There is a growing divide emerging across HR functions as we approach 2026. Some teams are overwhelmed by the volume of change, still rewriting policies that no longer match how people work. Others have started to build the capabilities, behaviours, and internal influence required to lead organisations through a period of rapid, structural transformation.
Across the recent Strategy Insights UK HR roundtables, senior leaders spoke openly about the intensity of today’s environment. AI adoption, hybrid inconsistency, well-being challenges, DEI fatigue, and escalating expectations around organisational change have converged. What is becoming clear is that the HR teams who rise to the top in 2026 will not be the ones with the most frameworks or technology. They will be the ones who build confidence, clarity, and capability in environments that have become more complex than ever.
We’ll unpack the most prevalent themes that HR leaders shared with each other and explain the five differentiators that will define high performing HR teams in 2026.
High performing HR teams treat change as a capability, not a project
Several roundtables revealed the same message: traditional change management is no longer enough. HR leaders are experiencing constant transformation across culture, policy, technology, and operating models. Many attendees described an environment where employees feel exhausted by inconsistent messaging and a constant sense of “another change on the way” with little time to absorb the last one.
One standout example came from a major global bank that removed performance ratings across 60 markets. This required a complete shift from a top down compliance mindset to a trust down leadership culture. The success of the programme came from persona based messaging, psychological safety, and upfront investment in preparing leaders for the shift. This kind of long term scaffolding is what separates change efforts that stick from those that become noise.
High performing HR teams in 2026 will have an organisational blueprint for change readiness rather than one off processes. They will focus on behaviours, internal trust, and capability building at pace.
They take an honest look at hybrid work instead of treating it as a solved problem
Hybrid work came up in almost every session, revealing contradictions that many organisations are still avoiding. Leaders acknowledged that hybrid work has improved talent access, reduced commuting fatigue, and empowered many employees. Yet it has also widened cultural divides, weakened early career development, and increased proximity and visibility bias in performance management.
Participants from healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, and financial services shared the same challenge: hybrid is now permanent, but their leadership models are not. Some managers continue to equate presence with performance. Others lack confidence in managing unseen work. Younger employees sometimes resist office time while simultaneously reporting that they feel disconnected and underdeveloped.
Below is a summary of the hybrid challenges most frequently shared by delegates:
Hybrid work pressure points identified by HR leaders
| Pressure point | Description | Reported Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural dualism | Two cultures forming between office based and remote teams | Lower collaboration and slower decision making |
| Early career gap | Younger employees missing informal learning and networks | Slower role readiness and reduced confidence |
| Manager inconsistency | Some leaders still rely on visibility | Increased bias and uneven expectations |
| Team fragmentation | Large organisations struggling to keep a unified culture | Misaligned behaviours across functions |
| Recruitment ambiguity | Candidates prioritising flexibility without understanding demands | Early attrition and misaligned expectations |
High performing HR teams in 2026 will stop trying to solve hybrid with rules and instead solve it with leadership maturity. Hybrid will be a litmus test for organisational culture. The organisations that win will be the ones that normalise outcomes based assessment, remove presence based bias, and equip leaders to build real connection in distributed teams.
They adopt AI without fear but with discipline
AI dominated multiple roundtables. Leaders shared impressive progress, from internal AI assistants to wellbeing tools to AI enabled onboarding. Yet they also shared concerns about deskilling, algorithmic bias, and the growing trend of candidates using AI generated CVs.
One organisation implemented an internal AI assistant to support tone adjustments in performance conversations. Another built AI driven learning pathways to accelerate skills transitions in clinical settings. A third is using AI to simplify complex onboarding documentation. These cases showed that AI benefits are real and scalable when introduced with clarity and human oversight.
What emerged from the discussions is that AI is no longer optional for HR teams. But unstructured experimentation is equally risky. The winners in 2026 will follow a balanced model that preserves culture and safeguards ethics.
The AI readiness model emerging from the roundtables
| Readiness pillar | What high performers do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Human oversight | Protect decision making, maintain transparent controls, avoid full automation in sensitive processes | Prevents loss of trust and reduces risk |
| Skills uplift | Treat data literacy and human AI collaboration as core employee capabilities | Ensures AI enhances rather than replaces human judgement |
| Ethical clarity | Establish guardrails for privacy, fairness, and transparency | Keeps AI aligned with organisational values |
| Workforce preparation | Communicate purpose of AI openly to reduce fear | Builds confidence and accelerates adoption |
| Strategic scope | Scale AI only where value and reliability are proven | Stops wasteful pilots and protects culture |
By 2026, the gap between HR teams who use AI strategically and those who avoid it will be significant. Not because AI replaces roles but because it reshapes capacity. Teams who invest now will move faster, make better decisions, and protect themselves from compliance failures.
