By Maggie Mancini
As organizations prepare for the year ahead, there are plenty of changes expected to impact the world of work. With companies looking to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technology, bring employees back into the office full-time, and maintain recruitment gains made over the past year, HR will be tasked with staying agile and adaptable, enhancing employee well-being, and improving the employee experience along the way. With that in mind, here is what some HR leaders are expecting in 2025.
Annie Osinski
Vice President of HR at Inclusively:
“Organizations across the board will see an increase in PTO requests as employees continue to prioritize work-life balance and mental well-being. Additionally, there will be a rise in requests for accommodations related to mental health, as employees seek flexibility and support to manage stress, anxiety, and other challenges. And it’s smart to prepare ahead of time. HR leaders can update PTO policies to be more flexible, clarify mental health accommodation guidelines, and ensure employees are aware of available resources.”
Josh Bersin
Global Industry Analyst and CEO of The Josh Bersin Company:
“The biggest agenda item for 2025 is adopting AI to improve productivity, and teaching HR teams how to use this new technology base to improve jobs, mobility, recruitment, and all aspects of employee experience. We also see massive focus on building what we call systemic HR—an integrated HR function that trains HR professionals and moves people around in ‘virtual COEs’ to focus on problem solving, consulting, and high value support—not just service delivery and call centers. AI is very much a part of that agenda.”
Sabra Sciolaro
Chief People Officer at Firstup:
“Rapid technological advancements are transforming job requirements across industries. HR leaders will need to prioritize robust learning and development programs that are tailored, accessible, and aligned with future business needs. HR technology will play an even bigger role in 2025, especially in creating personalized employee experiences. In a world of increasing skepticism and employee activism, trust in leadership will remain a key driver of engagement and retention. HR leaders should help build trust through transparent communication, authentic leadership, and involving employees in decision-making processes that affect their work and well-being.”
Erin McAuley,
Chief People Officer at Springline Advisory:
“My prediction for 2025 is beyond simple, but the repercussions are profound: lead with soul. In a world and profession that is increasingly tech-enabled, HR leaders will need to look at how we balance scale with soul in every aspect of the employee lifecycle. We will need to partner with other technology and business leaders more than ever to co-create adaptive organizations and develop leaders at all levels as active-decision-makers with a shared commitment to winning together.”
John Staines
Managing Partner and Global HR Practice Leader at DHR Global:
“Flexible and innovative solutions will evolve in 2025. We will see more companies follow in the path of big tech and demand workers return to the office five days a week. As they do so, we will see a spike in turnover as people prioritize their own work-life balance, having made choices to move to a more affordable part of the country or choosing regions that afford a better quality of life. The companies that offer flexibility and develop innovative employment model solutions will be better off in retaining critical talent.”
Karen Cosentino
Chief People Officer at Barge Design Solutions:
“The use of AI in HR will become increasingly essential for enhancing efficiency, improving recruitment, and personalizing employee experiences. HR leaders need to understand how to leverage AI responsibly to augment their processes and focus on strategic initiatives. At Barge, AI plays a key role in streamlining recruitment, helping us identify and attract top talent while improving overall HR operations. Additionally, well-being programs will remain a top priority as employers navigate ongoing shifts in the labor market.”
Lori Knowles
Chief Human Resources Officer at Memorial Hermann Health System:
“Health systems will need to maintain the workforce gains we’ve achieved since the worst of the pandemic. Maintaining low levels of turnover and high levels of workforce engagement and development will require sustained focus and commitment. We’ll also have to continue to manage the wave of retirements as more of the baby boom generation exits the workforce and minimize the loss of institutional knowledge and deep expertise that can come with such a generational shift. How we address the role of AI is likely to be of top importance for 2025 and beyond. How will we incorporate AI into our workflows and processes to create efficiencies, reduce administrative burden, and support our workforce while managing the understandable anxiety that workers are feeling about being replaced or becoming unnecessary as AI becomes mainstream.”
