As workers prepare to say goodbye to 2024 and its notable workplace trends, here are the trends some workplace experts expect to see in 2025.
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Employees Will Build Stronger Work-Life Boundaries
The traditional 9-to-5 schedule will continue to erode, giving way to flexible work arrangements that prioritize work-life balance. “Remote work, hybrid models and asynchronous communication will become the norm, fostering greater autonomy and job satisfaction,” said certified business and executive coach Bethany Plaza, in an email.
Regardless of labor market pressures and whether return-to-office mandates become more widespread, employee demand for work-life fit is expected to keep growing.
Forward-thinking human resource leaders should anticipate workplace flexibility to become a competitive necessity. “It is worth noting that 82% of executives plan to make working styles more flexible in the next two years, including exploration of four-day workweeks,” said Lexi Clarke, chief people officer of the compensation data provider Payscale, in an email.
As employees push for greater flexibility and friction heightens in the employer-employee power dynamic, employers can’t afford to ignore employee sentiment. “Prioritizing fair pay, flexibility and career growth will be essential, as a pro-employer stance will only increase tensions,” Clarke said. “(Human resources) leaders need to continue to balance advocating for workers with business priorities.”
Gary Gray, who’s been an entrepreneur for two decades as co-founder and CEO of Coupon Chief, believes that the trend of quiet quitting will evolve into what he calls “intentional engagement.” He expects that as more employees realize they don’t have to burn out to be loyal or productive, they’ll start setting clear boundaries around work-life balance while still being committed to their roles.
“For the past few years, the quiet quitting movement has been getting a bad rep, even though it’s mainly been employees claiming back their power — especially those who have been overworked or exploited in subtle ways,” Gray said in an email. “Companies are going to be more accommodating here. I think they finally recognize and support employees making this boundary very clear, especially if they are as committed to work-life balance as they claim to be.”
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Freelancers Will Fill Skills Gaps While Lifelong Learning Takes Center Stage
As technology evolves faster than many can keep pace, the demand for adaptable, lifelong learners is predicted to soar. “Organizations will prioritize continuous learning and development programs to equip their workforce with the skills needed to thrive in the future of work,” Plaza said.
To fill skills gaps and adapt to short-term business needs, the gig economy may expand as employers turn to freelancers and contractors, saving on full-time employee costs. HR leaders will need to prepare to integrate gig workers into strategic workforce planning and adopt technology to source talent and match tasks to skills. “With the gig economy booming, it’s time for HR to get serious about integrating freelancers into our strategy,” Clarke said. “It’s not just about filling gaps. It’s about smart hiring, efficient onboarding and fair compensation.”
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AI Will Affect Everything From Personalization to Compensation
Artificial intelligence is at the top of the watch list for many executives, entrepreneurs, career coaches and workplace trend-watchers. Plaza believes that AI will more definitively revolutionize how people work in 2025 by tailoring experiences to individual needs. “From personalized learning paths to AI-driven career coaching, technology will empower employees to reach their full potential,” Plaza said.
Generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, will shift workplace dynamics in favor of versatile generalists who can skillfully use AI tools to their strategic advantage, according to Mark Mader, president and CEO of Smartsheet, a workplace collaboration software maker. He said that while demand for specialized AI roles will continue, workers should look for more organizations valuing nontechnical talent that can effectively harness AI to enhance productivity, ushering in a “renaissance age for the generalist.” In such an age, the future of work might involve repetitive tasks becoming streamlined, freeing up knowledge workers to focus more on creative, strategic work.
“Organizations have spent a disproportionate amount of capital hiring hyper-specialized talent with deep technical knowledge for years,” Mader said in an email. “Now, with the democratization of GenAI, the value offered by hiring ‘capable generalists’ is on the rise. People who articulately frame their thoughts, pose well-formed questions (prompts) and exercise AI tools to their advantage stand to benefit greatly.”
Demand for specialized AI talent — model developers, AI ops talent, and engineers to build and maintain infrastructure — will persist in 2025, according to Mader. However, the demand for nontechnical talent may shift to a more balanced state. “Organizations will place as much worth on employees with the skills to extract value from platforms as those who build them,” Mader said.
Finally, AI will shift to a practical, strategic asset with real use cases that can transform HR functions, including compensation, according to Sara Hillenmeyer, senior director of data science at Payscale, a compensation software and data company. “As we head toward 2025, it’s clear that AI isn’t just buzz anymore — it’s a game-changer for HR when it comes to compensation,” Hillenmeyer said in an email. “We’re talking about easier ways to find the data you need, repeatable and explainable methodologies for market pricing your jobs, and strategic deployment of your compensation budget.”
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3 Workplace Trends to Eye for 2025 originally appeared on usnews.com
