HR Analytics in 2026: What Will Set Strategic Teams Apart?
Maja Sušnik, Marketing Specialist
At our final HR Breakfast of 2025 in Ljubljana, moderated by Sabina Lokar (HR&M magazine), we brought together two expert voices: Katja Katarina Zakrajšek (Senior People Partner, Loftware) and Marko Perme (CEO, Gecko HRM). The audience? HR professionals from ambitious, forward-looking organisations asking the right question:
In 2026, how can HR prove its business value and not just support it?
Despite years of discussion about HR’s strategic role, many teams still struggle to align their goals with what matters most to leadership: measurable business impact. Vague objectives and siloed metrics keep HR in the support category and out of strategic conversations.
The Pain Points Holding HR Back
- Lack of clear metrics: Engagement and satisfaction are tracked, but often without linking to productivity, retention or performance.
- Disconnected tools: Data captured in Excel sheets and legacy systems limit visibility and accountability.
- Leadership blind spots: Managers focus either on people or results, rarely both.
- Manual admin overload: Too much time spent reporting, not enough improving.
- Burnout and absenteeism: Symptoms are visible, but not quantified in ways leadership acts on.
What Successful HR Will Look Like in 2026
To move from firefighting to forward planning, HR must:
- Speak the language of business: Translate HR metrics into business outcomes leadership values.
- Adopt connected systems: Get real-time insight from hire to full productivity.
- Develop better managers: Track and coach for leadership quality as it multiplies results.
- Automate low-value work: Free up time for strategic HR.
- Quantify people risks: Turn absenteeism, churn and engagement into financial insights.
Gecko’s Take
As Gecko’s CEO Marko Perme shared at the event:
“HR success isn’t static. It changes each year, based on what the organisation is trying to achieve. That’s why measurement must be dynamic and always tied to business goals.”
Watch the Full Panel
Watch the full video to discover how leading HR teams can prepare for 2026: from defining strategic metrics to using real-time data, automation and better leadership development to drive measurable business impact.
Ready to Measure What Matters?
Gecko HRM helps HR teams become true strategic partners with the tools to track, prove, and improve impact. From recruiting to leadership analytics, we help you connect HR to business outcomes.
Book a demo today and build HR for 2026.
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