The future of work is often discussed in terms of technology. New tools, new systems, new forms of automation and new ways to use artificial intelligence.
Our latest Hiring Intelligence Report compares assessment data from January to May 2022 with the same period in 2026, giving a clear view of how employer assessment priorities have shifted since the rise of generative AI.
The findings show that organisations are not only thinking more about technical skills and digital capability but are placing greater emphasis on the human traits that help people stay effective in pressured, changing and people-centred environments.
Stress Management was the most assessed trait for the first half of 2026. Listening remains close to the top. Resilient, Striving and Adaptable complete the top five. Calm, Variety and Self-development have all risen sharply.
Together, these traits offer a useful signal of where work may be heading.
The future of work will still depend on human judgement
AI is already changing tasks across many roles. It can help people write, summarise, analyse, plan and automate parts of their work. This will continue to affect what people do day to day.
But the data suggests that employers are not treating AI as a full replacement for human capability justyet. They are looking for people who can use technology well while still bringing judgement, context and responsibility to their work.
That matters because while AI can produce output, people still need to decide what is useful, accurate, relevant and appropriate. They need to understand the situation, ask better questions and make decisions that account for other people.
This is why traits such as Listening, Adaptable and Self-development are so highly sought. They help people navigate work that is increasingly supported by technology but still shaped by human needs.
Pressure is becoming a defining condition of modern day work
The rise of Stress Management to the top position is one of the strongest findings in the report.
This suggests that employers are increasingly focused on how candidates cope when work becomes demanding. Tight deadlines, shifting priorities, heavier workloads and new technology can all create pressure. Even when AI helps with certain tasks, it can also raise expectations around speed, output and adaptability.
In this context, stress management becomes a practical workplace capability.
Employers need people who can stay productive when demands increase. They need people who can keep thinking clearly, manage competing priorities and avoid becoming overwhelmed when situations become difficult.
This is closely linked to the continued importance of Resilient and the sharp rise of Calm. The future of work will not only reward people who can move quickly. It will reward people who can stay steady while doing so.
Adaptability will be expected
Adaptable remains in the top five, while Change remains in the top 10. Variety has also risen strongly, moving into the top 10 in H1/2026.
This points to another important idea: that work is becoming less fixed.
Roles are likely to involve more varied responsibilities, more frequent changes in tools and processes, and more movement between different priorities. Employees may be expected to learn new systems, work across teams and adjust their behaviour to suit different people and situations.
Adaptability is therefore becoming a baseline requirement.
But the data also indicates that employers do not simply want people who like change for its own sake. The continued importance of Order suggests they still value structure, consistency and clear standards.
This is a useful insight for the future of work. Organisations will need people who can adapt without becoming chaotic. They will need employees who are flexible enough to respond to change, but structured enough to maintain quality, process and reliability.
Learning will become a core hiring priority
One of the most interesting risers in the report is Self-development, which has moved from 26th in 2022 to 9th in H1/2026.
This is highly relevant to the future of work.
As technology changes, current skills can become outdated more quickly. Employers cannot only hire for what someone knows today. They need people who are motivated to keep learning, improving and developing new capabilities.
Self-development is therefore more than a positive personal quality. It is becoming a strategic workforce trait.
Candidates who are open to learning are more likely to adapt as tools change. They are more likely to respond well to training, explore new ways of working and stay useful as role requirements shift.
For hiring teams, this means learning orientation should be assessed more deliberately. A strong CV matters, but long-term performance may depend just as much on whether someone is willing and able to keep developing.
People skills are becoming more precise
The report also suggests that employers are becoming more specific about interpersonal capability.
Listening remains one of the most assessed traits overall, while Poised is one of the fastest-growing traits. At the same time, Gregarious has declined in relative popularity.
This does not mean people skills are becoming less important. It suggests that employers are moving away from broad ideas of sociability and towards more precise forms of interpersonal effectiveness.
Being outgoing is not the same as listening well. Being sociable is not the same as building trust. Being confident in conversation is not the same as staying composed in a difficult stakeholder meeting.
In the future of work, the human interactions that remain will often be the ones that require judgement, empathy, persuasion, reassurance or careful communication. That makes Listening and Poised especially valuable.
The strongest employees will combine steadiness, drive and learning
Striving sits fourth in the H1/2026 rankings, showing that employers still value achievement focus and motivation to deliver clear outcomes.
This is important because the report is not simply saying that employers want calm, adaptable people. They also want people who can move work forward.
The strongest employee profile emerging from the data is a balanced one. Employers are looking for people who can handle pressure, listen well, recover from setbacks, pursue goals, adapt to change and keep learning.
That combination gives us a practical picture of future workplace value. It is not only about what someone can do now. It is about how they behave when work becomes more complex.
What this means for hiring teams
The data from our H1/2026 Report suggests that the future of work will place greater emphasis on measurable human traits.
For HR leaders, recruiters and hiring managers, this creates an important challenge. Many of the traits that matter most at work today are difficult to judge from a CV or interview alone. Candidates can claim to be resilient, adaptable or good under pressure, but hiring teams need better evidence.
A good psychometric assessment platform can help organisations assess these qualities more fairly and consistently. They give hiring teams a clearer view of how candidates are likely to behave, perform and develop in the real conditions of the role.
The future of work will be shaped by technology, but it will still depend on people.
To take a look at the full findings, read our latest Hiring Intelligence Report here and see which traits employers are assessing most in 2026.
