Unpacking the 2026 Human Capital Trends Report with David Mallon
Release Date: 08/04/2026
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Unpacking the 2026 Human Capital Trends Report with David Mallon
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Deloitte's David Mallon on the Culture Debt AI Is Building Most organizations are treating AI like the last big tech rollout. Buy the licenses, run some training, expect results. The data says that approach is backfiring. David Mallon leads the research behind Deloitte's Global Human Capital Trends report, now in its 15th year. In this conversation, he explains why 59% of organizations taking a tech-first approach to AI are 1.6 times more likely to miss the return, and what changes when you redesign the work instead of layering tools on top of it. Brandon and David get into the human side of...
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You wrote the announcement, rehearsed it, sent it, and a week later the questions rolled in anyway. In this episode, communication strategist Lee Caraher explains why most workplace communication fails on delivery, not message, and what to do about it. She shares a practical three-send formula for making any announcement stick, a protocol for deciding which messages belong in email, Slack, or a meeting, and a test for knowing whether your message actually landed. Silence and nodding, it turns out, are the clearest signs it didn't. Lee also makes the case for retiring the feedback sandwich for...
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Why Waiting Is the Most Expensive Decision You Can Make
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We're Not Aliens. We're People - A Case for Belonging at Work with Zhou Fang
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What does it mean to truly see your employees? In this episode, Brandon Laws sits down with Zhou Fang, founder of Intersectional Group LLC, to explore how an intersectional lens can transform the way leaders support their teams. Zhou draws on her experience as an immigrant, multilingual professional, and DEI consultant to unpack what most organizations get wrong about inclusion, how to hold people accountable with warmth and compassion, and why your people are your most important business decision. Whether you're leading a team of five or five hundred, this conversation will challenge you to...
info_outlineDeloitte's David Mallon on the Culture Debt AI Is Building
Most organizations are treating AI like the last big tech rollout. Buy the licenses, run some training, expect results. The data says that approach is backfiring.
David Mallon leads the research behind Deloitte's Global Human Capital Trends report, now in its 15th year. In this conversation, he explains why 59% of organizations taking a tech-first approach to AI are 1.6 times more likely to miss the return, and what changes when you redesign the work instead of layering tools on top of it.
Brandon and David get into the human side of the shift. Work slop and what it means for developing people when entry-level roles disappear. Culture debt, and the 80% of leaders and workers who suspect their teammates are using AI to look more productive. Decision rights, and why accountability breaks down when nobody can trace a choice back to a person. And the question sitting underneath all of it: who actually owns work.
There is a practical throughline here for small and mid-sized companies. You do not need a transformation budget to start. You need to think in capabilities, build friction back in where people need to practice, and say out loud what counts as good work now.
About our guest
David Mallon is a managing director at Deloitte Consulting LLP and head of research and chief futurist for Human Capital in the US. He has more than 25 years of experience in human capital and has been a contributor to Deloitte's Global Human Capital Trends study since its inception. He leads Insights2Action, Deloitte's Human Capital decision intelligence capability, and is a former head of research for Bersin. He co-hosts the Capital H podcast and speaks widely on organization design, culture, HR strategy, and learning.
TIMESTAMPS
- 00:00 Welcome and what this episode covers
- 01:45 Why 2026 is the year leaders can no longer sit on the fence
- 04:15 The tech-first trap and why AI is not the last tech wave
- 05:40 What a human-centric approach looks like in practice
- 07:25 Hardwiring and softwiring when you design human and AI work
- 08:40 The telecom example, 5% versus 30%, and the lesson for smaller companies
- 10:50 How to bring an entire organization along on new tools
- 13:00 Fabrication, embellished profiles, and verification in hiring
- 15:15 Work slop, the experience gap, and building friction back in
- 17:30 Decision rights, machine autonomy, and where accountability lives
- 19:15 Culture debt and what suspicion does to a team over time
- 21:30 Isolating what the human actually brings to the work
- 22:35 A history teacher's assignment as a model for verification
- 24:45 The orchestration gap and what is getting in the way
- 27:15 Who owns work, and the trio organizations will need
- 29:40 Have organizational functions outlived their function
- 31:45 The biggest change workers felt this past year
- 33:25 Decisions that echo and the one message for every leader
- 35:20 What David wants people to take away and act on
A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST
Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR
Host: Brandon Laws
In Brandon's own words: "The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders."
About Xenium HR
Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Discover how Xenium can transform your workplace: Learn more
Resource mentioned: 2026 Global Human Capital Trends report
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