S5E1: How will work be weird in 2026? With Oliver Pickup

How will work be weird in 2026? | Live episode

We’re back — and for the first time ever, Work Is Weird Now went live on LinkedIn.

In this episode, we’re joined by award-winning journalist and future-of-work commentator Oliver Pickup to unpack the seven big shifts shaping how work will feel in 2026.

From AI readiness gaps and the collapse of the graduate pipeline, to workplace loneliness, resenteeism, and the growing tension between automation and human connection, this conversation explores why 2026 is landing as a pivotal reset year.

We dig into:

• Why many organisations are rushing AI adoption without real workforce readiness
• What happens when entry-level roles disappear — and why it matters to everyone
• The six human skills becoming the real competitive edge
• Loneliness at work as a performance and leadership issue, not just a wellbeing one
• Why “return to office” only works when the office earns its place
• How resenteeism shows up — and how leaders accidentally create it
• Why learning velocity may be the most important skill of all

We close with a question that stopped us (and the audience) in our tracks: If AI gives time back, what do we want to do with it?