Analyst analysis | Gartner's CHRO trends: What 'digital doppelgangers' & 'culture dissonance' could mean for HR

The 'future of work' is an oft-examined slide under the microscope of HR leaders challenged with meeting talent and business demands over the coming years.

In an employment market being transformed by technology and new post-pandemic attitudes, research giant Gartner, has set out nine challenges in its latest Future of Work Trends for CHROs report that it believes CHROs must address to meet talent and business demands in 2026 and beyond to ensure their organization achieves its desired talent and business outcomes.

The context for the predictions is a workplace environment where AI investments, performance pressure and new employee expectations collide.

Senior Director Analyst Emily Rose McRae comments: “This year’s predictions address significant workplace forces CHROs must navigate in 2026: HR’s changing - and expanding - mandate, the AI-enabled workforce, mounting pressure for growth and the shifting employment deal.”