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As 2026 begins, the workplace is rapidly changing due to technological advances, shifting labor dynamics, and evolving employee expectations. Organizations that anticipate and adjust to these changes are more likely to attract top talent, boost productivity, and stay competitive. From embracing artificial intelligence in the workplace to a continued focus on skill-based hiring, the future of work is being shaped by trends that could redefine how we collaborate, learn, and thrive. Here are three top workforce trends to watch in 2026. 1. THE AI-AUGMENTED WORKFORCE The adoption of AI is quickly becoming a critical factor in modernizing the workplace. Companies and employees alike are recognizing AIs value and are actively weaving it into their daily operations and workflows. Rather than replacing jobs and skills outright, AI is reshaping roles and creating new opportunities to boost efficiency and improve work quality. McKinsey Global Institute reports that AI-driven automation has the potential to generate $2.9 trillion in economic value across the U.S. by 2030. Their research suggests that unlocking this potential value will require more than just automating individual tasks. It involves rethinking entire workflows to enable effective collaboration among workers and AI assistants. By automating routine, repetitive tasks like document preparation and basic research, AI allows employees to focus on more complex tasks and contribute in more strategic, impactful ways. A March survey we conducted with 1,000 HR professionals showed that nearly 70% view AI positively and find it helpful for their work. This benefit is particularly evident when automating initial, high-volume administrative tasks in the recruitment process. The survey suggests that AI adoption is highest during the early stages of the hiring process, especially in job posting (39.7%) and résumé screening (39.5%), with larger companies more likely to use these tools due to a higher volume of applications. Usage drops for more subjective tasks like hiring decision (14%) and shortlisting (13%), showing a continued preference to leave key judgments and final decisions to humans. 2. SKILLS-FIRST HIRING AND UPSKILLING With many industries continuing to struggle with labor shortages, more employers are reevaluating their hiring practices. To fill this gap, many companies are moving toward skills-based hiring. The transition to skills-based and skills-first hiring is more than just a passing trend; it’s a strategic response to evolving labor market dynamics. A National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that 65% of employers surveyed reported adopting skills-based hiring practices for entry-level hires. Additionally, 90% of employers who use skills-based hiring report applying it during the interview stage, while almost three-quarters include it in the initial filtering process. This emphasis on a candidates skills highlights a common misunderstanding between skills-based and skills-first hiring methods. Skills-first hiring primarily evaluates candidates based on skills, though other factors might still influence the decision. In skills-based hiring, a persons abilities are important but not necessarily more important than other factors like education or experience. By embracing continuous learning, individuals can effectively bridge existing skill gaps and proactively position themselves for the jobs of tomorrow. Our March survey of 1,000 unemployed individuals found that among respondents actively seeking jobs, 59.3% of those who considered upskilling reported receiving a job interview compared to 48.7% who did not, a 21.8% difference. Upskilling not only boosts their short-term marketability but also strengthens long-term resilience in a constantly changing workforce, ultimately leading to a more confident and successful return to employment. 3. A STAGNANT LABOR MARKET FOR NEW GRADUATES The U.S. labor market is currently experiencing a stagnant phase, often described by economists as low-fire, low-hire. This means companies are not laying off employees, but they are also not hiring new staff quickly. While this stability benefits current workers, it creates a significant obstacle for the newest generation of workers, especially recent graduates. This is particularly true for those not pursuing in-demand fields, such as the healthcare industry. NACEs 2026 job outlook reports that 45% of employers view the overall job market for 2026 class of graduates as fair. The last time the majority of employers (52%) described the job market this way was in 2021, when hiring expectations were similarly stagnant. This signals a return to when the market was still recovering from the pandemic, and companies were more cautious and hiring out of necessity. Despite this bleak outlook for young job seekers, students are still optimistic. ZipRecruiter research shows that students overwhelmingly expect a quick transition from campus to career, with 82% expecting to land their first professional job within three months of graduating. While 77% do manage to find employment quickly, 5% are still searching for their first job. While the present job market offers stability for current employees, it creates challenges for new graduates trying to succeed. Moving from college to a professional career is now more like a marathon than a sprint, requiring young job seekers to focus on building skills in high-demand fields and refining their job search tactics to navigate an increasingly selective employment environment. FINAL THOUGHTS The 2026 workplace will be influenced by emerging technologies, changing expectations, and evolving hiring practices. Although economic uncertainties and slower recruitment may pose challenges, they highlight the importance of innovation and adaptability in business strategies. Organizations that invest early in AI and focus on skill-based hiring are better positioned to attract and retain top talent, foster innovation, and boost productivity and growth. Recognizing these trends is essential for successfully navigating the rapidly changing labor market and maintaining competitiveness. Paul Toomey is president and founder of Geographic Solutions.
