"The elevation of workforce data is no longer a possibility - it is here. And in the coming year, that data will play a bigger role than ever in C-suite decision-making. "In 2026, an organization's people data will rival its financial data in strategic importance," predicts Steve Holdridge, president and COO at HCM tech company Dayforce. "AI will elevate workforce intelligence to a board-level asset, transforming it from a historical view of headcount and costs to a living map of capability, agility and operational potential.""
"The growing importance of workforce data is just one of the prognostications people managers are making looking to the year ahead, ranging from what's next for AI to skills-based hiring, flexible work and fostering employee well-being. As Doug Dennerline, CEO of performance management platform Betterworks, points out, the C-suite is already asking different questions. "CEOs and boards are beginning to treat people data as seriously as financial data, asking questions like: How healthy is our performance culture? How often are managers giving feedback?" he says. "These aren't 'HR metrics' anymore - they're business indicators.""
"John Kostoulas, vp of market positioning and strategy at Dayforce, predicts when it comes to the technology, the new year will usher in a shift from fear of missing out to fear of messing up. "Many organizations jumped on the AI bandwagon without a clear goal," he notes, "and now they're realizing that unchecked AI can create as many problems as it solves.""
Workforce data has become a strategic asset that will rival financial data in importance, with AI elevating workforce intelligence into a board-level tool mapping capability, agility and operational potential. CEOs and boards are treating people metrics as business indicators, querying performance culture, manager feedback frequency and workforce health. AI adoption will shift from FOMO to caution as organizations face risks from unchecked models, and leaders will realize that hiring talent alone cannot produce AI maturity. Broader trends include skills-based hiring, flexible work arrangements and increased focus on employee well-being to support performance and organizational agility.
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