Last year, when OBJ spoke with three local HR experts about what employers and employees should prepare for going into 2026, topics such as AI and RTO topped the list. So, did those predictions hold true? To get a sense of what happened in the world of work in 2026 and what’s to come in […]
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Last year, when OBJ spoke with three local HR experts about what employers and employees should prepare for going into 2026, topics such as AI and RTO topped the list. So, did those predictions hold true? To get a sense of what happened in the world of work in 2026 and what’s to come in 2027, OBJ checked back in with the same experts to understand what they’re seeing.
Being intentional with AI
Last year when OBJ spoke with Heidi Hauver, now the vice-president of people and culture at Ranovus, she said 2026 would be the year that companies re-evaluated what AI tools their employees were using.
“Everyone feels the same: that you would almost need a full-time job just keeping up to date with all of the advancements in AI in everybody’s space and sector,” said Hauver when OBJ spoke with her recently. “Change is hard … and there’s an abundance of tools that are kind of coming at us.”
She still believes that workplaces wanting to get intentional about AI adoption should start with tools that are already integrated into their workplace, such as Google’s Gemini or Microsoft’s Copilot.
“But I would also encourage people to try to keep up with what their peers are using and try to get a sense of some of the successes and early wins that are working for them. Experimentation is really critical … AI is here to stay, but how do we continue to nurture our skills, knowledge and expertise?”
Lydia Di Francesco, workplace wellness specialist and CEO of Fit + Healthy 365, said workplaces are still going through growing pains with AI. “There’s not necessarily a full understanding of how to use it or where to use it or training (for it). It’s something that’s still evolving,” she said Tuesday.
When OBJ spoke with Di Francesco last year, she predicted that workplaces may see an increase in employee burnout related to AI. Instead of using free time for deep thinking or taking a break, Di Francesco said employees might use AI to help them cram more work into their day. On Tuesday, Di Francesco said that she has observed that happening in workplaces in 2026.
“I think there’s definitely been an uptick in people using AI. It’s just a matter of whether they’re using it in ways that make the most sense. For companies, are they maximizing how they’re using it to support their employees from a well-being perspective?” she said.
Andrea Greenhous, chief internal communications strategist and CEO of Vision2Voice Communications, told OBJ last December that most issues around AI adoption in 2025 involved people, not the technology.
“Everything that is old is new again. Whenever technology is implemented, it’s never about the technology, it’s always about the people. We’re seeing that people aren’t trusting AI. They’re not necessarily afraid of it taking their jobs, but that’s a part of it,” she said at the time.
Speaking to OBJ last month, Greenhous said clear communication around AI adoption is still key as the technology continues to evolve and workplaces figure out how it fits into their flows.
“Both leaders and employees are not quite sure (what) the final destination is because the technology is changing so much. So there’s a shared uncertainty. And because this technology is evolving so quickly, there’s no end game … Understanding how the technology will evolve and making sure everybody’s communicating openly about how it’s working and how it’s not.”
Flexibility still key
With AI continuing to be the hot topic, Greenhous said the issue of RTO and different work models has fallen by the wayside. Still, she said, workplaces should build flexibility into the way they operate.
“Generally, people don’t change. They need flexibility and agency to be able to do their work. And if you can’t give them flexibility in terms of where they need to show up, are there other ways that you can give them agency and flexibility? It could be hours, the way they work, the types of projects they work on … The more flexibility you offer, the more trust you demonstrate and the more you’re treating people like adults so the more attractive your workplace is.”
Having previously stated that the pandemic showed what work could look like and that Ottawa would continue to see an array of different work models, Hauver said she sees that continuing into 2027.
“A lot of organizations are seeing the benefits of offering a hybrid environment where they have their team back to two or three days a week with offering that flexibility of being able to work from home and I think employees appreciate that,” Hauver said.
Going into the last quarter of the year, Hauver said workplaces will likely start considering what roles can look like when companies start hiring.
“When we post a role, how are we going to continue what’s best for that role? Should it be in person? Should it be fully remote? I find most people are really considering that midway point and recognizing that there is a lot of benefit of offering a hybrid role.”
Serious about culture
Di Francesco said more work needs to be done to make sure companies are curating a good workplace culture now that many employees are back in the office for most of the week.