Category:
E-Commerce
I didnt set out to found a tech company, much less a brand that would redefine the standard for outdoor cellular cameras. Tactacam started with a simple passion for capturing and sharing outdoor moments, and that same passion drives us today. Throughout the years, Ive found that success, growth, and customer loyalty come down to staying true to who you are. The brands that thrive lead with purpose and values, using them as guiding principles to earn trust, influence decisions, and create lasting loyalty, even during change. When brands drift from their core, they risk disrupting the very foundation of trust theyve built. Weve seen the consequences of brand drift play out in recent headlines with failed rebrands and campaigns that alienate core customers. But when the foundation is strong and missteps happen, 67% of consumers are more likely to stay loyal to brands they already trust, according to Edelman’s Trust Barometer. Staying rooted in our purpose to enhance outdoor pursuits has shaped how we innovate, serve our customers, and define our culture. Here are four lessons Ive learned about keeping purpose at my core, and why it gives brands a winning edge. 1. LEAD WITH VALUES THAT MEAN SOMETHING Meaningful values are more than just a slogan on a breakroom poster. Core values are field-tested standards that define how you innovate, care for your customers, and how your people show up. What began as a humble garage operation, evolved into a new way to experience and share outdoor memories. This foundation of passion, getting our hands dirty, and ambition continues to define our mission. At the core is a deep appreciation for the outdoors, and a commitment to innovation and improving the way outdoor moments are captured. These values underpin how we continue to serve our community. Our approach was simple: We started by identifying our values and making them simple enough for everyone to repeat. Then, we committed to embodying those values at every level of the organization, ensuring they guided every interaction and decision, even the difficult ones. 2. STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR CUSTOMERS A strong customer satisfaction score is an important benchmark, but it doesnt tell the full story. The most meaningful interactions happen behind the scenes in genuine customer interactions. According to Zendesk, 60% of consumers have made purchases based solely on the service they expect to receive. Weve learned that authentic customer relationships are built from real conversations without scripts or chatbots. When your support team speaks with thousands of customers a day, they have a unique opportunity to not only help them solve challenges, but also celebrate their successes, and hear insights on what customers want to see next. Investing in these human relationships creates immeasurable value that automation simply cant. Listening to customers isnt just the role of customer service. Making time to listen is the responsibility of everyone in an organization. Spend time with your customers and listen to their stories and their feedback firsthand. Some of the most powerful innovations will come directly from customer stories. 3. TURN CUSTOMER INSIGHTS INTO INNOVATION Innovation starts with insights from your core customers and understanding: How can we solve a problem? How can we improve the experience? And what will it take to deliver the best possible product? When our customers asked if we could build a more advanced cellular trail camera solution, we accepted the challenge. We listened and engaged them every step of the way, from incorporating their most requested features, to involving them in the testing process to ensure it performed in real world conditions. They said, what if, and we delivered. The result was not only a great product but a solution that exceeded their expectations. The takeaway is to allow customer insights to lead you down the path of innovation. When they ask, listen and find a way to deliver. It will almost always pay off in a big way. 4. CREATE A CULTURE BUILT ON HUMAN CONNECTION AI is changing how we interact. Going all in on human connection is more important than ever. As organizations grow, culture becomes about creating real, human connections and rallying people around a shared purpose. The most valuable lesson weve learned in building our culture is that impactful traditions come from creating authentic connections to employees passions. At our core, its about spending time outdoors. Programs like TactaTreks, which takes top-performing team members on epic outdoor adventures with leadership throughout the year, arent just fun. They also bring employees together around shared values. Even offering extra PTO days for time exploring the outdoors reinforces that we prioritize what our people value most. Culture is truly a lived experience that connects your people to your purpose. Its built around the moments that create community and inspire teams to do their best work. Purpose and values are the foundation to lasting loyalty. By consistently leading with your core, staying connected to your customers, and creating human connections with your community, you dont just win, you build a brand with staying power. Jeff Peel is CEO and cofounder of Tactacam.
