TallSky Talks HR

As we move toward 2026 the landscape is changing. The labour market has stabilized, salary growth has returned to more typical levels, and employers are asking an important question:
How do we stay competitive when budgets level out and employees are still asking for more?

Leadership isn’t about speeding up – it’s about noticing what matters before it passes by. When time feels like it’s racing, the instinct is to match the speed. But great leadership often means doing the opposite. Slowing down enough to notice.

Many businesses are trying to balance sustainability and continued growth with the realities of limited resources. Fractional HR and artificial intelligence (AI) are two solutions that, when combined, give leaders a smarter way to manage people, culture, and performance – efficiently and strategically.

Applying for a new role can be both exciting and overwhelming. At TallSky, we connect talented individuals with our amazing clients, and one of the most common questions we hear is, “What can I do to stand out?” We believe there are a few simple but powerful ways to strengthen your application, to make the hiring process a more positive experience, and to build relationships that can lead to future opportunities.

It’s time we expand the conversation beyond “bullying and harassment” compliance training. This is a minimum standard and while important, it’s not enough. We need to lead with a proactive, values-driven approach grounded in Respect in the Workplace. Respect is the presence of curiosity, empathy, boundaries, and accountability. It’s about how people respond to each other, how power is shared in decision-making, and how conflict is managed early…before harm occurs.

At TallSky Consulting Group, we are frequently approached by business owners and leaders who want to better understand what Fractional HR is, and how this flexible model can support their teams. In this post, we look to answer some of the most common questions we hear and shed light on how a tailored, on-demand HR partnership can help your business thrive, without the commitment or cost of a full-time human resources hire!

The compensation landscape has undergone significant transformation in recent years, shaped by economic uncertainty, evolving workplace values, and changing regulatory frameworks. In the wake of the pandemic, the labor market saw rapid shifts, first marked by a talent shortage that drove wages upward, then by inflation and rising costs of living that have raised employee expectations around pay.

One of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to build a resilient company that can navigate economic uncertainty is by offering mentoring to valued employees.
Whether it is a formal or self-directed program, mentoring helps to increase retention of top talent, keep employee recruitment costs down, cross-train employees, and develop future leaders.

2025 isn’t just another year – it could be your turning point. For forward-thinking leaders it is a chance to adopt a style of leadership fostering increased growth for their employees. By shifting your leadership style from problem-solver to a facilitator of solutions, we help deepen the type of critical thinking and decision-making skills in our team that can have a transformative effect on both the employee and the business.

Recently we’ve been working with organizations on expanding (or establishing) their performance management process to include peer feedback.
This is a valuable piece of the feedback process and encourages continuous improvement in organizations. Where there are matrix reporting structures, employees may not do a lot of their work with their direct supervisor and peer feedback is invaluable in allowing anyone to provide input from their interactions with a colleague.