When we think about the future of work, AI is the first trend that bubbles to the top because it’s altering how we work, causing the average worker and employer to re-think what the nature of work even means anymore. Data shows that most experts see tech literacy continuing to dominate AI predictions for 2026, along with fluency that will require more human-centric collaboration with AI teammates. But in addition to AI, 10 experts are predicting even more revolutionary 2026 work trends.
2026 Work Trends: Predictions From 10 Experts
I spoke with 10 major experts about their predictions for the future of work in 2026. They came up with five major predictions for the New Year.
1. A human-centric trend will accompany AI domination.
Many of the experts I spoke with told me that the future of work belongs to those who can balance technology with human-centric skills. “The term ‘soft skills’ has never been accurate, and in 2026, it’s downright misleading,” Jen Paterno, senior behavioral scientist at CoachHub, told me. “As AI takes over technical expertise, the skills that matter most are human-centric—what industry experts (like Josh Bersin) now call ‘Power Skills’: emotional intelligence, creativity, resilience, curiosity and social influence.”
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Paterno argues that calling these capabilities “soft” minimizes their impact, adding that they’re the foundation of leadership in a world transformed by automation. “Organizations that invest in developing Power Skills through coaching, feedback and experiential learning won’t just keep up with change; they’ll stay ahead of it.”
Holger Reisinger, senior vice president at Jabra, points out that Gen Z expect human-centric skills, emotional intelligence and collaboration to carry as much weight as technical skills such as data analysis or coding. “Raised in a digital world, they understand that while AI can replicate knowledge, it can’t replace connection.”
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Heidi Barnett, isolved’s President of Talent Acquisition, agrees. “In 2026, hiring will be less about ‘beating the bots’ and more about standing out as human,” she predicts. “As AI floods the hiring process with noise, the candidates who rise to the top will be those who can show real results, tell their story authentically and bring evidence of impact.”
Cris Grossmann, CRO and Managing Director, LumApps contends that the next phase of productivity in the U.S. will come from flipping the mindset from thinking of people as a cost to manage to empowering them. Technology that protects and elevates frontline jobs, rather than replaces them, will drive the country’s next productivity boom. It’s a shift from squeezing more out of workers to unlocking more from the work itself. He believes the U.S. will lead when it learns that empowerment scales faster than efficiency.
2. Employee retention will undergo changes.
According to Audra Stanton, head of product at Ninety.io, annual performance reviews are fundamentally broken, but she says a significant reformation is on the horizon. “Over the next few years, performance reviews will transform from formal, annual events into continuous, software-integrated feedback loops.”
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Stanton believes that AI will make this possible by monitoring meetings, detecting tone and potential conflict, and nudging supervisors in real-time when feedback is needed. She adds that feedback delivered continuously will become a normal activity rather than a dreaded annual event.
Tim Weerasiri, CFO also at Ninety.io, argues that you must know where your team members want to go if you want to keep them engaged. “In 2026, managers need to better align their employees’ personal motivations with company goals,” he notes. “This means finding projects beyond their roles and responsibilities that contribute to the employee’s growth and the company’s success. Companies that fail to do so can expect a high turnover rate.”
3. Remote work will become a perk amid return-to-office mandates.
Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, says that companies are steadily calling employees back to the office, and among hybrid workers the required in-office days keep climbing, with 34% now going into the office four days a week, up from just 23% in 2023. He further states that “hybrid creep” (the steadily increasing number of in-office days) will intensify, making time in the workday a non-negotiable. Flexibility will shift from “where” to “when” you work, with millennials and Gen Z leading the charge.
“Many organizations are pushing for return-to-office for at least part of the workweek,” says Reisinger. “With this, businesses will be rethinking how their offices are set up–including more huddle rooms and collaboration spaces and upgrading technology to ensure they are conducive to meetings with in-person employees and with clients and colleagues who may be dispersed. Strong collaboration is key to productivity, and companies are committed to enabling this with new office layouts and technology to support a digital-first workforce.”
Kara Ayers, senior vice president of global talent acquisitions at Xplor Technologies, is convinced that remote work will become a competitive benefit in 2026 as more companies shift back towards hybrid and fully on-site models. “Organizations are recognizing that flexible work arrangements are a strategic advantage in attracting and retaining top talent, especially for those who value autonomy and work-life balance. As remote work becomes less of a norm and more of a premium perk, it’s reshaping how companies compete for skilled professionals.”
4. Scalable impact will define the role of HR.
Shane Hadlock, chief client and technology officer at Paycom, predicts that HR’s top focus for 2026 is to upgrade and improve their HR technology purchases and move to a single-base architecture.
“Scalable impact will define the new HR budget,” asserts Ryan Starks, head of growth at Rising Team. “CFOs will scrutinize HR budgets like never before, and every dollar will have to be earned. He believes that “Nice to have” consultants that don’t scale and poorly adopted systems will get axed. In addition, external facilitators and consultants will remain for executive-level needs, but everywhere else, AI-driven systems will take over replicating expert-level leadership development continuously, affordably, and at scale.
He argues that HR’s habit of asking managers to collect updates, chase feedback and complete forms that don’t move the needle is over. “CHROs will be judged by how much time their tools return to managers through AI agents that handle administrative drag and let leaders focus on coaching, clarity and connection.”
5. The skill’s-first revolution will nudge out the college degree.
Ayers is convinced that 2026 will end the college degree as learning on the job takes on a new meaning. She predicts that workplace and on-the-job bootcamps will become a standard investment for companies, and traditional degrees will carry less weight in a skills-first market.
Chris Graham, executive vice president of workforce and community education at National University agrees that companies will follow the 2026 work trends of more skills-based hiring than degree-based hiring. But if you don’t have a degree, he says you will remain at a financial disadvantage. “Data shows that bachelor’s degree holders make approximately 68% more per week than those with just a high school diploma. Those in the job market without a bachelor’s degree can still find relevant openings, but many will pursue degrees in tandem to boost their earning potential.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2025/12/29/2026-work-trends-10-experts–predict-the-future-of-work/