Category:
E-Commerce
About 1 in 3 Americans make at least one New Years resolution, according to Pew Research. While most of these vows focus on weight loss, fitness, and other health-related goals, many fall into a distinct category: work. Work-related New Years resolutions tend to focus on someones current job and career, whether to find a new job or, if the timing and conditions are right, whether to embark on a new career path. Were an organizational psychologist and a philosopher who have teamed up to study why people workand what they give up for it. We believe that there is good reason to consider concerns that apply to many if not most professionals: how much work to do and when to get it done, as well as how to make sure your work doesnt harm your physical and mental healthwhile attaining some semblance of work-life balance. Country music icon Dolly Parton wrote and sang the theme song in the movie 9 to 5, and had a starring role as well. How we got here Most Americans consider the 40-hour workweek, which calls for employees being on the job from nine to five, to be a standard schedule. This ubiquitous notion is the basis of a hit Dolly Parton song and 1980 comedy film, 9 to 5, in which the country music star had a starring role. Microsoft Outlook calendars by default shade those hours with a different color than the rest of the day. This schedule didnt always reign supreme. Prior to the Great Depression, which lasted from 1929-1941, 6-day workweeks were the norm. In most industries, U.S. workers got Sundays off so they could go to church. Eventually, it became customary for employees to get half of Saturday off too. Legislation that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law as part of his sweeping New Deal reforms helped establish the 40-hour workweek as we know it today. Labor unions had long advocated for this abridged schedule, and their activism helped crystallize it across diverse occupations. Despite many changes in technology as well as when and how work gets done, these hours have had a surprising amount of staying power. Americans work longer hours In general, workers in richer countries tend to work fewer hours. However, in the U.S. today, people work more on average than in most other wealthy countries. For many Americans, this is not so much a choice as it is part of an entrenched working culture. There are many factors that can interfere with thriving at work, including boredom, an abusive boss, or an absence of meaning and purpose. In any of those cases, its worth asking whether the time spent at work is worth it. Only 1 in 3 employed Americans say that they are thriving. Whats more, employee engagement is at a 10-year low. For both engaged and disengaged employees, burnout increased as the number of work hours rose. People who were working more than 45 hours per week were at greatest risk for burnout, according to Gallup. However, the average number of hours Americans spend working has declined from 44 hours and 6 minutes in 2019 to just under 43 hours per week in 2024. The reduction is sharper for younger employees. We think this could be a sign that younger Americans are pushing back after years of being pressured to embrace a hustle culture in which people brag about working 80 and even 100 hours per week. Critiques of hustle culture are becoming more common. Fight against a pervasive notion Anne-Marie Slaughter, a lawyer and political scientist who wears many hats, coined the term time macho more than a decade ago to convey the notion that someone who puts in longer hours at the office automatically will outperform their colleagues. Another term, face time, describes the time that we are seen by others doing our work. In some workplaces, the quantity of an employees face time is treated as a measure of whether they are dependableor uncommitted. It can be easy to jump to the conclusion that putting in more hours at the office automatically boosts an employees performance. However, researchers have found that productivity decreases with the number of hours worked due to fatigue. Even those with the uxury to choose how much time they devote to work sometimes presume that they need to clock as many hours as possible to demonstrate their commitment to their jobs. To be sure, for a significant amount of the workforce, there is no choice about how much to work because that time is dictated, whether by employers, the needs of the job or the growing necessity to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. 4-day workweek experiments One way to shave hours off the workweek is to get more days off. A multinational working group has examined experiments with a four-day workweek: an arrangement in which people work 80% of the time32 hours over four dayswhile getting paid the same as when they worked a standard 40-hour week. Following an initial pilot in the U.S. and Ireland in 2022, the working group has expanded to six continents. The researchers consistently found that employers and employees alike thrive in this setup and that their work didnt suffer. Most of those employees, who ranged from government workers to technology professionals, got Friday off. Shifting to having a three-day weekend meant that employees had more time to take care of themselves and their families. Productivity and performance metrics remained high. Waiting for technology to take a load off Many employment experts wonder whether advances in artificial intelligence will reduce the number of hours that Americans work. Might AI relieve us all of the tasks we dread doing, leaving us only with the work we want to doand which, presumably, would be worth spending time on? That does sound great to both of us. But theres no guarantee that this will be the case. We think the likeliest scenario is one in which the advantages of AI are unevenly distributed among people who work for a living. Economist John Maynard Keynes predicted almost a century ago that technological unemployment would lead to 15-hour workweeks by 2030. As that year approaches, its become clear that he got that wrong. Researchers have found that for every working hour that technology saves us, it increases our work intensity. That means work becomes more stressful and expectations regarding productivity rise. Deciding when and how much time to work Many adults spend so much time working that they have few waking hours left for fitness, relationships, new hobbies, or anything else. If you have a choice in the matter of when and how much you work, should you choose differently? Even questioning whether you should stick to the 40-hour workweek is a luxury, but its well worth considering changing your work routines as a new year gets underway if thats a possibility for you. To get buy-in from employers, consider demonstrating how you will still deliver your core work within your desired time frame. And, if you are fortunate enough to be able to choose to work less or work differently, perhaps you can pass it on: You probably have the power and privilege to influence the working hours of others you employ or supervise. Jennifer Tosti-Kharas is a professor of management at Babson College. Christopher Wong Michaelson is a professor of ethics and business law at the University of St. Thomas. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Category:
E-Commerce
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