2024 has been a significantly more challenging year for the job market compared to previous years. The stagnation of the global economy and the acceleration of digitalization have driven companies to closely evaluate their plans for 2025. Artificial intelligence, mismatched organizational strategies, managing effective communication in a hybrid work environment, talent retention, and the increasing demand for skills that a candidate’s resume must demonstrate have been just a few of HR specialists’ most pressing concerns throughout 2024. What needs to be done for HR to maintain its position amid the upcoming challenges? Below, we’ll detail the top 5 priorities for HR leaders as identified in a survey conducted by Gartner, which included over 1,400 HR professionals from more than 60 countries.
According to Gartner’s survey, here are the five most important priorities for HR leaders in 2025:
1. Leader and Manager Development
2. Organizational Culture
3. Strategic Workforce Planning
4. Change Management
5. HR Technology
 Leader and Manager Development
Despite the fact that over 76% of companies have increased their budgets and the number of leadership programs, only 36% of HR leaders consider these programs truly effective, and only 23% are confident that these efforts will enable leaders to grow in the future. People need time to build long-term connections, and for that, a course that teaches openness and empathy is not as useful as ample space for interaction, like networking events and team-building activities. These investments foster closer interaction that meets everyone’s needs.
Gartner suggests that networking should be a top priority in 2025, as it significantly enhances visibility, information exchange, and potential collaboration opportunities.
Organizational Culture
97% of HR leaders want to change at least one element of their company’s organizational culture. The challenge does not lie with HR specialists, who often have a clear vision and know exactly what they want to change, but rather with the organization, which struggles to align its vision with reality. To successfully incorporate culture into organizational values, leaders are advised to:
– Help employees understand the values that underpin the company’s culture. Currently, only one in four employees understands and supports their organization’s cultural values.
– Ensure employees know the types of behaviors they should demonstrate to create the desired culture.
– Align work processes with the desired organizational culture.
To effectively manage a team that understands and maintains a healthy culture, it’s essential to have a clear objective, an action plan, and a purpose with clearly understood benefits.
Strategic Workforce Planning
Only 15% of organizations actively engage in strategic workforce planning. When they do, their focus is often narrow, primarily on headcount planning. Effective strategic workforce planning should include a future outlook for at least two years. To implement this in stages, HR leaders can consider the following four categories:
– Deliverables: What is promised to the business, and what objectives must be achieved?
– Data: What data will be used, and how advanced will the risk forecasting and assessment be?
– Talent Strategies: How will skills gaps be filled (internal development, external hiring, outsourcing)? At what level (department or entire organization) are these approaches feasible?
– Staffing: What type of support is needed in HR and across departments to complete each phase?
Change Management
74% of HR leaders surveyed by Gartner say they are unprepared to lead another change and agree that employees feel fatigued by the constant shifts in the labor market, remote work, and new technologies. HR professionals need to understand how employees adapt, as change fatigue can affect their work and, consequently, business outcomes. Additionally, a third of employees report reduced engagement, increased psychological issues, and a diminished intention to stay with the company due to change fatigue.
HR leaders can assist by evaluating the impact of change on the company, assessing employees’ readiness for it, promoting accountability among managers and team leaders for embracing change, and collaboratively identifying factors that can drive change.
HR Technology
As in 2024, 56% of respondents state that their current technology solutions do not meet the company’s present or future needs, nor can they measure the value of HR’s technological transformation for the business. Limited growth capacity prevents HR from automating traditional tasks, making it essential to invest more in technology and in training teams to work effectively with it to optimize and improve employee experiences.
While adapting to these demands may initially seem daunting, embracing artificial intelligence can ease day-to-day tasks if we learn to leverage its advantages.
As the study shows, change is progressing rapidly each year, but this should not lead to a conservative or uncertain mindset. On the contrary, leaders need to embrace change to support employee engagement and well-being. We can check off the benefits, mentally prepare for growth, and communicate openly with the team.
You can download the full Gartner study HERE.