In this article, Adam Purchase shares insights from conversations with Chief People Officers on the key priorities shaping people strategy for 2026. Reflecting on the challenges of 2025, he explores how CPOs are focusing on strengthening capability, leadership, and organisational resilience for the year ahead.
As the year has progressed, those same conversations have begun to shift from reflection to preparation. The focus now is firmly on what needs to change, strengthen or evolve as organisations look towards 2026.
Drawing again on ongoing conversations with our Chief People Officer network, several clear priorities are emerging. These are not headline trends or theoretical ambitions – they are practical responses to the pressures and realities CPOs have been wrestling with throughout 2025.
A key theme is a renewed focus on organisational capability rather than simple growth. After several years of hiring cycles defined by urgency, many CPOs are taking a step back. The priority for 2026 is less about adding headcount and more about ensuring the right skills, leadership depth and structures are in place.
Workforce planning is becoming more deliberate, data-led and closely tied to the strategic direction of the business. Succession planning, particularly for critical leadership and technical roles, is moving from an annual exercise to an ongoing discipline.
Leadership capability continues to sit high on the agenda. The challenges of 2025 have exposed just how much pressure sits at the manager and senior leadership level.
In response, CPOs are prioritising leadership development programmes that focus on resilience, judgement, communication and accountability, rather than purely functional capability. There is a clear recognition that future performance will depend heavily on leaders who can navigate ambiguity, build trust and lead teams through constant change.
Another priority shaping plans for 2026 is the evolution of working models. Flexible work is here to stay, and few CPOs are talking about reversing that. However, there is a noticeable shift towards more structured expectations around office presence.
Many organisations are seeking to restore the benefits of in-person collaboration, cultural connection and informal learning without undermining trust or autonomy. For CPOs, the challenge is designing working models that feel purposeful rather than performative, where time in the office has a clear value and rationale.
Technology and AI adoption are also becoming more intentional. While 2025 saw a rapid uptake of new tools across recruitment, performance and learning, many CPOs acknowledge that the pace of change has created uncertainty and, in some cases, scepticism among employees.
The focus for 2026 is less about deploying new platforms and more about embedding them properly. This includes clearer communication around how technology is used, how decisions are made, and how human judgment remains central.
Building trust in these systems is now viewed as just as important as their efficiency gains.
Employee experience and wellbeing remain priorities, but the conversation is maturing. Rather than introducing new initiatives, CPOs are focusing on simplification and consistency. There is growing awareness that too many programmes can dilute impact.
For 2026, the emphasis is on removing friction, improving clarity and supporting sustainable performance. Mental health, workload management and manager capability are being addressed in a more joined-up way, recognising that wellbeing is shaped as much by day-to-day leadership behaviour as by formal policies.
Culture and engagement are also receiving renewed attention. With organisations more distributed than ever, CPOs are working hard to ensure culture does not become diluted or fragmented.
This is driving a greater focus on clarity of values, consistent leadership behaviours and meaningful connections between teams. Many CPOs are spending more time working with executive teams to role model culture, rather than relying on internal messaging alone.
Finally, commercial alignment continues to sharpen. Economic uncertainty has made it clear that people strategy must directly support business outcomes.
In 2026, CPOs are looking to deepen their partnerships with finance and operations leaders, using insight and evidence to inform decisions around investment, structure and capability. The expectation is not just to advocate for people, but to do so in a way that is credible, balanced and commercially grounded.
Taken together, these priorities reflect a shift from reaction to consolidation. Where 2025 demanded resilience, adaptability and constant decision-making, 2026 is shaping up to be about strengthening foundations.
Chief People Officers are focusing on building organisations that are clearer, more capable and better equipped for whatever lies ahead. Not by chasing the next trend, but by applying the lessons learned from a challenging and defining year.
