CRESTA RESEARCH · 2026 WORKFORCE REPORT

The Hybrid CX Organization

AI isn’t replacing customer experience work. It’s redistributing it – and the most valuable human roles are only becoming more critical. Find out what 300 CX leaders across industries had to say about this seismic shift.

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Watch: Insights from the experts
9%
of conversations fully handled by AI alone
93%
say human-handled calls are getting more complex
97%
redeployed staff into higher-value work
FROM 300 CX LEADERS

Three shifts reshaping the future of customer experience work

Click any trend to dig deeper into the data – and what it means for your organization.

TREND 1 - HUMAN WORK IS CHANGING
AI took the easy stuff. What’s left is harder.

More than 9 in 10 leaders say human-handled calls are growing more complex.

TREND 2 - THE PAYOFF
AI is delivering material value now

89% of leaders see gains in productivity and decision-making. AI’s biggest win is making everyone inside the org better at their job.

TREND 3 - THE READINESS GAP
Where AI actually stalls

81% cite integration complexity as the top barrier to AI adoption, and only 7% can access their own conversation data easily.

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The human skills that matter most
Emotional intelligence
Empathy
Judgment
Decision-Making in Complex Situations
Critical thinking
Problem-Solving

What leaders should do next

Design for
precision
Redefine frontline
excellence
Formalize the
new AI work
Treat data as
infrastructure

Turn research
into action

All the data, industry breakdowns, and the operational playbook for hybrid CX at scale.

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