Deloitte: The Hidden Trends Reshaping Work

There has been a major shift in how consumers engage with content, driven by the rise of social media, gaming, and personalised digital experiences, according to Deloitte’s latest report, 2026 Digital Media Trends.

But how does this directly impact the way we work – specifically for people leaders?

As more people are consuming digital content, it’s changing individuals' expectations, as now people want more tailored, intuitive and on-demand experiences. 

Impersonal and outdated HR systems, generic training and one-size-fits-all approaches to communication are no longer hitting the mark – individuals are expecting more. 

If workplace tools don’t match the ease and relevance of consumer platforms, leaders can expect to see employee engagement drop.

That’s why HR Chief Magazine took a deep dive into a handful of Deloitte’s latest reports to discover what CMOs and CHROs need to know about how the workplace is changing behind the scenes.

Self-taught AI literacy 

The average consumer spends 6 hours a day on media and entertainment activities​, according to Deloitte.

For CHROs and CMOs, this highlights a clear message as to where attention and engagement are being focused.

24% of people surveyed expressed wanting to use Gen AI to ‘co-create’ storylines, with 27% of people wanting personalised, AI-generated highlight reels and digests. 

This data highlights that employees are more likely to be comfortable with AI in their personal lives than with the tools provided at work. However, this should be seen as an opportunity to tap into the ‘home-grown’ AI literacy to drive workplace innovation.

To combat this, leaders should harness existing consumer AI fluency to accelerate adoption at work.

A ‘cultural debt’ from AI

Although Deloitte’s 2026 Digital Media Trends report identifies consumers’ eagerness to ‘co-create’ with AI, the company’s 2026 Global Human Capital Trends warns that organisations are ignoring the ‘human fabric’ of this transition.

The report states: "Many organisations are overlooking AI’s impact on human-to-human behaviours, allowing misalignment, distrust and unaddressed norms to accumulate as ‘cultural debt.’"

As a result, employees are questioning “what counts as effort, ownership, fairness, and accountability,” with many organisations “rarely evaluating AI’s cultural effects” which can erode trust and cohesion. 

To avoid this, Deloitte suggests that leaders should “intentionally reinforce and evolve culture” to help strengthen AI. 

If employees are using AI at home to ‘co-create’, but they’re feeling restricted at work, employers aren't just losing productivity, but actually creating a cultural debt. 

To combat this, leaders should focus on building trust with employees, while also ensuring that AI doesn't just automate tasks, but actively reinforces human values. Leaders must, therefore, intentionally evolve norms, not just deploy tools. 

Diversity is not a ‘nice to have’

Nearly 70% of Black consumers surveyed and more than half of Asian, multiracial, and Hispanic and Latinx consumers surveyed shared how important it is to them to see a diverse representation in creative roles.

As a result, diversity is just as important “behind the scenes” as it is in front-facing roles. 

While diversity remains a moral imperative for businesses, the 2026 Digital Media Trends report highlights it as a core economic driver within the 'Fan Economy.' 

Fans are referred to as super-users, spending 16% more time – an extra 51 minutes per day – on entertainment than non-fans.

This data demonstrates that the demand for authentic representation 'behind the scenes' is now a business-critical requirement for retention.

Diving into this topic on LinkedIn, China Widener, Vice Chair and US Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Leader at Deloitte says: “There’s a difference between audiences and fans. And right now, much of the media & entertainment industry is still built for the former. 

“Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends 2026 report shows that fandom is always on. Fans don’t wait for releases. They move across social, creators, communities, and commerce to stay connected.

“But business models are still built around moments. Launch. Promote. Repeat. That’s the disconnect. Every time a fan leaves the platform to discover, engage, or buy, value goes with them. Visibility drops. Opportunity disappears.”

Diversity should therefore be seen as a core component of business strategy, as it’s a key requirement for consumers. In other words, if businesses lack representation, marketers will struggle to convey an “authentic voice.”

Representation and DEI strategies should therefore be viewed as a retention strategy, not just a moral add‑on.