people strategy starts with a good employee who upholds high ethical standards, demonstrates exceptional integrity, and whose personal purpose aligns seamlessly with the company’s mission.

Ethics is basically a broad term that encompasses vital sub-aspects of the workplace. For example, integrity, accountability, responsibility, respect, and professionalism—all combine to form the ethical foundation employees must follow to drive meaningful business outcomes.

And with purpose-fit comes people who truly align with your company’s goals. Does your new hire share goals that match your company’s objectives? Are they innovative? Does your company foster innovation? If yes, then bang on! You’ve found a great purpose fit.

2. Make L&D your core mantra: Let them learn and apply to your goals!

So, you have a talented workforce with all the skills your business requires to scale to new heights. But how do you make that happen? By investing in L&D, you invest in the mental agility of your workforce. You want them to be more creative with ideas? Enroll them in targeted training sessions. You wish to enhance their decision-making abilities? Make leadership certifications a must. That’s how you guide them in the right direction and help them grow as high performers.

Provide them with the right tools, sufficient resources, and a supportive work environment to learn continuously and apply their expertise. This approach helps your team follow your company’s roadmap effectively and hit milestones, while minimizing mistakes through ongoing learning.

3. Guard your high performers: Protect like they are your business!

A profound people strategy prioritizes workplace heroes—the ones who act rather than just claim. Because these are the people who take initiatives, run campaigns, make bold moves, and do everything needed to drive the company closer to its future goals. And saving them from toxic productivity, impractical expectations, and unfair treatment will make them feel psychologically guarded, more engaged at work, and the best at what they do.

So, basically, your people’s strategy should acknowledge your employees’ concerns, address them with effective measures, and protect their interests—provided they align with your company’s vision for the future.

IBM’s Future Ready People Strategy: Smart Firm, Smarter Move!

Due to emerging market competition and evolving technology, IBM in 2015 realized the importance of reskilling its workforce and making its people’s strategy more human-centric. And its major tweaks included, skills-centered talent development, agile workforce planning, data-driven people decisions, culture of growth & ownership. Ever since, IBM ensures frequent culture shifts and work policy enhancements become the core of their people strategy and workforce planning.

IBM could achieve it by undertaking following steps:

• Investing in continuous learning platforms and personalized career paths, focusing on building emerging tech skills (like AI, cloud, and cybersecurity).
• The company moved from fixed roles to flexible, project-based team models, enabling quick redeployment of talent to strategic areas.
• IBM leveraged AI and analytics to identify skills gaps, forecast talent needs, and customize employee development.
• Encouraged employees to take ownership of their learning and career growth, supported by leadership coaching and transparent communication.

Ready for Results?

• IBM experienced increased employee engagement and retention through clear growth opportunities.
• It could make faster innovation cycles possible by having the right skills deployed on the right projects
• Recognized as an innovation and digital transformation leader.

Creating a Fine People Strategy? Here’s Your Cup of Insights.