It’s that time of year: 2026 is on the horizon and we recently asked business leaders about their top customer experience (CX) priorities for the year ahead.
We’ve been asking the same question since 2022 and some trends have emerged over the past five years. Once again, we asked on TTEC’s LinkedIn page which area of CX will be leaders’ main priority in the new year: employee engagement, digital engagement, or lowering costs.
For the fifth straight year, employee engagement was most commonly citied as the main objective. Almost half, or 48%, of CX leaders said it will be their biggest priority in 2026 – down a bit from 51% last year, but still well ahead of digital engagement and cost-cutting.
But for 2026, digital engagement narrowed the gap. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said digital engagement tops their list for the year ahead, continuing an upward trend over the past couple of years.
Cost cutting continues to lose urgency, according to our poll. Of the three choices, lowering costs ranked lowest – as it has every year – with just 15% naming it as their top priority.
The world is changing faster than ever. Technology is advancing, customer expectations are climbing, and economic uncertainty continues to reshape the landscape — yet 2026 offers brands exciting opportunities to elevate employee experience, harness digital tools, and reduce costs. Learn how in our report, “CX Trends 2026: Fast Forward.”
