Episode Overview
What will the labor market actually look like in 2026? We break down 10 trends reshaping jobs, pay, and hiring. From agentic AI running multi-step workflows to hybrid work settling in as the default, we show what’s changing, what’s sticking, and where the real career upside is.
AI is no longer just a tool. It’s starting to act like a teammate, connecting tasks into outcomes across recruiting, operations, and customer work. That shift comes with trade-offs: fewer entry-level white-collar roles, greater leverage for skilled trades, and quieter, ongoing headcount trims rather than splashy layoffs. Pay stabilizes as transparency grows, making negotiations clearer and expectations more realistic. The advantage moves to human skills, like judgment, empathy, and influence, because execution is easier to automate than trust.
We also explain why hybrid work keeps winning, how to use in-person time strategically, and what “slow-motion RTO” means for mentorship and visibility. We unpack skills-first hiring as degrees lose ground to certificates and proof of work, plus how automation is speeding up recruiting while raising the bar on fairness. You’ll hear what’s driving the “great stay,” and how to create optionality through visible wins and cross-functional impact. We close with visa shifts and the growing push to govern AI in hiring, with practical takeaways for leaders.
The takeaway is simple: pair AI fluency with power skills, prioritize visibility, and lead with proof over credentials. If this sparked a new way of thinking about 2026, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and tell us which trend you’re betting on.
28 minutes
