HR Planning: 5 Planning Steps for Q4

It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is here. With the final quarter of the year upon us, HR teams are entering one of the most critical planning seasons of the year. Now is the time to begin refining your HR strategic plan for next year. While other departments may be winding down, Q4 is HR’s opportunity to move full speed ahead and lay a solid foundation for the coming year. 

Whether you're leading a small HR department or part of a large enterprise team, proactive planning in Q4 can save countless hours (and headaches) in the months to come. From ensuring compliance and forecasting hiring needs to optimizing your HR technology and defining strategic initiatives, early planning isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. 

Here are three key takeaways you’ll learn in this article: 

1. Five actionable steps to guide your HR planning in Q4 
2. Proactive planning ideas to meet changing business needs 
3. Options for partnering with compliance experts, such as OutSolve, for your strategic planning 

Step 1: Conduct a Year-End HR Audit 

Before you look forward, take a good look back. 

A year-end HR audit is a critical tool that highlights where your current processes stand and where improvements are needed. This is your chance to step back and evaluate how well your HR compliance strategy, operations, and documentation processes are functioning. 

So, what specifically should you audit? Key areas include: 

• Form I-9 and E-Verify compliance: Are your records up to date and audit-ready? Use our I-9 Audit checklist to help. 
• Pay equity and compensation benchmarking: Are your compensation practices fair and competitive? Use our Pay Equity Checklist and Compensation Benchmarking Guide to help. 
• Benefits administration: Have your offerings kept pace with employee needs and new regulations? 
• Digital recordkeeping: Are your systems organized, secure, and easy to access? 

Using digital, centralized platforms for documentation is becoming increasingly important. With government audits becoming more frequent and complex, having current, audit-ready data is a must for risk management. 

Your audit findings will likely determine every other part of your HR strategic plan, making this the first and most vital step of your Q4 planning. 

Step 2: Review and Update HR Policies 

HR policies are not documents etched in stone. To the contrary, they require regular review to keep pace with new or changing laws, business needs, and workplace culture. 

Q4 is the perfect time to make sure that all your policies are updated to reflect key HR and compliance initiatives, such as: 

• Federal, state, and local laws, including minimum wage, overtime, etc. 
• Pay transparency laws, which are becoming more widespread and complex 
• Nondiscrimination practices that demonstrate good faith efforts and go beyond “lip service” 
• Workplace safety regulations, especially if your workforce includes hybrid or remote models 

By updating these policies proactively, you’re demonstrating leadership to your employees while also protecting your company from costly legal exposure. This is also the time to make sure your handbook is aligned with your overall HR and compliance strategy. Remember, an outdated handbook can be just as risky as not having one at all. 

Step 3: Align Workforce Planning with Business Goals 

Next, let’s talk about the heart of HR planning, which is your people. 

As part of your Q4 strategy, take a close look at your company’s business goals for  next year. Are you expanding into new markets? Launching new products? Restructuring departments? 

Your HR strategic planning must sync up accordingly. This includes: 

• Workforce planning, such as forecasting hiring needs to help with workforce alignment, and identifying seasonal fluctuations 
• Compensation philosophy, like reviewing salary bands, compensation structures, and ensuring pay equity 
• Creating or revisiting succession planning and internal mobility 

These aren’t just best practices; they're business imperatives. A misaligned HR plan can have a “domino effect” and result in missed targets and goals, high turnover, and low morale. By creating a plan that aligns HR with overall business direction, you're positioning HR as a strategic partner, and not just an administrative, reactive function. 

Step 4: Implement or Optimize HR Technology 

It’s time to take a hard look at your tech stack. 

If you're still relying on spreadsheets, siloed tools, or manual processes, then you're not just wasting time, but you’re increasing compliance risk and administrative costs. Investing in the right technology is a crucial part of your HR strategic plan. 

Key systems to evaluate or consider implementing: 

• HRIS platforms that consolidate employee data, benefits, and performance 
• Payroll systems that are accurate and comply with wage laws 
• I-9 and E-Verify management tools that automate compliance workflows and help you become audit-ready 
• Onboarding software that creates a smooth, engaging start for new hires 

Look for technology that allows real-time reporting, integration with other systems, and customization for your unique compliance needs. 

Optimizing your HR tech not only enhances efficiency but also allows your team to focus on strategic initiatives instead of chasing paperwork. It’s a smart way to stretch your HR budget while reducing long-term risk. 

Step 5: Set Metrics, Goals, and Budget for the New Year 

Once the foundation is in place, it’s time to look forward. 

Your Q4 planning should include clear goal setting, budget alignment, and measurable KPIs. This is where your planning turns into performance. 

Consider setting metrics in these core areas: 

• Recruitment: Time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, offer acceptance rate 
• Retention: Turnover rates, engagement scores, internal promotion rates 
• Compliance: Audit pass rates, training completion, policy acknowledgment rates 

Don’t forget to align your HR budget to support these goals. Consider allocating funds for things like training and upskilling, technology upgrades, compliance audits, legal support, and outsourced HR compliance functions, especially in high-risk areas like pay equity or multi-state law compliance. 

Build quarterly checkpoints so you can adapt your plan as your business changes and grows. HR isn’t static, so your strategy shouldn’t be either. 

What 2026 HR Planning Means for Your Organization 

We all know that Q4 gets busy trying to meet deadlines and get projects completed. With open enrollment, year-end reporting, and holiday schedules, it’s tempting to push strategic planning into January. But when it comes to HR, that’s a risk you can’t afford. 

By tackling your HR planning now, you gain a head start on compliance, workforce planning, and strategy, which will only help you and your company in the long run.  You'll be better equipped to guide and support your organization through 2026 with confidence, clarity, and compliance. Proactive Q4 planning helps deliver reduced legal and regulatory risk, stronger alignment with business goals, a more agile and responsive HR function, and better use of your HR budget. 

At OutSolve, we partner with HR teams to provide expert support in compliance, workforce planning, and HR technology solutions. Whether you need help understanding pay transparency laws, conducting an I-9 audit, or building a workforce strategy from the ground up, we’re here to help. 

Let’s connect. Schedule a consultation to make your 2026 HR strategic plan your most effective yet. 

Alanna Lee

Alanna Lee has 20 years experience in Human Resources and serves as a Senior Consultant advising OutSolve clients on equal employment opportunity and compliance best practices. Prior to joining OutSolve, Alanna was HR Director for a maritime company where she managed employee benefits and HR compliance. Alanna is PHR and SHRM-CP certified, and holds a Bachelors Degree in Human Resource Management from Louisiana State University.