Human resources leaders, after experiencing a difficult 2025, are optimistic about 2026 despite bracing for challenges and more upheaval in the year ahead. Those are the findings of the newly released Wiley Workplace Intelligence report, “HR and L&D Leaders Predict the Top 5 Challenges for 2026.”
Wiley’s survey of 1,500 HR and L&D leaders reveals that 73% of respondents are feeling optimistic about their organization’s future. That’s despite the fact that many are expecting significant challenges and continuing change in 2026 after a tumultuous 2025.
Culture and engagement appear to be the biggest areas of concern. Nearly a third of leaders each identify organizational culture improvement and employee engagement as top challenges for 2026. Both areas took a hit last year after workers experienced factors such as rapid change, instability, AI adoption, and return-to-office mandates.
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Respondents widely expect continued workplace upheaval this year after enduring a challenging 2025. Previous Wiley Workplace Intelligence findings showed many managers and employees suffering from significant stress and burnout during the past year as they dealt with near constant change, much of which stemmed from uncertainty and apprehension surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. Only a small fraction of employees truly thrived.
And it’s not over yet. The majority (66%) of leaders expect more change to occur in the year ahead, despite their general optimism. The research reveals that many employees lack confidence in their organization’s ability to adapt to change, creating a potential disconnect between leadership outlook and workforce reality.
“This optimism is real, but it’s also precarious,” said Wiley researcher Dr. Tracey Carney, who headed the study. “Leaders have a brief window in 2026 to convert that optimism into action by rebuilding trust, improving communication, and reinvesting in their people. Organizations that don’t seize this moment may risk letting it slip away.”
The findings suggest that communication will be a key element in any organization’s efforts to deal with change and improve. The majority (64%) of respondents report communication as the most important leadership skill.
HR and L&D leaders also understand that dealing with AI will continue to be a big factor in the workplace in 2026. More than a third (35%) of respondents report learning technology as a top priority in the year ahead.
The full report can be accessed here.
Wiley offers professional learning solutions including Everything DiSC, The Leadership Challenge, The Five Behaviors, and PXT Select designed to help companies, managers, and individual employees assess and improve workplace skills, navigate challenges, and become more successful. In 2025, Wiley launched Everything DiSC Worksmart, a new tool to help managers better apply the insights from its Everything DiSC assessment within their daily flow of work.
Methodology
The data in this report are based on surveys completed by 1,500 respondents, primarily HR and L&D leaders, across North America.
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Tags: human capital, Human Resources, Payroll
