HR.com has announced the winners of the 2026 HR in Small Business Awards, recognizing HR professionals, organizations, and solution providers making a meaningful impact on human resources in small businesses. The awards celebrate excellence in human capital management and highlight innovative solutions, programs, and practices that help small businesses address workforce challenges, attract and retain talent, and build effective HR strategies despite limited staffing, budgets, and resources.
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. “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.”
Career Candor was named Best HR Solution for Small Business. The company is transforming outplacement by making human-centered career support accessible to employers of all sizes. Its innovative approach helps employees navigate layoffs with coaching, AI tools, benefits guidance, and community resources—supporting both 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 Stateside Brands had about 70 employees, Myers built and now leads the company’s HR function from the ground up. She created scalable, compliant systems across recruiting, compensation, benefits, policies, professional development, and employee relations—ensuring growth remained legally sound and sustainable. As a trusted leadership advisor and employee advocate, she has strengthened people practices while enabling continued growth. “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,” stated Myers. “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 for Small Business HR Leader of the Year. Duque has built a modern, compliant, people-centered HR function that strengthens culture, develops talent, supports leaders, and manages risk. She has transformed HR from a reactive function into strategic infrastructure that drives accountability, efficiency, and organizational success. “Thank you so much to HR.com, the expert judges, and our incredible community for this meaningful recognition as a runner-up for Small Business HR Leader of the Year,” said Duque. “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.”
The awards underscore the critical role of HR in small business success. With limited resources, small businesses often struggle to attract and retain talent, manage compliance, and support employees. By highlighting innovative solutions and leaders like those recognized, HR.com aims to inspire other small businesses to adopt effective HR practices. For more information, visit the HR.com Newsroom.
