Top 5 HR Trends and Priorities That Matter Most in 2025

What does the future of HR look like?

With the prevailing economic uncertainties, emerging HR technologies, shifting business needs and critical talent challenges, the focus of HR professionals in the future will mostly center around: 

• Rethinking the method of leadership development to help fill critical talent gaps

• Re-establishing the importance of culture within all levels of the organization for successful activation

• Redefining the organization’s approach to workforce planning to make progress and drive impact

• Reviewing HR technology strategies to unlock new ways of leveraging tech to maximize value and productivity

How has human resources changed over the years? 

Key changes in human resources over the years include: 

• Growth challenges due to HR’s strategic planning process not being fully integrated with business planning processes in addition to the need for continuous HR transformation

• AI challenges fueled by workforce uncertainty and impacts to productivity and efficiency

• Talent challenges due to declining availability of critical talent

What are the top 5 HR trends for 2025? 

The top 5 HR trends for 2025 are: 

1. Leader and manager development: A top HR focus in 2025 is developing leaders equipped to handle growing responsibilities. According to Gartner’s survey, 75% of HR leaders believe managers are overwhelmed, while 70% report their current leadership programs are not preparing managers for the future.

2. Organizational culture: Most HR leaders recognize the importance of culture — but aligning the vision with reality remains an HR challenge. Gartner research finds that 57% of HR leaders believe managers do not enforce the company’s culture, while 53% say leaders don’t feel accountable for demonstrating cultural values.

3. Strategic workforce planning: Although the labor market has undergone significant shifts, most organizations still rely on headcount-based planning, which limits their ability to anticipate future talent needs. In fact, only 15% of companies engage in strategic workforce planning, leaving a significant gap in HR’s ability to align talent with long-term business goals.

4. Change management: With employees and leaders facing rapid transformations — from shifting work models to new technologies — 73% of HR leaders say their employees are experiencing change fatigue. Additionally, 74% agree that managers are not adequately equipped to lead change, further complicating transformation efforts.

5. HR technology: Optimizing HR technology is a growing HR focus as organizations seek to streamline operations and enhance productivity. Yet 55% of HR leaders report their current technologies don’t meet evolving business needs, and 51% cannot measure the ROI of their technology investments.