ABRA is dedicating 2026 to AI related topics, both in print and in person, with the first keynote talk taking place at our May Member Meeting, where we’ll be discussing the EU AI Act.
The annual Workmonitor report from Randstad Enterprise is a must read for those in the HR and recruitment sectors. This year’s edition is their 23rd, and features insights from over 26,000 workers and 1,200 employers. It is an invaluable guide to where the world of work is heading, and what challenges may lie ahead.
Whilst the report covers many topics, it does give special focus to AI. With the meteoric rise of this emergent technology, constant headlines, and the billions of investments that it has attracted, this shouldn’t be a surprise.
'Those who learn to work alongside AI, with judgment, creativity and context, will be best placed to thrive. '
From Disruption Anxiety to Everyday Augmentation
The report paints a picture of a workforce living through a pivotal transition in how AI is understood and used at work. AI is no longer experimental or peripheral. For many organisations, it has become a core business tool, shaping productivity, task design and skill requirements.
Yet while employers are moving quickly and confidently, workers are adapting more cautiously. The result is an “AI reality gap”, a growing mismatch between organisational ambition and how talent perceives AI’s impact on their own jobs and futures.
Indications are that, rather than wholesale job displacement, there will be a more nuanced shift from roles to tasks. AI is increasingly taking over low-complexity, transactional activities, while human work is being reshaped around judgment, creativity, collaboration and decision-making.
The central challenge for 2026, however, is trust and clarity. Without transparent communication and meaningful investment in skills, AI risks becoming a source of anxiety rather than empowerment.
AI is Embedded… and Accelerating
One of the clearest findings is just how rapidly AI adoption has accelerated. Nearly two-thirds of employers (63%) report investing in AI over the past 12 months, marking a decisive move from pilot projects to everyday deployment. This shift is particularly pronounced in technology and logistics, but its effects are now being felt across sectors.
Workers are noticing this change. Over half of the talent surveyed (59%) say their organisation increasingly encourages the use of AI, and over two-thirds (69%) feel confident using the latest technology.
Importantly, AI is already perceived as delivering benefits with 62% of workers say it has improved their productivity, while 63% say it makes their jobs easier, allowing them to focus on more fulfilling tasks. Employers echo this experience, with 54% reporting productivity gains linked to AI adoption.
These figures suggest that AI is already functioning as a support tool for specific tasks rather than role replacement.
However, this isn’t true across all roles. Office-based workers are significantly more likely to feel confident with AI than non-office workers, such as those in skilled trades or operational roles. This gap signals a risk that parts of the workforce may be left behind as AI becomes more embedded.
Perspective Changes Expectation and Concern
Despite widespread adoption, perceptions of who truly benefits from AI varies. Nearly half of office workers (47%) believe that AI primarily benefits companies rather than employees.
At the same time, expectations about AI’s impact vary sharply. Over 20% of workers believe AI will have little or no effect on their work at all, even as employers anticipate substantial task transformation.
This disconnect is striking and a potential problem.
While 58% of employers expect AI to have a high or very high impact on work tasks, only 52% of talent agree. Over a third of workers (34%) worry their jobs may disappear within five years due to AI, but a larger group (40%) say they are not concerned.
But the view of AI changes greatly across generations. Gen Z is the most anxious about AI’s implications, while Baby Boomers are the least worried and most confident in their ability to adapt.
These different perspectives may be the result of a communication issue. If employers continue to push ahead with AI strategies without clearly explaining how roles and skills will evolve, they risk eroding trust. Workers who underestimate AI’s impact may also fail to prepare, leaving them more vulnerable as jobs change around them.
Skills, Autonomy and the Rise of Self-Directed Learning
Encouragingly, many workers are already responding proactively.
Two-thirds of talent (65%) want their employers to invest more in AI skills development, and AI training has risen to the top of workers’ learning priorities. At the same time, 67% believe they already have the skills to use AI positively in their careers.
Yet formal training is not the whole story.
Over half of workers (52%) say they are actively seeking opportunities to future-proof their skills outside employer-led programs. This reflects a broader trend identified in the report, that workers are taking greater ownership of their employability, especially as AI reshapes task boundaries and career paths.
Labour market data reinforces this shift. Job postings requiring “AI agent” skills have surged by 1,587%, signalling growing demand for talent that can supervise, apply and interpret AI outputs rather than build systems from scratch. The emphasis is moving toward human-AI collaboration where people remain accountable for outcomes, ethics and judgment.
The Risk to Entry-Level Roles and Trust
Over a third of employers (34%) say they plan to hire fewer graduates because of AI, and many worry that entry-level jobs could disappear as automation absorbs routine tasks. This raises questions about how early-career workers will gain experience and how organisations will rebuild talent pipelines in an AI-augmented world.
At the same time, trust dynamics are shifting. While relationships with direct managers are strengthening, half of workers now say they use AI for work advice instead of consulting their manager. This signals both the accessibility of AI tools and lingering insecurity about raising concerns in uncertain economic conditions.
Closing the AI Reality Gap
Ultimately, AI is a powerful force that can amplify existing organisational dynamics. The key issue ahead is alignment. Employers must move beyond efficiency narratives and clearly articulate how AI supports human value, task redesign and long-term employability. Transparency, targeted upskilling and inclusive access to AI tools will be critical to achieving this.
For workers, the challenge lies in moving from passive awareness to active fluency. Those who learn to work alongside AI, with judgment, creativity and context, will be best placed to thrive. The future of work will not be defined by machines replacing people, but by how effectively people are supported to adapt with them.
If you’d like to read more, you can get your own copy of the full report here and register for a deeper dive in the Workmonitor Webinar, which takes place 3rd of March, there as well.
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