Features

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Should we be buying AI coaching in 2026, or stick with human?  

Jonathan Passmore

AI coaching tools are everywhere, promising scale, savings and 24/7 support. But should HR really be buying them, or sticking with human coaches? As organisations plan for 2026, the real question is how to blend both wisely. Jonathan Passmore explores what the evidence says, and what HR should do next  Coaching is now a mainstream development tool in many organisations. At the same time, AI coaching agents are moving from novelty experiments to products available off the shelf, like Microsoft 365. For HR, the commissioning…

Hooded Traitor Statue in The old town of Tallinn in Estonia

The Traitors: Jobs most likely to get you banished or murdered

Jo Cook

As TV show The Traitors UK fuels watercooler chat, Shane Duffy argues the castle is really a bias lab. From teachers to barristers, players are judged by their job title before they speak. Analysis shows who gets targeted, who survives and what workplaces can learn about trust, status and threat. As the nation remains gripped by the latest season of The Traitors UK, Shane Duffy, Managing Director of serviced office brokerage Click Offices, warns that the hit BBC show offers…

Open hand holds wooden people around 2026 digits against shimmering blue background.

What should HR leaders be looking out for in 2026?

Veronique Lemaire

From pay transparency to the right to disconnect, HR leaders face a perfect storm of regulation, technology and rising expectations in 2026. What really matters, what’s overhyped and where should teams focus first? Veronique Lemaire cuts through the noise with practical insight for navigating change without losing people or momentum The future of work is a red-hot topic as the global economy realigns amid developing regulations, rapid technological shifts and changing employee expectations. A third (34%) of jurisdictions predict an uptick in the complexity of HR and payroll services, according to the latest Global Business Complexity Index. This is…

Traffic sign No entry and toy taxi car on wooden table. Passing driving license exam

When Uber comes for L&D: Five smart moves before learning and development shifts

Ricci Masero

Ricci Masero argues L&D has more warning than taxi drivers before Uber changed the travel landscape. With AI-funded edtech accelerating, professionals can choose to adapt, humanise, specialise, diversify or even compete. The message is blunt: stop defending yesterday’s methods, learn the tools, and move while options remain for your career. In 2010, if you were a taxi driver, nobody came to warn you that your industry was about to transform. Uber was being built. Venture capital was flowing. By the…

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The evolutionary blind spot undermining leadership programmes

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson explores why leadership development fails when it ignores the biology driving behaviour. He examines survival, pleasure and purpose, revealing how stress, disengagement and underperformance persist. The article offers L&D professionals practical diagnostic frameworks to identify psychological states and develop leaders who work with, not against, human evolution workplaces. Leadership development programmes often fail organisations because they ignore a fundamental truth. Before you can effectively lead others, you must understand what drives human behaviour. Without this foundation, even the…

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Training for every brain: How inclusive learning unlocks performance

Eleanor Hecks

As more employees identify as neurodivergent, traditional workplace training is falling short. Eleanor Hecks explores inclusive, strengths-based learning design, mentorship and leadership behaviours that unlock talent, boost engagement and deliver measurable business impact for organisations. This is about seeking sustainable performance and genuinely inclusive cultures in modern workplaces, supporting everyone. A growing number of employees are identifying as neurodivergent, ranging from autism spectrum conditions to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia. As such, there is an increased awareness of the…

Turning AI into your company’s brain for stronger knowledge sharing and communication

Shinichiro Nakamura

AI is fast becoming the connective tissue of modern organisations. From remote corporate teams to factory floors, smarter knowledge sharing is now a competitive advantage. Used well, AI can break down silos, speed up communication and turn scattered information into shared intelligence. Shinichiro Nakamura reveals how to make it work  The UK AI market is worth more than £21bn, and is expected to grow to £1tn in 10 years. Soon, AI will be a staple in many workplaces – and there’s huge potential for solutions to transform how we transfer knowledge and manage communications between teams.  …

Blue paper note written - I'm Lost - emotionally or mentally confused and don't know what to do - feeling overwhelmed, confused, uncertain how to proceed in life

Generation numb: Why today’s workforce feels nothing at all

Josh Cardoz

Today’s workforce is emotionally checked out, overwhelmed by constant change and digital saturation. In this compelling call to action, Josh Cardoz urges organisations to break the cycle of disconnection and cynicism. Through purpose, friction and human connection, we can reignite meaning and reshape work for a generation on the brink. Today’s workforce is going through a profound and fundamental shift. Faced with relentless economic uncertainty, the after-effects of a global pandemic, and perpetual digital overload, this generation of workers is…

Youth Unemployment Chalk Diagram on Blackboard with Skills, Education and Opportunities

How businesses can help to address youth unemployment

Nichola Hay

With NEET rates at a ten-year high, Nichola Hay MBE explores how UK businesses can rethink early career job roles, from apprenticeships to flexible entry routes. Investing in young talent is not just ethical, it’s a smart business strategy that builds skills, boosts retention and shapes a resilient, future-ready workforce. The proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) in the UK has reached 13.5%, marking the highest rate in ten years. This highlights urgent risks to…

Learning smarter, not faster: How to optimise time and master skills

Amy Brann

Whether you’re designing learning or trying to improve your own, it is easy to feel pressure to learn faster. Amy Brann explores how attention, emotion, spacing and deliberate practice help people learn in a way the brain prefers, offering simple ideas that make learning stick and feel more enjoyable too  Life feels fast and full, and the pressure to adapt quickly is high. Whether it’s picking up a new tool, adapting to change, or developing leadership skills, the message is…