A new 2026 report from People Made draws on cross-industry insight to examine how organisations are adjusting to continuous change, AI adoption and shifting workforce expectations.
Work isn’t settling down - expectations are rising instead
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In brief
There has been an expectation that, after several years of disruption, work would begin to stabilise.
That has not happened.
Instead, organisations are entering a more complex phase - where change is ongoing, expectations are higher, and the pressure to perform sits alongside the need to keep people engaged. These are the conditions explored in People Made’s latest People & Culture Trends Report for 2026, which brings together insight from client conversations and cross-industry work.
Rather than presenting isolated trends, the report focuses on how culture, performance and connection are becoming more closely linked — and how organisations are having to respond in a more integrated way.
Change is becoming the operating environment
A central theme running through the report is the shift in how change is experienced.
Organisations are no longer moving between periods of stability and disruption. Instead, uncertainty has become a constant backdrop, shaped by geopolitical shifts, economic pressure and rapid technological development.
In this context, traditional approaches to change management are under strain. The report points to the need for what it describes as “change fitness” - the ability to adapt continuously, rather than respond episodically.
This has implications for culture. It positions culture as something more structural, supporting how decisions are made, how teams respond, and how organisations maintain momentum under pressure.
AI is prompting more scrutiny, not less
The pace of AI adoption has been rapid, but the conversation is shifting.
The report highlights a divide between organisations embedding AI deeply into workflows and those taking a more cautious approach. At the same time, attention is moving towards outcomes.
Questions around value, return and relevance are becoming more prominent. In some cases, organisations are reassessing where AI is delivering meaningful impact — and where it is not.
As this happens, the human dimension becomes more visible. Trust, employee advocacy and psychological safety are emerging as important factors in how AI is adopted and used in practice.
Performance is being defined more explicitly
Expectations around performance are becoming clearer.
The report identifies a shift in Employee Value Propositions, with organisations setting more explicit expectations around contribution, standards and progression. This reflects both organisational pressure and changing employee priorities.
There is a growing emphasis on clarity - not only in what organisations offer, but in what they expect in return. This is shaping how organisations attract and retain talent, as well as how they communicate internally.
Work is becoming more varied, not more uniform
The idea of a single model of work is becoming harder to sustain.
Workforces are more diverse in terms of age, priorities and expectations. Flexibility is widely expected, but it is interpreted differently depending on context.
For some, it is about balance and autonomy. For others, it is about pace and intensity.
The report points to a need for systems that can accommodate this variation. Wellbeing is also becoming more closely tied to performance, particularly as organisations continue to manage issues such as burnout and financial pressure.
Organisations are looking beyond simple metrics
Measures such as eNPS remain in use, but their limitations are becoming clearer.
The report suggests that single metrics no longer capture the full picture of employee experience. Organisations are placing more emphasis on understanding the context behind the data - combining quantitative measures with qualitative insight and lived experience.
The focus is shifting from reporting scores to interpreting them.
Connection is being approached more deliberately
As technology becomes more embedded in how organisations operate, the role of human connection is receiving more attention.
The report highlights a renewed focus on communication, storytelling and engagement. Internal storytelling, in particular, is becoming more important as organisations look to explain strategy and change in ways that resonate.
There is also growing interest in more direct and less formal forms of communication, as organisations look for ways to maintain connection in increasingly automated environments.
A more integrated view of how organisations operate
Across the findings, a broader shift is taking shape.
Culture, performance and connection are becoming more closely linked, with organisations needing to manage them together rather than in isolation. Strategy, employee experience and communication are intersecting more directly.
This reflects the reality of the current environment - where organisations are balancing ongoing change with the need to maintain clarity, engagement and performance.
Explore the full report
The People & Culture Trends Report 2026 explores these themes in more detail, drawing on client insight and practical experience from across industries.
Got any questions?
If you’d like to explore how these insights could impact your culture, employer brand or employee experience strategy, we’d be happy to connect you with the team at People Made.