How to Execute Effective GCC Models in 2026

You're at a tipping point: quick innovation adoption, shifting skills, and brand-new expectations are requiring you to rethink how your organization creates value through people. International Skill Trends 2026 provides you a dataled, useful view of the workforce patterns shaping your decisionsdrawn from a global study of almost 12,000 executives, HR leaders, employees, and investors throughout 16 locations and 16 industriesand reveals you: How peers are redesigning work to blend human ability with automation What AI in the office appears like How to get ready for the AI future of work Which future-fit abilities to develop How to hone your worker worth proposition to drive efficiency.

The authors are grateful to Karen Pastakia, Kate Sweeney, Simona Spelman, Bill Briggs, and Nitin Mittal for their time, input, and constant cooperation throughout this effort. Unique thanks to Catherine Gergen for her dependable research study support and coordination in composing this Introduction. An unique note of recognition is booked for Ishani Purohit and Olivia Rueger, whose constant project management stewardship over the past year orchestrated every moving piece of this reportfrom early planning through last productionkeeping the team aligned, momentum strong, and execution smooth.

The authors extend thanks to the REM teamMatt Deruntz, Maria Neira, Qiaoli Wang, Manshreya Grover, Nirupam Datta, Charu Ratnu, Santhosh Naidu, Derek Taylor, Marcella Hines, Parag Zalpuri, Chris Tomke, and Luly Castillerofor their unfaltering collaboration and behind-the-scenes execution that kept the work moving from draft to shipment. The authors likewise recognize the Deloitte Insights teamCorrie Commisso, Hannah Bachman, Annalyn Kurtz, Alexis Werbeck, Jim Slatton, Govindh Raj, and Molly Piersol, and the information visualization group, whose editorial rigor, storytelling craft, and visual clearness sharpened the story and brought the insights to life.

Thank you to the Global Human Capital executive teamKate Sweeney, Kate Morican, Amanda Flouch, Nathalie Vandaele, Jodi Baker Calamai, Dheeraj Sharma, Franz Gilbert, Karen Pastakia, Simona Spelman, Yasushi Muranaka, Tom Alstein, Sebastian Pfeifle, John Brownridge, Kurt Proctor-Parker, Pat Shannon, Andrew Potts, Dahlia Katz, Ava Damri, Kelly Nelson, Joan Pere Salom, Gerhard Botha, and Stuart Scotisfor sponsoring and supporting the international reach of this report.

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The authors likewise extend genuine thanks to the customers who generously shared their time and experiences through interviews carried out for this report. Their honest insights and perspectives improved our exploration, grounded the thoughtful analysis in real-world truths, and enhanced the relevance and usefulness of the findings. Thank you to Lara Martinez Gonzalez, worldwide director of skill intelligence, AstraZeneca; Michelle Robertson, executive board member (global human resources, people and culture), Adidas; Emily Bacon, senior manager, company and people strategy, Adobe; Zac Parris, previous director of organizational efficiency, Atlassian; Taeko Kawano, executive officer and chief human resources officer, AXA; Justin Zaccaria, primary personnels officer, Bechtel; Matt Schuyler, chief individuals officer, Creative Artists Company (CAA); Megan Bazan, vice president of people, Cisco; Charlotte Wolf Tarfa, vice president, global talent method and succession, Coca-Cola; Melissa Collier, director, change leadership, Georgia-Pacific; Elise Bathurst, director of individuals operations, Google; Courtney Gilliland, senior director, United States personnels, Gordon Food Service; Lindsey Taylor, senior director, tactical workforce planning and people analytics, Hewlett Packard Business; Marcia Oglen, senior vice president, enterprise personnels, Highmark Health; Jon Pitts, creator and chief technical officer, Ihp Analytics; Reiko Mukai, chief human resources officer, MetLife Japan; Charlotte Simpson, business officer and head of individuals and company, Novartis Japan; Heather Neville, senior vice president, individuals and locations method and operations, Sony Interactive Home Entertainment; Jill Larsen, chief people officer, Synopsys; Niki Rose, labor force experience and capability executive, Telstra; Tomoko Adachi, global chief human resources officer, Terumo Corporation; and Michael Ehret, senior vice president and primary people officer, Walmart International.

Workforce Management Trends to Watch for 2026

CEO expectations for AI-driven development remain high in 2026at the same time their workforces are grappling with the more sober reality of existing AI efficiency. Gartner research discovers that only one in 50 AI investments deliver transformational value, and only one in five delivers any measurable return on investment.

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AI has the potential to result in major shifts in how we work with and who we employ. As AI increasingly handles the less complex, more repeatable tasks being done by the labor force, business will need to employ skill who have wider, uniquely human abilities. We're seeing increasing need for skills like problem-solving, adaptability, and collaboration skills that spur organizational agility.