Connecting the dots: Chicago makes the case for human-centred work
WORKTECH Chicago 2026 speakers placed humans at the centre of workplace evolution, exploring how to create places where employees can perform at their best
On July 16, WORKTECH26 Chicago convened in the Accenture Tower in downtown Chicago. As seems appropriate for a meeting in a city that prides itself on working hard – and smart – the discussions throughout the day focused on creating spaces in which people could, and would, work well today.
The conference followed three major themes. The first centred around the strategies organisations are implementing to make their workplaces more intelligent. This included sessions on aligning AI, data and connected technologies with business strategy and scale.
The second theme focused on how organisations can measure and understand how their workplaces are performing. The primary shift here was that organisations are moving beyond isolated metrics towards connected insight – linking data from buildings, systems, and employee behaviour to build a clearer picture of organizational performance.
And finally, the third theme brought employees into the centre of the discussion, focusing on ‘human-centred workplaces’. The central thesis here was that workplaces are no longer defined by attendance or location, but by the quality of experience they enable. Increasingly, attention is turning to the return on experience and how design choices and lived experience within the workplace translate into measurable outcomes.
The sessions covered practical actions that can be taken today to enhance worker performance and wellbeing. Many discussed promoting trust and enabling desired cultures and the case studies shared usefully illustrated how more conceptual material can realistically be used in practice.
But there were two, of the many standout presentations, that illustrated their thought leadership with recently published books.
Building critical connections
Sociologist and award-winning author, Dr. Tracy Brower talked about key themes in her latest 2026 book, Critical Connections: Build Relationships and Harness the Power of Community in Work and Life, (Wiley; Hoboken, NJ). In the Introduction to that book she shares, that ‘It’s tough these days, and many of us have struggled with uncertainty, overwhelm, disconnection, and loneliness… We are disengaged and dissatisfied, adrift. Levels of depression and anxiety are at record high levels, globally, and people say their quality of life isn’t what they wish it were. Within this reality, connections, community, and friendship are more important than ever, both in work and in life.’
Brower argues that, against this backdrop, the workplace can be a mechanism that brings people together and create conditions for fulfilment and happiness.
Working for what’s next
Amanda Schneider, founder and president of research hub ThinkLab, reviewed many of the workplace strategy-related, business impact-oriented highlights in her 2026 book, Work for What’s Next: Why Workplace Culture is Failing and How the Next Generation Can Fix It (Wiley; Hoboken, NJ). In her book Amanda reports that ‘Work is broken. Gen Z can help fix it… Many companies today are facing a threefold challenge: As hybrid work and globalisation expand, they are struggling to connect people across more generations in the workplace than ever. With that comes an even wider range of digital fluency and (even if you’re back in the office five days a week) a wider range of geographies as technology enables us to connect more offices across the world.’
Schneider’s position is that the rules of workplace design are not built for the diversity of the modern workforce. It’s here she places Gen Z at the centre of change. Gen Z’s expectations of work are changing how organisations can adapt work to better serve the entire workforce. She notes in her book that there are three key things she has learned from Gen Z: they want flexibility, they want transparency, and they want impact.
In addition to the conference agenda, the Accenture offices themselves provided one of the highlights of the event. On a tour of the building, we were introduced to the ‘Accenture Accessibility Bar’, a place where Accenture employees can learn about support of various types they can receive from Accenture to help them do their best work.
The setting and the conversations of the day highlighted an increasingly important, and refreshing, perspective of the future of work. At a time when AI and technology dominates the discourse, it is our collective human relationships that will continue to create value. The conference highlight the need to harness these connections and make real impact for businesses in the future.
