The top 5 trends shaping communication, change, and the way we work in 2026
If you thought 2025 was a big year for change, buckle up, because 2026 is about to raise the bar. From AI adoption to workplace expectations, the past 12 months have shown us just how quickly the ground can shift beneath our feet. Plus as communicators and change professionals, we’re right in the thick of it.
Here are the top five trends that shaped 2025, and what they mean for the year ahead.
1. AI is becoming an everyday tool
If 2023 – 2024 was the ‘AI hype’ era, 2025 became the year AI quietly embedded itself into daily work and life. We’ve seen a surge in adoption right across the board:
McKinsey reports 50% of consumers now use AI-powered search.
PwC found 54% of workers across all industries used AI in the past 12 months, and 14% use GenAI daily.
Google is showing AI summaries in roughly half of all searches today, expected to exceed 75% by 2028.
Daily AI use jumped from 14% to 29.2% between February and August alone.
Here’s the interesting twist: despite all the noise, most organisations still aren’t scaling AI. Nearly two-thirds of McKinsey’s respondents say their companies are still experimenting or piloting, not fully rolling it out.
In the case of workers… opinions differ. Some fear job loss (32%), while 43% expect no change and 13% see AI creating new roles.
What this means for comms and change in 2026
We need to stay ahead of the curve. If we’re not using AI fluently, we can’t guide others through it.
There is a huge opportunity to weave AI into our own work through analysis, insights, writing, planning.
Scaling is coming, which means businesses will need clear, responsible messaging, training, and engagement.
Prepare your organisation’s AI narrative now, before the change wave arrives.
2. We’re returning to office
If 2024 was about hybrid flexibility, 2025 was the year many big players hit reverse.
This year we saw:
Amazon requiring 350,000 corporate staff back five days a week.
Dell mandating full-time office attendance.
JPMorgan Chase imposing full-time attendance for leaders.
Instagram announcing a strict five-day mandate from 2026.
Meta staying at three days, but still tightening expectations.
Though these five-day mandates are still the exception, they’re not entirely the rule. Most organisations have landed around three or four days, often negotiated at a team level.
What hasn’t worked well? The communication.
Too many organisations hid behind clichés like ‘collaboration’ while quietly hoping RTO would trigger resignations or performance-manage people out… but employees saw right through it. In fact, research shows nearly two-thirds of hybrid workers would look for another job if flexibility was removed.
So, what are the implications for our comms in 2026?
Hybrid isn’t going anywhere; so communication equity must stay front of mind.
Leaders need coaching to communicate honestly about the why behind RTO changes.
Consultation matters. Employees expect to be heard, even if the final decision isn’t theirs.
3. Change is constant and people are tired
The World Economic Forum set the tone early in 2025:
60% of employers expect technology to transform their business by 2030.
47% expect climate-related change to reshape operations within five years.
WHS and regulatory requirements are also forcing constant compliance-driven change.
Put simply: change is the new BAU. Inside organisations, leaders are now more aware than ever that proper change management and change communications aren’t optional anymore, they’re essential. But employees? They’re tired. Fatigue has quietly morphed into apathy, making engagement harder than ever.
What this means for comms and change in 2026:
We’re about to be very busy.
Upskilling is now non-negotiable, especially for communicators who haven’t yet leaned into change comms.
We’ll need new, creative, personalised engagement approaches to cut through the apathy.
4. New skills are reshaping our work
The University of Sydney’s 2026 Skills Horizon Report laid out what the future of capability looks like and it’s a big shift.
‘Productive base’ skills:
AI fluency, data fluency, cyber resilience, self-leadership, inclusion and belonging, purpose.‘Developmental’ skills:
Digital ethics, persuasive storytelling, First Nations knowledge, insight curation, geopolitics in business, leading across generations.‘Emerging’ skills:
Geo-engineering, neuro-innovation, space business, quantum literacy.
And from the Glassdoor 2026 Trends Report came another insight:
“The forever layoff”: small, ongoing layoffs replacing large, infrequent ones. These waves of cuts don’t make headlines, but they do create long-term cultures of anxiety and insecurity.
What this means for us heading into 2026:
We need to continue to broaden our own skill base, especially in AI, data, insight generation, and storytelling.
As workplaces change, we have a key role in capability uplift, helping employees adapt and feel supported.
In environments shaped by recurring layoffs, communication must be empathetic, transparent, and honest.
5. Leadership is the most important it’s ever been
We’re navigating a polarised world, constant change, and shifting expectations about what leadership should look like. Employees aren’t thrilled with what they’re seeing.
Glassdoor data shows rising mentions of:
“Disconnect” (+24%)
“Misalignment” (+149%)
“Miscommunication” (+25%)
“Distrust” (+26%)
“Hypocrisy” (+18%)
Workers are entering 2026 sceptical of leadership decisions, especially in environments shaped by RTO mandates, AI transformation, and the “forever layoff.”
What this means for us:
We have a bigger coaching and mentoring role to play than ever before.
Leadership communication can no longer be an afterthought; it’s central to change success.
Most new leaders still receive little to no communication training. We can (and must) help bridge that gap.
Okay, what does 2026 look like then?
Change will keep accelerating.
AI will move from pilot to scale.
Leadership communication will make or break employee trust.
Skills will evolve rapidly.
And workers will continue to demand transparency, trust, clarity, and flexibility.
For communicators and change professionals, 2026 is an opportunity to guide, support, influence, and shape the way organisations respond to one of the most transformative periods in modern work.
