Global Talent Trends 2026. Solving the human–machine equation
You’re at a tipping point: Rapid technology adoption, shifting skills, and new expectations are forcing you to rethink how your organization creates value through people.
Global Talent Trends 2026 gives you a data‑led, practical view of the workforce trends shaping your decisions—drawn from a global survey of nearly 12,000 executives, human resources (HR) leaders, employees, and investors across 16 geographies and 16 industries—and shows you:
- How peers are redesigning work to blend human capability with automation
- What artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace looks like
- How to prepare for the AI future of work
- Which future-fit skills to develop
- How to sharpen your employee value proposition to drive performance
Inside the report, you’ll find the guidance leaders need to act now:
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Data-backed prioritiesFindings from nearly 12,000 executives, HR leaders, employees, and investors plus four shifts shaping workforce performance in 2026—so you know which changes will move the needle.
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Actionable redesign playbookPractical steps and examples for aligning roles, skills, and AI to boost productivity, resilience, and sustainable growth.
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Decision-ready benchmarksMetrics, industry comparisons, and investor perspectives to help you assess risk, justify investment, and measure return on investment (ROI).
Download the Global Talent Trends 2026 report to turn these insights into concrete workforce decisions and competitive advantage.
Four talent trends shaping the future of work
AI adoption continues to accelerate but organizations are increasingly focused on how work itself must evolve. This trend explores how organizations are redesigning work in the AI future of work to better integrate human capability with automation and AI, while building future-fit skills to support productivity and sustainable performance.
As workforce risks and skill requirements shift more quickly, organizations are placing greater emphasis on talent intelligence. This trend looks at how leaders are using workforce data and insight to strengthen workforce resilience, anticipate risk, and respond to emerging challenges such as the AI skills gap.
Employee expectations of work, reward and development continue to evolve. This trend examines how organizations are reassessing employee value proposition (EVP), including employee experience and communication and employee engagement to support engagement, performance and retention in a changing labour market.
HR functions are under pressure to move beyond traditional operating models. This trend explores the future of HR and how HR is evolving to play a more strategic role in shaping work, skills and organizational effectiveness.
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