As we move deeper into the era of intelligent work, the digital workplace is no longer just a virtual extension of the office – it is the intersection between strategy, culture and productivity. Rapid AI advancement is evolving employee expectations and there are systemic shifts in digital workplace design. In this blog I outline five new trends that I see forward–thinking organisations acting on now to storm ahead of their competition.
We are entering the age of agentic AI – a shift towards proactive, autonomous agents capable of sophisticated reasoning and continuous learning. This evolution isn’t theoretical; it’s already here. A prime example is Microsoft’s recent introduction of People Skills in Copilot. AI identifies and maps employee’s unique skills from various data sources within Microsoft 365, including user profile data and the outputs people produce in their day-to-day work.
AI-enabled skills management will become a critical tool in HR, as manual skills records on third-party systems are replaced by agentic AI capable of aiding organisations in forming dynamic skill-based teams, enhancing talent discovery and development initiatives within organisations (Forbes, 2025).
Personalisation is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s a performance imperative (Forbes, 2025). By 2026, employees will expect their digital workplace to feel as curated and seamless as the consumer apps they use every day. This means moving beyond surface-level personalisation to deliver a fully bespoke user experience – one that automatically adapts to an individual’s job role, responsibilities, location and goals.
Tailored user experiences will help employees to prioritise their time, creating alignment between an individual’s mindshare and organisational strategy. For example, if a group of employees need to confirm they have read and understood a policy, this will present to them only. Communications will be tailored and supported with a call to action that varies from team to team. Community engagement will be based on interest.
Allowing leaders to publish their perspective – in their own words – supports employee engagement and productivity even in difficult circumstances. A show of emotional intelligence, transparency and real human connection will be a point of differentiation for better performing digital workplaces into 2026 and beyond.
The DNA of a digital workplace is cultural. Overly curated leadership communications, often drafted by a PA or communications team, are creating employee cynicism in a business context characterised by static pay and in some cases lay-offs.
Authentic leadership doesn’t just communicate, it connects. This means leaders showing up consistently – on platforms like Viva Engage – to share what they’ve done that day, respond to questions in real-time and creating a space for two-way conversations. When leadership feels relatable, unfiltered and part of the mission, it builds trust, fuels productivity and drives a culture where people genuinely feel seen and valued.
In the digital workplace, change agility isn’t about chasing all new features that may be available – it is about making deliberate, savvy decisions that are aligned with your organisational goals. As we move towards 2026, the most effective digital workplace strategies will be anchored in clarity: what’s needed by and useful to the business, what aligns with your organisation’s vision, and what will deliver value fast.
This means being clear about why you want to optimise your digital workplace and how, then using data to measure the impact before removing or optimising based on the results. Organisations that adapt as they go will be able to respond effectively to the evolving needs of their people within the digital workplace.
Whether it’s tweaking your new employee onboarding experience or trialling new AI tools, change agility is about staying responsive to requirements instead of reactive. Organisations that manage to get this right and strike the balance between agility and stability will be the ones that build trust and drive meaningful progress with their digital workplace (Deloitte, 2025).
Today’s employees don’t want lots of separate digital tools which send them to multiple different applications; they want a seamless experience with everything they need in one place. We know that the average employee spends almost two hours per day searching for information. That’s almost an entire day working each week lost to clunky, fragmented systems – It’s no wonder digital fatigue is on the rise. Providing employees with a seamless one-stop shop creates one central place with all the tools and capabilities they need on a daily basis, eliminating the time wasted searching across various platforms.
In practice, this means smarter integration – not fewer tools. In 2026, leading organisations are expected to meet employees where they are already working, in the majority of cases, this will be on the Microsoft 365 platform. A truly effective one-stop shop should bring together everything from company news and updates to service desk, HR capabilities, collaboration tools and documents. For example, if your sales team is preparing a QBR, they should all be able to do so collaboratively in Microsoft Teams without having to switch between where they are working and their CRM to find the data they need. The goal is to provide employees with the right information, in the right place at the right time. A one-stop shop brings tools and applications together into one cohesive experience, streamlining productivity and allowing the digital workplace to become truly useful.
The digital workplace isn’t just a platform that extends the physical office anymore. In today’s environment, it can be a strategic lever for competitive advantage and growth. When it is designed with thoughtful intent, it becomes a space where people thrive.
Organisations that will enjoy the greatest returns on their digital workplace in 2026 and beyond are those who build with purpose, aligning communications and tools to support their people. It’s not about adding more technology, it is about optimising what you already have in place to unlock the full potential of your workforce.
Struggling to make sense of what really matters in the digital workplace? You’re not alone. With new technologies emerging faster than ever, it’s hard to know where to focus, what drives value and how to bring it all together in one seamless experience.
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