How HR Leaders Can Strengthen Their People Plans For 2026

As we move towards the festive period, many HR leaders will have one eye on a well-earned break and another on 2026. Recruitment, project delivery and restructures are already sitting on next year’s to-do list in a lot of organisations.

For all three of these areas, The GC Index has become one of the most useful tools we use with clients. It gives a simple language for how people make an impact at work and supports recruiting the right people, building cohesive teams, and delivering career transition support where redundancies are needed.

Rather than measuring skills, it looks at people’s energy and where they are likely to do their best work and be at their most productive.

Imagine a tool that identifies, scientifically, where people will do their best work and feel fulfilled. It has a huge influence on motivation, retention and performance.

The process is simple. It is a 15 minute online questionnaire that generates an in-depth report that outlines where people deliver impact. They are assessed across five areas: Game Changer, Strategist, Implementer, Polisher and Play Maker. The mix explains how someone naturally approaches problems, projects and collaboration.

As an example, I am a Game Changer Strategist, which means my scores in those areas are higher. I also score fairly high with Polisher, but lower with Implementer and Play Maker. I am most energised when I can come up with ideas (Game Changer), build strategy (Strategist) and make things better (Polisher). I derive less pleasure from implementation (Implementer) and orchestrating teams (Play Maker).

It is not a measure of ability. It is a measure of where a person will feel most energised and where they are most likely to do their best work.

It opens the door to honest conversations and better decisions about who should be doing what, who needs support, and where teams are strong or exposed.

Below are three practical use cases for The GC Index.

Project planning and delivery

Most larger organisations head into the new year with a portfolio of projects. The challenge is getting the right people in the right roles so projects are delivered on time, within budget and with the intended business benefits.

The GC Index helps match the demands of a project with the impact energy of the people delivering it. By asking project leads and project teams to complete The GC Index, you can make sure the team’s combined energy underpins successful delivery.

It is quick, inexpensive and incredibly effective.

For example:

• Some projects need a fresh perspective and creativity (Game Changer energy)

• Planning phases need people who make sense of complexity and see the bigger picture (Strategists)

• Quality and consistency need those who enjoy refining and improving (Polishers)

• Team cohesion needs people who keep everyone connected (Play Makers)

• Every project needs people who will just get things done (Implementers)

Now imagine a project that needs ideas and creativity, and your project lead has low Game Changer energy and high Implementer energy. There is a misalignment that will eventually hurt the project.

If you are a project lead and would like to try The GC Index, get in touch and I will arrange a complimentary GC Index review so you can see it in action. It will not take up much time, but you might see the same power in it that I did when I first used it.

Recruitment and selection

Recruitment is always a balancing act. You have the job description, the CVs and the interview process, but none of that tells you how a person will actually contribute once they join.

The GC Index adds another layer. It helps you define the impact profile that a role genuinely needs, then compare candidates against it. Hiring managers appreciate the clarity. Candidates benefit because they move into roles that are more aligned with where they will be most energised.

A typical process would be:

• An accredited GCologist works with the hiring manager to evaluate the role against The GC Index

• Each shortlisted candidate completes The GC Index (15 minutes)

• The GCologist and hiring manager evaluate the candidates against the role profile

• Only the candidates with the best impact fit are brought in for interview

Once again, this is not about skills and experience. It is about matching the needs of the role with the energy of the candidates so they are more likely to be energised and effective.

It also helps with onboarding, because you already understand where they will hit the ground running and where they may need support.

If you are a hiring manager, TA lead, or HR professional who would like to try The GC Index, get in touch, and I’ll arrange a complimentary GC Index review with you so you can see it in action.

Career transition and redundancy support

When people go through change, the usual help revolves around career coaching, CVs, LinkedIn and interview preparation. All useful, but often not quite enough. What people really need is a sense of direction and a way to talk about the value they bring.

This is where The GC Index really comes into its own.

It helps people understand the type of impact they naturally create. Once they have that clarity, everything else becomes easier. They can identify roles that genuinely suit them. They are better placed to write a focused CV. They communicate with more confidence because they can explain not just what they have done, but how they work at their best.

Once they have taken The GC Index, they also have access to GC Translate, which allows them to assess the focus of any given role and check whether the role’s impact profile aligns with their own.

For HR teams offering outplacement, this makes the service more personal and underpinned by science rather than guesswork. It improves outcomes for leavers and increases the likelihood that their onward move will be both sustainable and fulfilling.

If you are an HR professional who would like to try The GC Index, get in touch, and I’ll arrange a complimentary GC Index review with you so you can see it in action.

Other areas where it is useful

Although I am focusing on three use cases here, The GC Index is used widely across organisations: team development, leadership growth, organisational design, culture work, transformation programmes and succession planning.

Once teams understand the language of impact, they tend to use it everywhere.

Final thoughts

Heading into 2026, HR teams are dealing with a lot of moving parts. The GC Index gives you a practical, grounded framework that adds an extra layer of rigour to project planning, recruitment and career transition.

If you want to explore how we use it across project planning, outplacement and recruitment, please get in touch or book a call with me here: https://calendly.com/mattcraven/30-minute-meeting-clone

If you would like to try The GC Index for yourself, I am happy to arrange a complimentary GC Index review so you can see it in action.

You can email me at: [email protected]