The Work Futures Outlook for 2026
Dexian’s latest research, the 2026 Work Futures Study, shows a workplace where emerging technologies and human expectations are both accelerating: employers are more confident about AI readiness, and employees are more insistent that skills, flexibility, and trust drive career decisions. Compared with the 2025 Work Futures Study, the conversation has shifted from “Will AI and automation matter?” to “How will organizations deploy them fairly, transparently, and in ways that unlock human potential?”
Across both employer and employee perspectives, one theme is unmistakable: the future of work will be defined less by technology itself and more by how intentionally organizations align skills, trust, and transparency with that technology.
Section 01
Tech and AI Readiness: From Concern to Confidence
In 2025, just 38% of employers said their organization was very prepared to integrate AI/ML into business operations, and many cited high implementation costs (37%), training needs (37%), integration issues (35%), and data security concerns (34%) as top barriers.
AI readiness has also matured from pilots to scale. In 2026, 41% of employers say their workforce (skills, processes, culture) is very prepared to adopt AI at operational scale.
40% say somewhat prepared, while only 8% describe themselves as somewhat or very unprepared.
Section 02
Hiring Headwinds and Skills-First Strategies
The 2025 data highlighted near-universal agreement that human skills would grow in importance, with 92% of employers and 94% of workers saying their organization would put more emphasis on human skills alongside technical expertise. In 2026, that conviction remains strong with 84% of employers agreeing they will put more emphasis on human skills and 87% of workers believe companies need to do so.
To respond, employers are leaning harder into skills-first strategies.
Employees strongly validate this direction. Nearly half of workers (47%) say focusing on skills and potential over traditional credentials would help companies solve hiring challenges, and 29% want more investment in internal development and mobility. Over one quarter (26%) favor prioritizing skills over location, 37% want more remote positions, and 24% support relaxing degree requirements. That alignment suggests skills-first hiring is no longer just aspirational language – it is becoming a shared expectation on both sides of the market.
Compared with 2025, when skills-first hiring was a strong recommendation, in 2026 it looks more like a shared baseline expectation on both sides of the market.
Section 03
What Attracts and Retains Talent: Year-Over-Year Shifts
In 2025, workers signaled that pay, remote options, and upskilling were crucial when evaluating roles. In 2026, those preferences sharpen into a clearer ranking. When asked what would be most appealing if they were looking for a job next year:
33%
33% of workers now pick competitive pay as their top draw (up from 26% for all workers in 2025).
6% select upskilling and development opportunities, 7% emerging tech projects, 3% collaborative culture and values, 2% brand recognition, and 14% still prefer in-office roles.
On retention, 2025 findings already pointed to competitive pay, professional development, remote flexibility, and work-life balance as top reasons workers stay. In 2026, those levers become more quantifiable and pronounced.
Section 04
Trust, Transparency, and the Value Exchange
The 2026 data reveals a more intentional approach from employers to building a fair, transparent employment relationship, but employees still see room for improvement. From the employee’s view, trust is present but not guaranteed. When asked about the overall value exchange, most workers say it feels somewhat to very balanced, but a sizable segment still feels the balance tilts more toward employer benefit than employee gain.
85% say they track and respond to employee perceptions of trust and reciprocity somewhat or very well.
82% say they design work somewhat or very intentionally to restore employee energy.
Only 21% of workers completely trust their employer to handle AI and automation fairly and 27% have little to no trust.
On the perceived balance of the value exchange, only 44% feel it is extremely or very balanced, with 21% saying not very or not at all balanced.
Only 51% of workers are extremely or very confident that their employer is investing in practices that help them thrive through change and 22% are not very confident or not at all confident.
Workers are also simultaneously confident and concerned about AI.
In 2025, workers were already worried about automation and bias: job displacement was their second-biggest concern about tech’s impact, and more than half (58%) expected technology to drastically or moderately change how they search for jobs. The 2026 data shows those concerns persisting and, in some cases, intensifying: 69% are at least somewhat concerned that AI and automation will negatively affect their job security or career prospects.
Meanwhile, employees see skills improvement as a real lever for better outcomes and demand for training remains high.
The message from 2025 to 2026 is clear: workers know they must keep learning—and they expect employers to meet them there with real investment, clear communication, and a fairer, more balanced employment relationship.
Section 05
DEI and Compensation: Continuity with New Tension
DEI also remains a central, if contested, part of the future-of-work story. In 2025, 82% of workers agreed that DEI would play a significant role in hiring and team building, even as external reports flagged that 1 in 8 companies planned to reduce or eliminate DEI programs.
In 2026, 69% of employers say DEI initiatives will play a significant role in their hiring and team building (31% strongly agree, 38% agree)
55% of workers say DEI should play a significant role (20% strongly agree, 35% agree). The direction holds, but the data suggests some softening or polarization compared with workers’ very strong DEI support in 2025.
Compensation expectations are also evolving on both sides. Over 8 in 10 employers anticipate compensation trends will continue to shift, incorporating bonuses, equity, and non-monetary perks, while workers overwhelmingly say employers should rethink compensation to better reflect skills, impact, and changing market conditions.
What This Means for Leaders in 2026
The 2026 Work Futures outlook makes one thing clear: technology alone will not deliver competitive advantage. Organizations that lead in the coming years will be those that pair innovation with intentional workforce design – aligning skills, mobility, communication, and trust with the pace of change.
About the Report
The following trends and findings are based on Dexian’s Work Futures research that was conducted in December 2025 among 500 C-suite leaders and 1,000 full-time workers across a broad range of industries. The study examines how emerging technologies, talent strategies, and employee expectations are reshaping the world of work heading into 2026.