With its price war, economic slowdown, and technological upheaval, 2025 saw the emergence of fault lines that should become much more apparent in 2026. In our year-end review, we discussed a “tightening” of employer expectations. Here’s how this reality will shape the world of work in the year ahead.
1. Preparing for Recovery
First, let’s set the record straight. Not everything is going badly, everywhere, all the time. Executive recruiter Xavier Thorens, CEO of Thorens Talents, sees 2026 in a positive light:
“According to various economists, there’s likely to be an economic recovery in the second half of 2026,” he predicts, while praising the resilience of the job market. “We’re seeing a decrease in vacant positions, the unemployment rate remains very low, and salaries continue to rise.”
According to him, HR professionals should now take inventory of the positions and skills required in their company, based on their recovery objectives.
2. Rethinking “Amplified” Performance
While AI dominated attention throughout 2025, no one has yet found the recipe for clear productivity gains that justify the efforts and investments required. This reflection must continue in 2026, keeping in mind that companies now care about performance.
“Performance measurement is a very rich avenue,” announces consultant Mario Côté, CRHA. “We’re in the AI revolution, but we’re still using performance measurement models that harken back to the industrial revolution, with indicators that belong to another era.”
Mario Côté foresees the emergence of thinking around performance indicators linked to “amplified” performance.
“If I have a professional who can now handle 10 files, we might ask what performance could be expected with the use of artificial intelligence, since we’re freeing this person from several routine tasks. The idea isn’t to squeeze people dry, but to achieve better performance with equivalent effort.”
3. Bridging the Generational Gap
The dark side of amplified performance is the growing gap between talented workers who hold expertise and knowledge, and junior or low-skilled workers.
“We need to think about the impact AI can have on the job market, particularly on young people. This is a high-level strategic HR reflection that organizations must have. Young people are being replaced by artificial intelligence. Statistics are already starting to show this—unemployment among 18-24 year-olds is higher than the general unemployment rate,” he adds.
In many sectors, tasks that would have once been given to an intern are now entrusted to AI, he notes.
“We can’t do without our young people for the future. We must continue to think about how to integrate them into our organizations rather than eliminating them.”
Mario Côté believes this reflection goes far beyond individual organizations; action must be taken at the societal level, redefining the social contract that binds businesses to civil society.
“We’ve always operated transactionally around employment. You offer me your services, I pay you. If I don’t need you, I get rid of you. Now we need to look at how we can better work with our talent, then retrain or reskill them to work in another field.”
4. Reinvigorating Diversity
Facing an American president who continues to destabilize the global economy, the great loser in current HR topics is arguably diversity and inclusion. Most major labor market analysts (Gartner, McKinsey, KPMG, ADP, Robert Half, and Randstad) no longer include “diversity” as a trend or priority for companies.
A year and a half ago, when Trump slashed DEI policies, Canadian and Quebec companies had loudly affirmed their commitment to maintaining course in their inclusion efforts. This time, a faltering economy seems to have tempered their real ambitions.
In 2026, it may be necessary to rely on politicians and legislators to reinvigorate the diversity agenda. Laws on salary transparency, mental health at work, and ESG accountability continue to progress at the national or international level. Let’s hope the effects will be felt in workers’ everyday lives.
training.isarta.com 
