At the end of every year, we review the HRZone insights that grabbed your attention. In 2025, the topics that resonated most weren’t just about trends and hype; they revealed something deeper about HR’s current pain points and future planning.

Three themes emerged clearly. First, the generational conversation shifted. Rather than accepting tired stereotypes about Gen Z, you sought evidence-based perspectives that challenged assumptions. Second, wellbeing issues became undeniable – not just for employees, but for HR professionals themselves, with honest discussions about a profession in distress. And third, consequences mattered. You clicked on stories about what happens when organisations get it wrong: tribunal losses, failed AI implementations, and grievance procedures that collapse under scrutiny.

Peruse the list below and catch up on what you and your peers have been reading about across the year.

1. How to reverse the Gen Z trend of ‘conscious unbossing’

Research this year from Robert Walters found over half of Gen Z professionals in the UK don’t want to take on a middle-management role. The scale of that figure clearly struck a chord – this piece became one of your most-read as organisations grappled with what it means when an entire generation questions the value of traditional leadership paths. Natasha Johnson, Founder of Organic P&O Solutions, shared thoughts on how to reverse this ‘conscious unbossing’ trend.

2. £1 million wake-up call over University of Edinburgh’s grievance failures

After a decade-long dispute, the University of Edinburgh has had to pay out over £1 million to an engineering professor for claims of unfair dismissal. That price tag alone explains why this article turned heads, but the real draw was what it revealed about how badly things can unravel when grievance procedures fail. Legal expert from Shakespeare Martineau, Rhys Wyborn, examines where the university went wrong, and how businesses must use this as a cautionary tale to review their own grievance procedures.

3. Gallup 2025: Employee engagement decline causing US$438 billion in lost productivity

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report makes for bleak reading. Last year, employee engagement fell by 2%, equating to US$438 billion in lost productivity. Those numbers demanded attention – and you granted it. HRZone’s Managing Editor Becky Norman explores the study’s major findings and shares responses from industry experts and practitioners.

4. Silent layoffs and how they bite back

The silent layoff is an emerging trend among employers seeking to protect employee morale and brand reputation. But is this secretive redundancy tactic without repercussions? Your interest in this piece suggests a keen awareness of the reputational minefield that comes with this approach. Claire Taylor-Evans of Boyes Turner shares the potential risks of silent layoffs, alongside alternative routes.

5. The mental health of HR: What 1,400 voices tell us about a profession in distress

Dr Jo Burrell explores the findings of the 2025 HR Mental Wellbeing Survey, revealing a profession in psychological distress. This article resonated because it named something many of you already knew but rarely see discussed openly – that HR professionals are struggling, and the cost of that struggle extends far beyond individual wellbeing. She calls for urgent, systemic support to protect the wellbeing, retention, and effectiveness of HR professionals.

6. 2025 HR and work trends: Employees push back

At the start of 2025, Blaire Palmer, CEO of That People Thing, predicted a year of tensions between senior leaders and their people, unless HR professionals step in to mend relationships. The prediction proved prescient enough to keep you returning to this piece throughout the year. Here, Blaire shares her thinking behind four likely trends (and challenges) for the HR profession in the year ahead.

7. The science behind what makes or breaks a team

Teams don’t fail because they lack talent – they fail because of invisible choices made every day. From the split-second decision to speak up or stay silent, to whether someone steps forward or holds back. This research-backed piece cut through the usual team-building platitudes to examine what actually drives success, which explains its staying power on your reading lists. Perry Timms and Kirsten Buck of PTHR reveal the science behind what really drives team success.

8. What makes a great Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)?

From education to experience, global industry analyst Kathi Enderes explores The Josh Bersin Company’s latest research on senior HR roles, and what makes a high-performing CHRO. In a year when HR’s value came under increasing scrutiny, your clicks on this piece suggest a desire for evidence about what excellence actually looks like at the top.

9. Gen Z myths exposed: It’s time to end the generational blame game

A decade’s worth of data across five working generations exposes the myth that Gen Z is the weakest link at work. Jessica Brannigan, Head of Enterprise People Science at Culture Amp, urges employers to stop playing the generational blame game and pay closer attention to the varying life and career stages of employees. This article’s popularity reflects a growing impatience with lazy generational stereotyping.

10. Over half of leaders regret replacing people with AI: Will you be next?

In the race for artificial intelligence (AI), firms have already begun to make redundancies. But a recent survey from Orgvue reveals that over half of business leaders now regret their decision. That reversal caught your attention, perhaps because it validated your concerns about the rush to automate? Quentin Millington of Marble Brook explores how replacing people with machines may do more harm than good.

11. HR in 2050: From hidden powerhouse to future of the workplace

To secure its future, HR can no longer be the hidden powerhouse of the organisation, warns Gethin Nadin, Chief Innovation Officer of Benefex. For HR to bring value and uphold its reputation in 2050, the profession must become its own biggest champion. Your engagement with this long-view piece suggests an appetite for thinking beyond immediate challenges towards what the profession needs to become.

12. When ‘too slow’ becomes discrimination: What an NHS trainee’s tribunal win teaches HR about inclusion

A recent tribunal ruling has redefined what counts as disability discrimination and reminded organisations that inclusion begins with culture, not compliance. Here, inclusion specialist Atif Choudhury explores how HR can move from reacting to complaints to designing workplaces that prevent them. This piece resonated because it showed how seemingly small oversights can have significant legal and ethical consequences.