People Priorities: Future of Work 2026

A glimpse of what’s inside

• Only 33% of organisations say employee engagement improved this year — down from 58% in 2024.
• When HR and Exec teams are misaligned, only 9% of organisations said engagement had improved.
• 69% of HR teams are still in the early experimentation phase with AI.
• 53% of HR professionals have felt under constant strain in the past six months.

Why download the Future of Work 2026 report?

1. Real insight into today’s workplace
Engagement is stagnating, HR teams are stretched thin, and wellbeing is under pressure. This year’s report reveals what’s really driving — and derailing — progress in the changing world of work.

2. The big shifts shaping 2026
Discover how alignment between HR and leadership can make or break engagement, why communication is now the biggest cultural differentiator, and how AI could finally relieve HR’s workload crisis.

3. Action you can take now
Packed with practical guidance, the report shows how HR can rebuild trust, use AI to free capacity, and empower managers to own the employee experience.

Understand what’s defining the future of work — and how you can lead it.

Contents

• Research highlights
• Strategic alignment between HR and executive leadership
• Leadership, capability and culture
• AI, technology and the future of work
• Employee listening
• Wellbeing and resilience