3 Workplace Trends Every Leader Must Watch

By Aytekin Tank

Whatever your feelings about 2025, one thing is for sure: it was a year of big, tectonic change. Return to office mandates fanned controversy, the question of “purpose” gained ever more traction, and AI continued to alter the very nature of work as we know it.

I wrote last year about how leaders should brace for the challenges and opportunities that 2025 was sure to bring, and if I’m reading my tea leaves correctly, this coming year will be yet another turbulent ride. Still, there are some lessons from the last 12 months that are sure to shape how 2026 bears out.

1. Leaders Will Continue To Hire For Soft Skills

Soft skills are officially in, and the data backs it up. A recent study from Harvard Business Review analyzed more than a thousand occupations across industries over a 14 year period, and found that those who scored higher on basic skills were more likely to earn higher wages, move into more advanced roles, and weather industry changes more successfully than their lower-scoring peers.

“In an age when technical expertise can become irrelevant in just a few years, foundational skills matter more than ever,” the authors write, adding that abilities like collaboration and problem-solving not only transfer across jobs, but help teams adapt to new challenges.

For leaders, the takeaway is obvious: hiring for technical proficiency isn’t enough. Don’t allow yourself to be dazzled by a resume replete with fancy certifications and titles, which may well be outdated by this time next year. Instead, use interviews to dig into how prospective hirers learn, work with others and respond to uncertainty. AI can help—by handling the rote part of the hiring process, like parsing resumes for basic skills and scheduling interviews, leaders have more time to spend with candidates and learn what makes them tick, and what they can bring to the team long-term.

2. Professional Development Will Skyrocket

In a world where burnout is high and AI is irrevocably changing the way we work, smart leaders are investing in professional development like their businesses depend on it—because they do. According to DHR Global’s Workplace Trends report, 71% of respondents named learning and development the top driver of engagement, ahead of both remote/hybrid work and gen AI tools.

Investing in professional development may seem like a nice-to-have, but it’s actually essential if you want to not only retain your highest performers, but encourage their best work. As of last year, the numbers were not where they need to be—less than half of U.S. employees participated in skills-based training or education, and only a third of employees feel they have the skills to grow into a new role.

The majority of employers cite time away from responsibilities as the biggest organizational barrier to professional development. But in 2026, the tradeoffs will become impossible to ignore, especially as AI continues to eliminate some existing roles and create new ones. “By investing in career development, employers counteract the anxiety that comes with rapid change by building loyalty, energy, and innovation for the next era of work,” the authors of LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report write. Career development champions, as the report calls them, are confident in their ability to turn a profit and retain talent, and are also better positioned to reap the benefits of generative AI. The alternative is worse than stagnating—it’s getting left behind completely.

3. Culture Will Take Center Stage

In the past, corporate culture often translated to the occasional lukewarm pizza or an oft-ignored foosball table. These days, employees are demanding more. Gen Z is now fully entrenched in the workforce, and they’re making their expectations clear: they want autonomy and flexibility, workplaces that take mental health and well-being seriously, and career paths that feel meaningful and aligned with their values.

Employers who want to attract—and keep—top talent in 2026 would do well to heed these demands. And not just for the sake of retention. Research from WebMD found that employees who feel genuinely cared for by their employers are 56 percent more engaged, 34 percent more likely to stay in their role and 37 percent less likely to experience burnout.

At my company, Jotform, a culture of continuous learning runs deep. Our small, cross-functional teams release several product updates per week, and professional growth is built into our DNA. The result is low staff turnover, and our churn rate has remained at just 5 percent throughout all sorts of economic events, Great Resignation included.

The coming year promises to be exciting and frankly, at least a little chaotic. Top candidates are going to flock to organizations where they feel valued, can expect to learn, and enjoy a sense of stability in an otherwise turbulent era. The leaders who succeed won’t be the ones chasing trends or haphazardly implementing new technologies. They’ll be the ones who are thoughtfully creating a safe environment for their best thinkers to grow and evolve.

[Source]