The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: Employee experience lags despite HR optimism; a learning design mastery day; AI skills boosting pay and promotion; fears automation shrinks roles; employers expand overseas; spotting research misconduct; plus Donald Taylor on L&D priorities.
Two thirds of leaders would rather look certain and be wrong than admit doubt and get it right
Britain is paying a £20 billion annual price for leaders pretending to know the answer, according to a new five-year workplace study of 3,159 professionals across 25 organisations, with findings stress-tested by senior economists.
The research, published by Uncertainty Experts, part of the Mediazoo Group, is Britain’s largest study into uncertainty, and reveals that 65% of leaders would rather appear decisive and be wrong than admit uncertainty and be right. The pattern has remained stable across five years of data.
- Nearly two-thirds of leaders (65%) say they would rather appear decisive and be wrong than admit uncertainty and be right. The trend has remained consistent across five years of data covering 3,159 professionals in 25 organisations.
- The pressure to project certainty is strongest below board level. Middle managers (72%) and senior leadership teams (68.9%) are most likely to admit faking confidence, compared with 46.8% of C-suite executives.
Searches for ‘burnout symptoms’ hit peak levels
New analysis by MyHealthPal reveals that UK Google searches for “burnout symptoms” surged to peak levels during Spring 2026, highlighting growing concern around chronic stress, workplace exhaustion, and burnout across the country.
The analysis, based on Google Trends data, found UK search interest for “burnout symptoms” reached its highest recorded level of 100 on 30 March 2026, before remaining elevated throughout April and May.
Cost management prioritised over growth as employer confidence remains subdued
UK employers are prioritising cost management over growth as rising business costs and global uncertainty continue to weigh on confidence. This is according to the latest Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development. The survey of more than 2,000 UK employers found that:
- Cost management is the top priority for UK employers, regardless of sector and size, ahead of improving productivity and growing market share
- Many key labour market indicators of employer confidence remain close to record lows
- Anticipated pay awards are gathering around the 3% mark
Workplace belonging hits decade high
Workplace belonging in the UK has reached its highest level in over a decade, according to new research from Procter & Gamble (P&G) UK, underlining the growing importance of creating a supportive and inclusive culture at work.
The study of 2,000 UK adults shows workplace belonging now plays a defining role in retention. Three quarters (75%) of UK workers say they would commit to a company for years if they feel valued, while 73% would stay longer where they feel a genuine sense of belonging. In contrast, nearly six in ten (59%) say they would leave a job where they don’t feel part of a team.
UK ranks second lowest for employee experience
UK workers are among the least satisfied with their employee experience anywhere in the world, new research from Benifex, a leading global employee benefits platform, reveals. And a striking disconnect between employer confidence and employee reality suggests the problem runs deeper than investment alone.
Surveying 7,000 employees and 600 HR leaders across seven countries, including 1,000 employees and 200 HR leaders in the UK, the research found that only 60% of UK employees rate their overall employee experience as good or excellent – the second lowest of all countries surveyed. This is ahead of only Singapore (56%), and notably below Canada (69%), Sweden (66%) and Germany (63%).
Yet 95% of UK HR leaders rate their overall employee experience as good or excellent and 84% estimate their employees would say the same. Only 60% of employees actually do.
Up your learning design game with the Learning Network’s next mastery day
The Learning Network’s second mastery day of the year is nearly here, and it’s all about learning design. Join us for a day of hands-on workshops that’ll let you get stuck in to learn new – or improve your existing – learning design skills.
AI skills drive promotions and pay rises as demand surges
AI skills are already shaping career progression across UK businesses according to new research from HiBob, the company behind Bob, the HR platform transforming how organisations operate in the modern world of work.
The study of UK business leaders responsible for hiring AI talent reveals that AI skills are linked to key career outcomes including promotion decisions (63%), performance ratings (61%), and pay (31%).
Demand for these skills is also accelerating. Over three-quarters (77%*) expect most non-technical roles in organisations to require at least moderate overall AI proficiency within the next two years, while 82% are investing in upskilling or reskilling their workforce to align with business goals.
74% of job seekers believe AI and automation is reducing the number of entry-level roles available in the market
ICIMS’ monthly Workforce Report translates complex labour trends into practical guidance. Pulled from hundreds of millions of data points, our report delivers key insights and actionable steps designed to give your team a competitive advantage.
In the U.S., employer demand is rising fast, but supply is not. Openings continue to climb, while applications and hiring lag. In EMEA, there are fewer roles as application volume wanes. Hiring is 9% above the baseline as application drops to 1% below April of 2025.
81% of employers to increase employee numbers overseas
A significant 81% of UK-based employers who already have employees overseas are intending to increase their workforce abroad, according to new research from employee benefits experts, Everywhen. A quarter (25%) are looking to do so within the next 12 months, and 72% within the next 5 years. On average, those businesses are looking to increase the number of overseas employees by a quarter (25%).
Sarah Dennis, head of international at Everywhen, says: “It is great that businesses are expecting to further expand overseas. It is, however, vital that the right support is put in place before employees mobilise, particularly in relation to health and wellbeing and, with many variables in play as to numbers and locations, that support must be adaptable and scalable.”
Five early warning signs of research misconduct
Research misconduct may leave traces in the text itself, not only in how the research is conducted, suggests a new study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. By analysing scientific articles later retracted for misconduct, the researchers identified five recurring rhetorical “warning signs” that can indicate when a study is designed to appear credible despite unreliable foundations.
The findings could make misconduct detection more tangible and support training for doctoral students and early-career researchers. The study suggests that working with authentic retracted articles can help develop critical reviewing skills and strengthen research integrity at a time when scientific publishing is expanding rapidly.
What matters most for L&D?
Across Learning Technologies 2026, one question keeps coming up: what matters most for L&D right now? Here with his perspective is Donald H Taylor, co-chair of the Learning Technologies Conference, speaking with Learning News at the close of the event.
Do you want to make sure you stay in-the-know about the L&D industry?
Then the TJ newsletter is where it’s at.
It’s free, it comes every Thursday to your inbox, and it comes with exclusive subscriber-only content!
