In our latest People Results webinar, a panel of expert consultants shared real-world insights on six critical areas every employer should focus on in the year ahead.
Some of the themes discussed were managing workforce and reinforcing resilience, both of which are central to creating a healthy, high-performing workplace that can thrive through change. Below is a summary of the key takeaways.
1. RIFs and Risks to Your Workforce: Managing Change with Credibility
The labor market is undergoing a sustained recalibration, and while layoffs may not dominate headlines as they did in years past, workforce restructuring remains widespread. These RIFs (Reductions in Force) are often targeted, iterative, and aligned with strategic pivots, such as AI adoption or mergers. But even when they’re necessary, they create serious ripple effects.
Employees are highly attuned to layoffs, whether inside their company or across the industry, and the emotional toll can’t be overstated. Survivors of layoffs may experience guilt, anxiety, or disengagement. This erosion of psychological safety is a known risk to productivity and retention.
The best response is transparency, clarity, and compassion. Communicate openly about what’s happening and why. Ensure those staying behind know their role in the new structure. Proactively rebuild trust and address burnout by focusing on support and meaningful employee recognition. Above all, plan your communication strategy early, before decisions are made public. When handled poorly, even small RIFs can damage morale and credibility for years.
2. Listening Systems: From Annual Surveys to Continuous Insight
Relying solely on annual engagement surveys is no longer sufficient to understand your workforce. Instead, employers should implement robust listening systems that include multiple channels, such as onboarding surveys, pulse checks, focus groups, and grassroots feedback.
The goal is twofold: to capture timely insights and to act on them. Listening without follow-through is worse than not listening at all because it breeds cynicism. If employees express concerns and see no change, they may disengage or seek alternative outlets, including union organizing.
Listening systems must be agile, responsive, and integrated into decision-making. That means establishing a cadence for feedback, mapping “moments that matter,” and embedding listening into the organizational rhythm. Communicate what was heard and what actions were taken. That kind of feedback loop is vital to building trust.
3. Disruption’s Hidden Impact: Navigating the Human Side of Change
Organizations are managing a constant state of disruption, whether from technology, restructuring, or social change. But while business systems often adapt quickly, the people side of change is frequently overlooked or under-resourced.
Employees today are affected not just by internal decisions but by external narratives. AI is a prime example. While its deployment in many companies is still emerging, it’s already dominating public conversation. That creates a vacuum. If leaders aren’t addressing AI directly with their employees, other voices will fill the gap.
Leadership must adopt a “change playbook” to manage these disruptions intentionally. That includes defining clear communication models, equipping managers to talk about change, and creating space for employees to ask questions.
One key insight: don’t wait until you have all the answers. Even incomplete updates, framed thoughtfully, are better than silence. Set up cross-functional committees to explore topics such as AI and to involve employees in the process. Bringing people “inside the tent” builds trust and reduces fear.
4. Multi-Channel Communication: Avoiding the Void
Poor communication is one of the most common drivers of employee dissatisfaction and vulnerability to third-party influence. Across hundreds of labor campaigns, we’ve seen that it's rarely pay or benefits alone that drive organizing efforts; it’s the absence of clear, consistent communication.
Multi-channel communication means more than sending the same message across email, video, and meetings. It means understanding your audience, tracking engagement, and customizing content to different employee groups.
Start with the basics: are your messages being opened and understood? Use platforms with analytics to measure reach and engagement. Audit your current channels: are they working or overwhelming? A “word soup” of disjointed messages often leads to confusion, not clarity.
One overlooked tactic: build a leader-specific channel. Frontline managers play a critical role in cascading messages, but they often lack training or resources. Equipping them with talking points, weekly updates, or coaching can dramatically improve message delivery and employee trust.
5. Resilience as a People Strategy: The Culture Multiplier
Resilience isn’t a buzzword; it’s a critical metric for 2026. Organizations with resilient cultures are better able to adapt, recover, and grow. But resilience must be developed, measured, and sustained.
Start by identifying what makes your organization healthy. Which metrics matter most? These might include turnover, engagement, safety, and leadership effectiveness. Don’t wait for perfect data, focus on what’s available and analyze it with intent.
Data should drive insight and action. It’s not just about collecting information; it’s about mobilizing it to make decisions, build programs, and coach leaders.
Resilience also requires breaking down silos and improving collaboration across functions. That means creating space for dialogue, sharing accountability, and embedding people strategies into business strategies. HR cannot be the only function responsible for culture. Everyone owns resilience.
Final Thoughts: Your 2026 Strategy Starts Now
The workplace challenges of 2026 aren’t going away, but forward-thinking organizations can turn disruption into opportunity. Whether navigating workforce risk, implementing better listening systems, or leading through change, it all comes down to one thing: intentionality.
Take the time now to assess where your organization stands. How are you listening? How are you communicating? Do your people feel supported, informed, and included? These aren’t soft topics; they’re competitive differentiators.
At People Results, we work with organizations to transform their cultures, empower their leaders, and drive sustainable success.
We’re here to help you make the most of 2026—starting now.
