As we enter 2025, HR and leadership professionals, are focusing on several key priorities to navigate the evolving workplace landscape:
- Leadership and Manager Development: For the third consecutive year, enhancing the capabilities of leaders and managers remains the top priority. With managers facing broader responsibilities than ever, it’s crucial to equip them with the necessary skills to lead effectively and that includes people management knowledge, skills and confidence. People Management
- Organisational Culture: Cultivating a positive and inclusive workplace culture is essential. HR leaders are emphasising the need for leaders and managers to embody and enforce the desired cultural vision within their teams. People Management
- Strategic Workforce Planning: Proactive planning to address future workforce needs is critical. This includes identifying skill gaps, forecasting talent requirements, and developing strategies to meet organisational goals and priorities. An effective robust action plan with long term goals and objectives to help ensure the right number of people, with the right skills in the right roles will drive the organisational strategic priorities. A good workforce analysis will determine supply forecasting with consideration to issues such as labour/skills shortage, education trends, migration, restructures and ageing workforce, it helps to in building partnerships and initiatives to build a pipeline of talent. Gartner
- Change Management: With the rapid pace of change in today’s organisation environment, HR professionals are focusing on helping c-suite and senior leaders to build organisational resilience and adaptability. This involves preparing leaders and employees to effectively manage and embrace change and effectively support and manage employee relations case work, such as conduct, grievance, absence and capability to drive a high performance culture, improve morale and communication. Gartner
- HR Technology: Leveraging advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to streamline HR processes and enhance decision-making is a growing focus. However, it’s important to balance technological advancements with the ‘human touch’ that is essential for building strong organisational cultures and leading on courageous conversations. Gartner
- Employee Engagement and Financial Wellbeing: Addressing challenges related to employee engagement and the ongoing cost of living crisis is vital. HR professionals are focusing on initiatives that support financial wellbeing and to maintain morale and reduce staff sickness absence. People Management
- Legislative Compliance: Staying abreast of legislative changes, such as the Worker Protection Act, which mandates proactive measures to prevent workplace harassment, is essential for compliance and fostering a safe work environment. Leaders have a new duty to prevent sexual harassment and to prepare for a new raft of legislative changes and need to ensure appropriate training and a clear process for effectively managing complaints, providing appropriate support, as well as updating policies, procedures and processes. Birch-HR and our clients are currently ensuring that sexual harassment complaints are independently investigated and appropriate action taken. Financial Times
We need to see more CEO’s, senior leaders and managers well versed in people management and to introduce more coaching and mentoring to support professional development, ensure compliance and to develop leadership confidence.
By concentrating on these priorities, HR and leadership professionals aim to create resilient, inclusive, and forward-thinking organisations in 2025.