“In recent times I’ve been asked to do some workshops around social intelligence. I think there’s an interest in helping people learn how to work together more or adding some training around other aspects of social intelligence, which is a lot of social awareness and empathy. There’s definitely an interest in building a good workplace in-person and we’ll continue to see that into 2027.”
Last year, Hauver said workplaces needed to put time, effort and energy into crafting a workplace culture that resonates with employees.
“It doesn’t just happen naturally, as much as people hope (it would). Hope isn’t a strategy,” Hauver said in December. “We’ve got great examples of companies who are fully remote and have great cultures (as much as) there are companies that are fully back to the office and have great cultures … At the end of the day, it’s about asking what kind of employer you are (and) what your values are.”
Speaking to OBJ last month, Hauver said intentionality is still at the heart of creating the right culture for your workplace.
“Different sectors are going through different challenges. Each sector is navigating its own puzzle … I think that there’s always going to be these puzzles that we need to navigate. But companies really need to make time to ensure that their teams feel heard, that there are channels by which they get and give feedback. I think it’s really important and it increases engagement where people feel like they’re part of the solution.”
Greenhous said leaders that believe that culture is disposable will see their company growth suffer in 2026. “If you’re thinking that you can grow by forgetting about caring for your people, then something’s going to happen and it’s not going to be good,” she said in December.
Culture is the glue that holds organizations together, Greenhous said, and leaders need to be the ones that champion the change. “I don’t think (culture) is built by four walls. It’s built and reinforced through leadership behaviour. Leaders are the culture carriers.”
Speaking to OBJ last month, Greenhous said she’s seen a greater emphasis on performance and productivity in the past few months. “I am seeing an uptick, definitely in my field, in terms of people hiring internal communications professionals to put more emphasis and focus on getting the right tools and the right strategies.”
What else to keep in mind?
Heading into 2027, Greenhous said leaders should sit down with staff to ensure that everyone is clear on what the organization’s goals are and what their role is to reach them.
“At the beginning of the year, we launch a strategy, what we’re trying to achieve this year. I think only about nine per cent of employees will remember and understand the business strategy. So talking about it and sharing it, helping people understand what it means to them in their day-to-day (is important).
“When we interview employees we always ask them what makes a good day and everyone always says, ‘When I can achieve something or get everything checked off my list to move the ball forward.’ People are wanting to get up in the morning and actually make a difference, make progress. Helping people see how that progress connects to the organization’s progress is always a really good and encouraging thing for employees,” Greenhous said.
Since more people in senior leadership are middle-aged women, Di Francesco said she’s also seeing an increase in discussions around peri-menopause and menopause in the workplace.
“The people that have more say in what topics get brought up or issues of importance that are looked at, they’re at an age where this is relevant (to them),” she said, adding that those conversations will continue into 2027.
Moreover, Di Francesco hopes HR leaders will focus on employee well-being as 2027 approaches.
“We’re in a little bit of a period of settling and restabilizing so I think it’s about keeping a pulse on how employees are doing … I think it’s just about having open conversations looking at what systems are in place (to help), what structural elements are there to help staff and which are not,” she said.
Having a wider spectrum of ages represented in a workplace could help bring new perspectives, Hauver said.
“Ranovus, the company that I am at now, we are a multi-generational workplace. It’s incredible because we’ve got every working generation on the team and it inspires me. It also equips me with the requirement to think, ‘How am I going to make sure everyone across the organization is getting what they need?’ That means thinking outside the box and looking into non-traditional programs.”
Workplace benefits programs should have things that help a multi-generational workforce, she added.
“People are staying long past retirement (age) and you’ve got more early (career) folks looking to get their first roles. Benefits is one of those things where it’s never been one-size-fits-all. But it’s been promising, over the last 10 years, to see more benefits programs recognizing employees wanting more flexibility in how they can tap into certain benefits.”
Overall, Hauver said that now is the perfect time for HR leaders to cultivate their company’s strategy before heading into the new year.
“It’s a great time to get a sense of what your priorities are going to be for the year, aligning with your leadership team on what matters for the business and getting a sense of how you’re going to leverage different areas of the business, including augmenting AI.
“The world of work is ever-evolving and that’s both exciting and can be intimidating. I think, for some, you need to be willing to be agile and try new things out. There’s always going to be things that are new. I think that having the mindset of taking whatever comes at us in the world of work, especially as HR leaders, is really critical. We don’t get roadblocks, but we look at things as opportunities and help our companies navigate those opportunities,” she said. 
