closing the new zealand confidence gap: why 2026 is the year of the great workforce adaptation.

While New Zealand businesses are racing toward an AI-augmented future, the workforce is watching with a far more skeptical eye than their global peers. Our research shows that 60% of New Zealand employers estimate AI will impact a high proportion of work tasks, but only 48% of talent shares that view.

More concerning is the perception of who wins in this technological shift. A significant 59% of New Zealand workers believe AI adoption in the workplace will mainly benefit the company, not them. This is much higher than the global average of 47% and represents a major hurdle for strategic workforce planning. If your team believes that technology is merely a corporate tool to squeeze out more efficiency at their expense, workers will resist it.

As a leader, your job isn't just to implement tech; it’s to move the narrative from displacement to augmentation. You must show your team that the goal is to use technology to boost efficiency by handling transactional, repetitive tasks so that they can focus on higher-value  "human" work that makes their roles more fulfilling—like complex decision making, nuanced judgement and deep relationship building. Scaffolding this transition with directed learning is essential; without a clear roadmap, the potential value of your AI investment is at risk of remaining unrealised.

If trust in senior leadership is under pressure, employee stability is coming from a very specific place: the frontline. Our research reveals that Kiwis have the strongest bond with their direct managers. 82% of New Zealand talent report having a strong relationship with their direct manager—a figure that comfortably beats the global average of 72% .

Furthermore, 80% of New Zealand workers believe their manager has their best interests at heart. In a world of geopolitical and economic volatility, the manager has become the organisation’s "Trust Architect." They are the ones who translate a distant corporate vision into daily, manageable reality.

For your employee engagement strategy to succeed in 2026, you must empower these managers. They are also the key to unlocking our multigenerational advantage. With five generations working side-by-side, your managers are the facilitators who encourage a Gen Z employee to share tech fluency with a Baby Boomer, who in turn transfers decades of industry wisdom back. 100% of New Zealand employers recognise that generational diversity is a productivity lever; it’s time to give your managers the coaching they need to pull that lever effectively.

The days of the linear career ladder are effectively over in New Zealand. Only 41% of New Zealand talent still want that traditional path. Instead, we are seeing a massive surge toward "portfolio careers", with 44% of Kiwis preferring to switch sectors and jobs throughout their journey. They are defining success on their own terms, prioritising autonomy and work-life balance.

However, New Zealand employers appear to be lagging behind in this area. Only 50% of New Zealand employers agree that autonomy leads to higher productivity, compared to a massive 72% globally. This is a dangerous disconnect. With 48% of New Zealand talent stating they would not accept a new job offer if it lacked working hours flexibility, the business case for autonomy is no longer up for debate.

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To excel as a leader in 2026, you must stop viewing flexibility as a "perk" and start seeing it as a retention imperative. Redesigning work to focus on outcomes rather than hours isn't just about being a "nice" employer; it’s about ensuring you have a workforce that is engaged, resilient, and ready to stay.