2026年职场趋势报告

WORKPLACE TRENDS Meet Our Team TRISH STEEDCO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Trish Steed is the CEO and Principal Analyst forH3 HR Advisors,co-host of theAtWork in Americapodcast and the HR Happy Hour podcast on the HR Happy HourNetwork alongsideSteve Boese.She is also the creator of the H3 LIVE! vlog. A former HR executive and HCM product leader with over 20 years of experiencein Big 4 public accounting, PR, healthcare, manufacturing, and IT, Trish brings thatknowledge to her clients as an analyst and advisor. STEVE BOESECO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF DATA OFFICER Steve is one of the Co-Founders of H3 HR Advisors, a leading HR technologyadvisory and services consultancy. Since 2013, Steve has been the Program Chair and host of theHR TechnologyConference,the world’s largest gathering of the global HR Technologycommunity, and authors a monthly HR Technology Column forHuman ResourceExecutive magazine. He is a frequent speaker and author on topics in HumanResources, HR technology, and the world of work. KAREN STEEDDIRECTOR, CLIENT EXPERIENCE & MEDIA PRODUCER Karen Steed is the Client Experience Director & Learning Analyst of H3 HR Advisors. Karen works with client teams to promote their organizational needs seamlesslyand effectively, through strategy and planning. She is also responsible for the HRHappy Hour Network media production and promotion. Previously, Karen served 15years as an elementary educator and early childhood administrator. Her focus ison learning solutions that are engaging and practical. ExecutiveSummary OVERVIEW OF KEY WORKPLACE SHIFTS AND TECHNOLOGY DRIVERS IN 2026 The world of work in 2026 is defined by acceleration, adjustment, and opportunity. Executives and HRleaders face a business environment where technology, economics, and demographics are inconstant motion, demanding both agility and clarity of purpose.The last several years of rapid change,starting with pandemic-era transformation to the first wave of generative AI, have set the stage for anew era of decision-making, one in which innovation is abundant, opportunity is ready to be seizedupon, but proven return on investment is still emerging. The U.S. economy enters 2026 in a period of cautiousoptimism: growth has stabilized after earlier volatility,unemployment remains low, and inflation pressureshave eased somewhat, though margins are tighter andinvestors expect greater productivity from every dollarand every hour worked. At the same time, demographicheadwinds in the form of aging populations, slow labor-force growth, and restrained immigration continue tolimit labor supply. High-profile companies like Amazon,Microsoft, and IBM have all made aggressive headcountreductions. Organizations are learning to compete notby expanding headcount but by expanding capabilitythrough technology, data, and human ingenuity. ExecutiveSummary At the center of this transformation is artificial intelligence.AI has moved from experimentation toimplementation, touching nearly every enterprise function: HR, finance, operations, marketing, andsupply chain. Yet even as adoption spreads, evidence of measurable ROI remains uneven. Manyorganizations are still in the early stages of turning pilot projects into scalable, value-producingsystems. Executives face mounting pressure in 2026 to demonstrate not just AI activity, but AI impact.This means clear productivity gains, smarter decision-making, and better employee experiences – andsometimes fewer employees overall.The challenge for leaders is to move beyond curiosity tocompetence, building the infrastructure, data quality, and change-management capability needed tomake AI work in the real world. Beyond AI, other technological factors continue to influence the workplace.Automation and roboticsare extending efficiency deeper into operations; cloud platforms and APIs are enabling connecteddata ecosystems; and analytics are giving leaders more precise insight into performance,engagement, and risk. Together, these forces are redefining what “digital transformation” means andwhat is required for success. Leaders are challenged to integrate systems and manage the balancebetween people and machines. The social and cultural dimensions of work are also rapidly evolving.Hybrid work has become a lastingfixture, even as organizations refine how to balance flexibility with accountability, and some, like infinance and tech, are increasing in-person work requirements. Employees expect choices regardingwhere and when they work. They also, increasingly, expect more purpose in their work.Wellbeing, equity,and trust have become enduring pillars of employee engagement and brand reputation. Workplaceculture is now recognized as an economic driver, not an HR aspiration. ExecutiveSummary For HR and business leaders, 2026 demands an integrated mindset: one that connects technologyinvestment to talent strategy, innovation to inclusion, and productivity to sustainability. The winners inthis environment will be those who