They rebuild employee experience around personalisation and psychological safety
Employee experience was one of the strongest themes across the roundtables. Leaders spoke about onboarding gaps, the inconsistencies of global systems, and the rising demand for personalised touchpoints across the employee lifecycle.
A healthcare organisation shared how skills audits and targeted onboarding improvements increased satisfaction to over 80 percent. Another leader described how moving from employee networks to integrated DEI actions within core leadership strategies increased trust and reduced performative activity. Several highlighted the need for simpler, more human communication, especially for frontline and neurodiverse employees.
What became clear is that employee experience in 2026 will not be defined by perks or platforms. It will be defined by coherence, data driven journey design, and the ability to personalise interactions without overwhelming HR capacity.
High performing HR teams will focus on:
- consistent onboarding experiences
- seamless technology integration
- clear communication for front line and non desk workers
- accessibility and neurodiversity centric design
- managers as experience shapers rather than administrators
The employee experience gap will widen quickly as employees increasingly compare workplace experiences to digital consumer platforms. Organisations that reduce friction and increase transparency will be the ones that attract and retain top talent.
They take wellbeing seriously and approach it with maturity rather than gestures
Wellbeing was one of the most emotionally charged topics. Leaders spoke about burnout in healthcare settings, the lack of trust in some mental health first aider schemes, and the difficulty of maintaining consistency across sites. Menopause support emerged as a priority due to demographic realities. Data also revealed significant wellbeing gaps, including excessive working hours and unclear role expectations.
Delegates described the shift from reactive to proactive wellbeing strategies. What separates high performing HR teams is their willingness to align wellbeing with evidence rather than trends. They use data, measure gaps, and set realistic expectations with leaders.
The future of wellbeing in 2026 will be defined by:
- consistent leadership behaviour
- clarity on non negotiables
- integrated mental health support rather than standalone initiatives
- tools that provide real time insight
- recognition that wellbeing is strategic, not decorative
Organisations that treat wellbeing as a strategic enabler will see measurable improvements in performance, safety, and retention.
They build organisational agility through skills, mobility, and cross functional development
Delegates spoke about the challenge of moving people between roles and functions. Many organisations still rely on traditional career paths that no longer reflect how skills evolve. Some described resistance from managers who prefer candidates with obvious experience rather than adjacent capability. Others noted that employees fear stepping into unfamiliar roles without guaranteed success.
The roundtables made it clear that the organisations who thrive in 2026 will prioritise internal mobility frameworks, skills audits, and developmental pathways that reduce perceived risk. AI can support this, but it requires cultural acceptance first.
The teams that lead the way will:
- map skills and transferable capabilities
- create predictable pathways for career transitions
- give employees visibility of development progress
- empower leaders to assess potential rather than tenure
By building structured mobility, organisations reduce recruitment pressure, decrease time to productivity, and help employees build career resilience.
They elevate HR’s strategic identity with courage, influence, and clarity
The final theme was deeply personal. Many HR leaders admitted that they often hold back from challenging senior stakeholders or promoting the impact of their work. Some felt boxed into functional stereotypes. Others expressed frustration that their strategic insight is undervalued compared to other departments.
High performing HR leaders in 2026 will redefine their professional identity. They will present themselves as business leaders with HR expertise, not as HR specialists trying to influence from the outside. They will speak the language of commercial value, risk, and organisational design.
As one delegate put it:
“Success is when leaders come to HR not for permission but for insight.”
This is the shift that will separate high performers from everyone else.
The HR teams who win in 2026 will be the ones who lead, not react
The roundtables revealed a profession that is both under pressure and uniquely positioned to shape organisational resilience in 2026. The difference between high performing HR teams and everyone else will have little to do with tools or headcount. It will come down to the courage to challenge assumptions, the discipline to adopt AI responsibly, the ability to personalise employee experience, and the commitment to build leadership capability across the organisation.
2026 will reward HR teams who embrace complexity with clarity, not those who wait for stability that is unlikely to return.
