McLean & Company, one of the world’s leading HR research and advisory firms, released its HR Trends Report 2026 today. Based on new data from 1,626 human resources and leadership respondents, the firm reports that organizational change is outpacing leadership capacity as AI, economic uncertainty, and shifting employee expectations reshape work.
TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – As many organizations accelerate AI adoption and others face mounting pressure to retain talent amid economic pressures, global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company’s new HR Trends Report 2026 warns of a growing structural risk inside the workplace this year: leadership capacity is no longer keeping pace with the demands being placed on them.
The new analysis, which is based on information from 1,626 firms, shows that even though the outside world is changing faster than ever, the internal processes that help organizations adapt, such leadership skills, cultural alignment, and readiness for change, have not kept up. As a result, the distance between the speed of change and the individuals who are supposed to lead through it is getting bigger.
The company’s analysis says that this conflict is already clear in the workplace today. Workers are getting tired of all the changes, executives are having a hard time keeping up with both technological and people-driven changes, and companies are trying to use AI without the strategic direction they need to make that transformation properly. McLean & Company says that in this situation, HR needs to become the de facto stabilizing force, with firms relying on it more and more to assist them deal with problems while keeping everyone together during times of fast change.
Most Important HR Goals for 2026 Show a Change Toward Resilience
The 2026 results from McLean & Company show what human resources leaders will need to focus on this year:
- Developing leaders
- Enabling innovation
- Retaining employees
- Providing a great employee experience
- Recruiting
- Controlling labor costs
The 2026 HR Trends Report shows that companies’ goals have changed in a big way. For example, innovation has gone from tenth position in 2025 to second place in 2026, while controlling costs has become less important. This trend shows that businesses are starting to realize that dealing with constant disruption takes more than just keeping costs down; it also demands making conscious investments in people. Leadership development (#1), innovation (#2), and retention (#3) are all important goals for businesses that want to increase capability, adaptability, and long-term resilience by developing their people and finding new ways to work.
The research says that the next year will be a turning point for HR, moving from reactive support to strategic leadership. According to McLean & Company, HR is now expected to help companies deal with faster AI adoption, changing employee expectations, and more economic and legal uncertainties, all while making sure that choices are still based on people and the company’s values.
Making the foundations of people leadership stronger
According to McLean & Company, HR’s #1 goal is still producing leaders. This is because leaders are key to managing change, developing talent, and keeping innovation going. But the data shows that there is still a gap in skills.
The firm’s research shows that firms are 2.3 times more likely to be high achievers in innovation and agility when their executives are very good at leading others. Still, only 35% of HR teams think they are doing a good job of training the organization’s leaders. This gap shows how important it is for companies to make continuous learning a part of leaders’ everyday job. They should give leaders tools that fit into their daily routines and make sure they meet expectations through performance management, succession planning, and other personnel activities.
Using culture to make a strategic difference
As AI, market volatility, and outside forces change strategy, companies need to make sure that their culture and values still fit with these new approaches. One of the most important things the report found is that values shouldn’t change all the time, but they should be checked on a regular basis to make sure they still support and anchor the strategy as it changes. Companies that have values, culture, and strategy that are in line with each other are twice as likely to be good at adapting and coming up with new ideas.
Still, less than half of companies hold their executives accountable for operating in line with their principles. Employees are seeing this more and more. This lack of alignment makes people less trustworthy, slows down change, and causes problems with how things work. McLean & Company says that HR should assist companies routinely review and strengthen their values, make accountability a part of leadership standards, and use culture as an active tool during times of change.
Structured scenario planning for leading through uncertainty
Scenario planning is one of the most effective but least used ways to deal with complexity. Only 22% of firms say they use a systematic, documented scenario-planning method. Those that do are 2.1 times more likely to be innovative and 1.8 times more likely to do well at reaching strategic goals.
70% of firms say they have trouble managing change, which can be caused by too many projects going on at once, inadequate leadership accountability, and not enough people with the right change management capabilities.
The research stresses that HR needs to go from responding to problems as they come up to planning ahead in a disciplined way. This will enable leaders see various possible futures, set priorities, and make the stress of constant, uncoordinated change less of a problem.
People aren’t ready for AI to be used as much as it is.
McLean & Company’s study of AI maturity shows that more businesses are moving into the incorporation and proliferation stages. This means that AI is becoming a part of everyday operations instead of being seen as a test or pilot.
But the data shows that the people side of AI change is not keeping up:
- Few HR teams are highly effective at enabling technology adoption.
- Change fatigue is rising, with employees and leaders struggling to keep up with evolving tools, workflows, and expectations.
The paper makes it clear that making AI change in a way that lasts is not only a problem with technology. Instead, it is a challenge for leadership, culture, and change management that needs strong cooperation across HR, IT, and other departments to use AI in a responsible and human-centered way.
What McLean & Company Does
McLean & Company uses extensive HR knowledge and research that is based on facts to give firms the tools they need to address today’s needs and get ready for the future. The member organizations of the global HR research and advisory firm have access to a wide range of resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership and HR leaders to HR team members. These resources help create workplaces where everyone can thrive.
