Report: Executive Priorities for the Next Digital Workplace Era 2026

Abstract

In 2026, Australian business leaders are navigating an unprecedented era of disruption, balancing the demands of AI adoption, digital transformation, and economic uncertainty against a rising need for human-centred leadership. Executive Priorities for the Next Digital Workplace Era 2026 is Staffbase's inaugural C-level research report, drawing on survey responses from more than 100 Australian senior executives, in-depth interviews with industry leaders, and an independent analysis of ASX 100 Executive Scorecards.

The findings reveal a clear paradox at the top of corporate Australia. While 18% of leaders rank digital transformation as their top strategic priority, people and culture sit near the bottom of the agenda at just 6% — even as employee job insecurity, mistrust in AI, and communication breakdowns intensify. Our ASX 100 analysis exposes the cost of this gap: companies that exceeded their people and culture targets achieved average annual revenue growth of 17.2%, more than triple the ASX 100 average of 5.7%.

The report explores how leadership style, communication, AI governance, and the employee experience are reshaping the modern workplace, and why the next era of work will belong to organisations that invest as deliberately in their people as they do in their technology. It offers practical guidance for executives, HR leaders, and communications professionals on closing the people and culture gap to unlock sustainable growth.