A new year brings another opportunity to forecast how work and HR will develop over the months ahead. Following HRZone tradition, we invited our leading writers of 2024 to dust off their crystal balls and share their top HR predictions for 2025.
Some have taken bold leaps, while others have opted for caution – both approaches are welcome. A balanced mix of hope, doubt, and realism is essential when looking toward the year ahead.
So, let’s dive in – here are 10 HR predictions for 2025.
Prediction one: The four-day workweek will continue to build substantial support in 2025
Gethin Nadin, Chief Innovation Officer of Benefex
In 2025, the momentum for requesting a four-day workweek will gain significant traction, reflecting a societal shift towards prioritising wellbeing alongside work. We are engulfed in a mental health crisis that underscores an urgent need for big, lasting decisions over temporary fixes. In 2024 countries like Germany, Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa proved the positive impact of implementing a four-day week, resulting in improved wellbeing, stronger family ties, and better mental health outcomes.
The encouraging statistics from these pilot studies show that 94% of companies plan to continue the four-day workweek. This compelling evidence demonstrates that happier and healthier employees lead to superior performance. More than a century since the last significant change to our working hours, 2025 presents an opportunity to redefine work-life balance in a manner that benefits both individuals and organisations.
Prediction two: The social model of disability will become a mainstream framework for EDI initiatives
Atif Choudhury, CEO of Diversity and Ability
In 2025, HR and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) teams will finally embrace the social model of disability to help solve workplace culture frictions. By shifting focus to removing barriers, rather than ‘fixing’ individuals, the social model will provide a practical, inclusive solution that benefits everyone.
As the backlash against EDI continues, this model offers the critical course correction we need, reframing inclusion as a collective advantage rather than a divisive issue.
Prediction three: Young people will crave more office working, but on their own terms
Deborah Hartung, Culture consultant, Thinkers360 Top 35 Global Thought Leader in HR & Culture
In 2025, UK workplaces will face a push-pull dynamic: rising return-to-office mandates clashing with the flexibility employees crave. Surprisingly, Gen Z workers will lead the charge back to the office, seeking mentorship and connection, while older generations prefer remote options.
Labour’s focus on youth employment and apprenticeship programmes will bring fresh talent into workplaces, but only those embracing flexibility and purpose will retain them. Meanwhile, EDI will evolve with greater attention to menopause and neurodiversity, challenging employers to rethink accommodations.
The future belongs to organisations that balance in-person collaboration with flexibility, invest in coaching, and adapt to a more inclusive workforce.
Prediction four: A boundary-breaking HR function will tackle the challenges of change and channel skills to bolster impact
Perry Timms and Kirsten Buck of PTHR
The capacity crunch for people professionals at all levels will continue. This, coupled with the increased use of advancing digital technologies and experimentation with a more skills-based organisation, could throw the role of managers into a trifecta of turbulence.
How do I “manage” people who are busier than ever and nervous about the fast-changing requirements of their roles?
Self-management as a system of work – where manager job roles are either entirely removed or significantly reshaped – should be considered as a potential transition in 2025.
Persistent demand for rapid change calls for recalibrated and balanced workloads. Ones deployed through agile, skills-based capability pools, all via more autonomous and imaginative approaches to work. This is how the HR function can power itself through the coming year. Deloitte’s 2024 Human Capital Trends research called it “Boundaryless HR”, and that will need to mature swiftly in 2025.
Prediction five: Using AI to drive efficiency will harm relationships. But trust will come to the rescue
Quentin Millington, Consultant and Coach at Marble Brook
In early 2025, our obsession with artificial intelligence (AI) as a means to save cost and increase efficiency will drive workplaces toward systems that help employees to ‘connect’.
Over time, however, thoughtful people will see how real conversation is the way to build relationships, overcome conflict and secure results across a complex environment; and that tech-assisted exchanges do little to build trust.
Firms may use AI to enable learning about relationships, such as through role-play. But good managers will encourage their team members to interact directly, with authenticity and, where possible, in person.
Prediction six: In 2025, the probationary period will be the up-and-coming star of the employment contract
Kate Palmer, HR Advice and Consultancy Director of Peninsula
The Employment Rights Bill proposes a raft of improvements to an employee’s day one rights. Employees will have a day-one9 right to unfair dismissal once they are outside of a statutory probationary period. Whilst this isn’t likely to be in place until 2026, I predict that in 2025, employers will focus on reviewing and updating the probationary period policy in their employment contracts. This will be to ensure they have routines in place to quickly monitor and assess the suitability of new employees once the new laws are in place.
I also believe that the passing or failing of a probationary period will become a more prevalent part of a new employee’s journey with employers becoming more stringent on their requirements to pass. Employers have previously relied on the ability to be flexible with their procedures during the first two years of employment.
Without this to fall back on, following a robust probationary period policy in line with the new laws will protect them from any potential unfair dismissal claims that employees will otherwise enjoy from day one of their employment.
Prediction seven: Continued instability will increase anti-social behaviour
Thom Dennis, CEO of culture change and leadership development specialists, Serenity in Leadership
Global and local instability will likely increase in 2025, amplifying workplace antisocial behaviours. As individuals confront mounting uncertainties with reduced agency, passive aggression may emerge as their response to powerlessness.
In times of societal disruption, passive aggression becomes both a shadow language of resistance and a manifestation of power misuse. Those feeling inadequate or insecure, particularly when holding positions of authority, may weaponise indirect aggression against subordinates. This dynamic intensifies when external pressures amplify existing personal insecurities, eroding constructive dialogue.
The challenge for organisations lies in recognising these patterns as potential signals of deeper systemic stress, requiring thoughtful intervention rather than simple behavioural correction.
Prediction eight: ‘Change brilliance’ will become a core capability
Ella Overshott, Director of Pecan Partnership
Change and uncertainty are not going to go away in 2025 – if anything we’re learning that the world is becoming even more unpredictable and volatile.
Being brilliant at change is going to become a core capability not a nice to have. Customers and employees have too much choice to hang around in organisations that don’t do this well.
Building relationships that are transparent, inclusive, adult-to-adult and foster accountability will become the mainstay of people managers at every level. And everyone will need to learn how to use self-awareness and wellbeing strategies to thrive in change, instead of just surviving it.
Prediction nine: Regardless of generation, employees will fight back
Blaire Palmer, CEO of That People Thing
While there remains great interest in Gen Zs in the workplace, the greatest tension in 2025 will be between the most senior employees in a business and the more junior ones.
Employees emboldened by new upcoming rights will demand more protection, more flexibility and more concern for their mental wellbeing and respect for their values. More traditional senior leaders will regard this as a threat and try to impose controls.
As a result, I predict we will see more industrial action and employee churn as people seek organisations that respect their rights. An increasing number of employees will demand a bigger voice, much to the frustration of more traditional senior leaders.
Prediction ten: Teams will invest in more quality time together
Andrew Loveless, Director of Pecan Partnership
When I wrote Be more Jurgen about Klopp’s time at Liverpool FC, I never expected such a seamless transition to his successor Arne Slot, with Liverpool leading the Premier League and on track for a brilliant season.
Most organisations don’t have the luxury of whole teams working together in the same place, but leaders can ensure they plan for more smart in-person moments together.
I predict teams will physically get together more often in 2025. The benefits far outweigh the effort; deeper trust, appreciation of strengths, more efficient ways of working, innovation, learning, fun, belonging and meaning.
That’s a wrap on our 10 HR predictions for 2025.
Of course, no one can accurately predict the future but it’s an interesting exercise of forward reflection. What do these forecasts say about the HR profession this year? And how will you prepare and equip yourself?
