Wiley surveyed 1,500 HR and L&D leaders to learn what the 5 most anticipated challenges of 2026 will be, and it’s no surprise that ‘continued change’ topped the list. But we also noticed a glimmer of hope for a new normal and a desire for a return to the caring culture that prioritized both employee wellbeing and the bottom line.
1. Change Isn’t Slowing Down. We found that many people lack confidence in their organization’s ability to adapt to change but nevertheless feel optimistic about their futures with the company. Leaders have an opportunity to harness this momentum and bring their people into their decision making with transparency and trust.
2. Organizational Culture Crisis. This new era has people fighting rush hour again, many balancing multiple jobs without the necessary reskilling. With challenging budget constraints, many organizations moved dollars away from learning and development which has left employees without the tools needed to lead, connect, and learn effectively in this new environment.
3. Communication Still Lacking Despite Being Top Skill to Lead. A lot of what makes change hard to cope with is a lack of transparency, especially when it feels like things are constantly happening without any insight or forewarning. Culture takes a huge hit when it feels like changes (such as strategy pivots, work model updates, reorgs, etc.) keep happening to people, not in collaboration with them. Showing your people that you value, trust, and care about them through transparency can be a big morale booster as you navigate the upcoming year.
4. Technology Education Must be a Priority. Getting clear on how you want your people to use technology tools and training them on how to do that will help you cut through the noise and start seeing results. Striking a balance between using the latest technology strategically while also keeping things human (which is the core of any business) is the key to success.
5. Existing Optimism Can Be Used to Elevate Engagement. There is optimism for the future and concerns about engagement. 73% of our respondents reported feeling optimistic about their organization’s future, but 30% flagged engagement as a top challenge. This year will be critical in re-engaging your workforce and leveraging the optimism that exists and turning it into action.
Wiley’s suite of professional solutions provides a structure and common language to help empower entire organizations with the skills needed to get to the next level. I can provide you with demos to build better teams with The Five Behaviors®, creating engaged, collaborative, and adaptive cultures with Everything DiSC® on Catalyst™, or making confident hiring decisions with PXT Select®. Just DM me and we’ll strategize.
