Small businesses often operate with limited staffing, budgets, and resources, making effective human capital management both critical and challenging. HR.com, the largest network of HR professionals, has announced the winners of its 2026 HR in Small Business Awards, recognizing the people, organizations, and solution providers making a meaningful impact in this space. The awards celebrate excellence in human capital management and spotlight innovative solutions, programs, and practices that help small businesses address workforce challenges, attract and retain talent, and build effective HR strategies.
“Congratulations to all the winners of the 2026 HR in Small Business Awards,” said Debbie McGrath, CEO of HR.com. “Small businesses face unique workforce challenges, and these awards recognize the people and solutions helping them build stronger teams, support employees, and achieve business success.” The recognition matters because small businesses are a vital engine of the economy, yet they frequently lack the dedicated HR infrastructure that larger firms rely on. By highlighting scalable and people-centered approaches, the awards offer a roadmap for other small organizations seeking to strengthen their workforce practices without extensive resources.
Career Candor received the Best HR Solution for Small Business award for transforming outplacement with human-centered career support accessible to employers of all sizes. Its approach combines coaching, AI tools, benefits guidance, and community resources to help employees navigate layoffs while supporting workforce resilience and employer care. “No one should have to navigate a layoff alone. That’s why I founded Career Candor after experiencing a layoff myself and facing the challenges without support,” said Brittany Wilson, Founder and CEO of Career Candor. “Today, Career Candor specializes in helping businesses and displaced workers navigate layoffs with human-first, knowledgeable outplacement services. We’re proud to be recognized as a best-in-class solution for small businesses. This recognition demonstrates how we turn moments of tension, fear, and isolation into opportunities for meaningful, intentional, and positive change.”
Haleigh Myers, HR Director at Stateside Brands, was named Small Business HR Leader of the Year. Starting when the company had about 70 employees, Myers built and now leads the HR function from the ground up, creating scalable, compliant systems across recruiting, compensation, benefits, policies, professional development, and employee relations. “When I started at Stateside three years ago, we didn’t even have an HR department, so winning this validates that building something from scratch the right way, instead of the easy way, really does pay off,” Myers said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the trust leadership gave me to build this function, and this recognition belongs just as much to my team as it does to me.”
Ashley Duque, VP of Human Resources at Matrix Human Resources, received an honorable mention as Small Business HR Leader of the Year for building a modern, compliant, people-centered HR function that strengthens culture, develops talent, supports leaders, and manages risk. “In a small business, building impactful people strategies requires wearing many hats, and this honor is a true testament to our team’s dedication to creating a thriving, people-first culture,” Duque said.
The awards underscore a broader shift: as small businesses compete for talent, investing in strategic HR and scalable solutions is no longer optional but essential. For more information about HR.com’s awards programs, visit the HR.com Newsroom.
