20/08/2026
Half of global leaders now expect the next two years to be “turbulent or stormy” (World Economic Forum, 2026). For organisations building inclusive workplaces, that’s not background noise — it shows up directly in who gets hired, who gets developed, and who feels safe enough to say they’re struggling.
This is Issue 01 of SRC Horizon Watch, a new regular scan of what’s coming for inclusion and wellbeing at work. First up: AI.
88% of companies now screen job applications with AI. Left unchecked, these tools tend to replicate bias rather than remove it. But design changes the outcome — a 2026 study found “inclusive” AI tools nearly doubled hiring rates for disabled candidates (70.2% vs 36.2% for standard tools reviewing the same applicants).
Entry-level roles are shifting too. PwC’s 2026 analysis of over a billion job postings found entry-level roles redesigned to demand senior-level judgement grew 35% since 2019, while unredesigned roles declined 10%. Good for productivity. A narrowing on-ramp for anyone without an existing professional network.
And the piece that makes or breaks all of it: managers. Gallup found manager engagement falling three times faster than employee engagement — yet staff whose managers actively encourage AI use are 8.7x more likely to say it’s genuinely transformed their work.
The WEF now ranks “adverse AI outcomes” as the fastest-climbing risk it tracks. Not a niche HR concern.
Also on our radar this issue: the transatlantic fork in DEI policy, the UK’s ongoing cost-of-living squeeze, and a burnout picture where only 27% of workers feel genuinely supported.
Follow SRC for Issue 02.
