2025 was the year the ground under work moved. AI scaled faster than organizations could adapt. Employees pushed for agency and meaning. Leadership expectations changed in real time. Across every sector, it became clear that we are not adjusting old systems. We are building a new architecture for how work gets done.
This report distills what I learned from a year of weekly in-depth conversations on The Future of Less Work with CEOs, CHROs, technologists, economists, researchers, and practitioners who are already operating at the edge of this transformation. These are the ten shifts that surfaced again and again. They describe not only where work is heading but what organizations must do now to set themselves up for 2026 and beyond.
If you want a clear view of how work is changing, why it is changing, and how to act on it, this is your guide.
What You Will Find Inside
- The ten most important shifts that shaped work in 2025
- How leading organizations are redesigning jobs, workflows, leadership models, and culture
- Practical actions HR and executive teams can take in 2026
- Insights and quotes from sixty episodes of The Future of Less Work
- A people-centered blueprint for navigating an AI-transformed world
This is not a trend report. It’s a field guide based on real conversations with the people building the future.
About Nirit Cohen
I am a global strategist, keynote speaker, and thought leader on the future of work. After three decades leading HR and organizational transformation at Intel across the United States, Europe, and Asia, I now work with leaders and brands around the world to help them understand how work is shifting and what it means for talent, culture, and competitiveness.
Through my Forbes column and my podcast The Future of Less Work, I bring together the insights, stories, and frameworks that help organizations navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence.
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If these shifts reflect what you are seeing inside your organization, I would love to hear from you. I work with executive teams, HR leaders, and global brands to translate change into strategy and impact.
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Let’s build the future of work with intention, clarity, and humanity.
Served with❤️,
Nirit
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