In 2026, the ways we work, hire, and grow teams will undergo some of the most profound shifts we've seen in decades. For tech leaders, it's not just about adapting but proactively navigating these changes to stay ahead. From my experience as a startup founder and serial entrepreneur across multiple industries, these workforce shifts demand more than awareness, they demand action. Let’s delve into the five workforce trends set to impact the tech world next year and, importantly, how to address them effectively.
1. Talent Shortages Deepen Globally
The struggle for skilled tech talent is no longer regional. It's a worldwide challenge driven by aging populations and shrinking talent pools. In Germany, for instance, the average time it takes to hire skilled workers has ballooned from 40 days in 2000 to a staggering 147 days now. Organizations relying on old-school hiring methods are falling behind, and the gap is widening.
What to do:
Reconsider where you’re looking. Expanding your hiring efforts globally and embracing remote work could be the game-changer. For example, companies hiring engineers remotely in countries like Portugal or Egypt are discovering robust AI talent pipelines without being confined to local constraints. Borderless hiring isn’t a fallback, it’s a forward strategy. Learn more about global hiring tools like those offered by WorkMotion to streamline compliance and onboarding.
2. AI Reshapes Job Roles
AI’s role in redefining jobs is undeniable. While routine tasks in customer support and sales are being automated, demand for specialized roles has surged, think AI engineers or experts in generative tech. The World Economic Forum has predicted that core organizational skills will change by 39% by 2025, so by 2026, organizations face the pressing need to reskill or risk falling behind.
What to do:
Upskilling shouldn’t just be an HR project. CEOs need to lead by mapping out a skills roadmap. Can your team operate effectively with AI-powered tools? Platforms like Coursera or AI-specific upskilling tools can help your employees stay relevant. Always link AI adoption strategies to clearly defined business results, don’t deploy AI just for appearances.
3. The Remote vs. Hybrid Debate Evolves
In Amsterdam, for example, skyrocketing housing costs are making it harder for employees to live anywhere near their offices. Yet, remote work continues to polarize leaders. Workers under 35 overwhelmingly prefer location flexibility (only 10% want full-time onsite jobs), but older management teams often see this differently.
Mistakes to avoid:
- Forcing people back into the office without understanding retention risks.
- Assuming productivity drops with remote work, it doesn’t when goals are clear.
How to manage:
Adopt hybrid frameworks that respect the need for in-person collaboration in a way that doesn’t force unnecessary commutes. Tools like Miro or Slack are excellent supplements to breakdown communication barriers. Measure outcomes, not attendance.
4. The Slow Hiring Bottleneck
Long hiring timelines are hitting companies where it hurts, growth. Some are losing critical growth opportunities simply because they can’t secure talent fast enough. Yet, the gap between job openings and filled roles often stems from rigid hiring strategies and outdated processes.
What to do:
Streamline your hiring processes with smarter, faster tools. AI-based recruitment platforms like BeApplied can help reduce bias and speed up shortlisting by analyzing applicant data far more efficiently than manual methods.
Tip: Try A/B testing your hiring strategies. Open roles both locally and globally to see which pool delivers the best talent faster. You may be surprised how much switching focus to international markets reduces delays while increasing quality.
5. Flexibility Over Perks
Younger workers entering the market care more about how, when, and where they work than perks like ping-pong tables and free coffee. Benefits like enhanced parental leave, more say over work schedules, and transparent policies are becoming baseline expectations.
How to respond:
If you’re still relying on perks that were trendy in the 2010s, it’s time for a reality check. Engage employees by offering real opportunities for growth and work-life alignment. Use tools like TINYpulse or Glint to gather anonymous, actionable feedback on what your team truly values.
Common Missteps Leaders Should Avoid
- Ignoring newer generations’ demand for workplace flexibility. It's a sure way to increase churn among high-potential employees.
- Assuming AI tools will just “fix” hiring delays or productivity bottlenecks. Tech alone won’t solve systemic strategy gaps.
- Still emphasizing fixed 9-to-5 schedules. These are outdated, especially in global teams where time zones vary.
How to Adapt Your Leadership Approach
For founders and tech leaders juggling hiring, retention, and innovation, adapting isn’t just an operational question, it’s personal. I've seen startups stall simply because founders resisted changing approaches that worked five years ago. Leadership today requires a mix of flexibility and decisiveness.
Start with these principles:
- Global First: Think beyond borders in every hiring decision. Look where others aren’t yet exploring.
- AI-Integrated Teams: Train employees to enhance their roles with AI, not fear replacement. Treat it like a collaboration tool.
- Purpose Over Location: If all staff knows the why behind your mission, where they work becomes secondary.
The conclusion is simple: tech leaders who embrace these shifts rather than resist them will have a clear path forward in 2026. What worked even two years ago might no longer apply, but these changes are also an opportunity, an invitation to rethink not just how we attract talent but how we build scalable, sustainable, and human-centered organizations. Let’s act on it.
FAQ
1. What will be the biggest workplace challenge in 2026?
Talent shortages will be a major challenge due to aging populations and shrinking talent pools. Germany, for instance, sees an average of 147 days to hire skilled workers, compared to 40 days in 2000. Read more about global hiring trends
2. How is AI expected to impact job roles in 2026?
AI will redefine job roles by automating routine tasks while increasing demand for highly specialized roles, like AI engineers. According to estimates, up to 39% of core organizational skills might change by 2025. Discover AI's role in workforce evolution
3. What is the current trend for remote vs. hybrid work?
The debate over remote vs. hybrid work is evolving as younger employees demand flexibility, with only 10% of workers under 35 preferring full-time onsite work. Explore remote work trends in 2026
4. How are hiring delays affecting companies?
Prolonged hiring timelines, now averaging over 140 days in some regions, are stifling growth and causing companies to miss critical opportunities. Learn more about solutions for hiring bottlenecks
5. Why is flexibility more appealing than traditional perks?
Younger employees value flexibility in work schedules and location over older workplace perks like free coffee or ping-pong tables. Check out evolving employee demands
6. What tools can help streamline global hiring?
Platforms like WorkMotion help companies simplify global hiring, ensuring compliance and efficient onboarding of remote employees. Learn more about WorkMotion tools
7. What strategies can leaders use to address AI-driven workforce changes?
Companies should create skills roadmaps and use platforms like Coursera to upskill employees in AI tools, aligning strategies with precise business outcomes. Discover insights into AI-driven organizational changes
8. How are cost-of-living challenges shaping workplace preferences?
Rising housing costs in cities like Amsterdam are pushing employees to prioritize remote work, as living near offices becomes unaffordable. Explore how cost-of-living impacts work preferences
9. What can companies do to mitigate hiring inefficiencies?
Using AI-based recruitment tools like BeApplied can reduce biases and accelerate hiring processes by analyzing applicant data more effectively. Discover tools to overcome hiring challenges
10. Why should leaders focus on employee output rather than attendance?
Measuring employee output, rather than hours worked, allows leaders to effectively manage global teams with diverse time zones. Read about effective leadership strategies for remote teams
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.