The Most Important HR Trends For 2025
Nick Goddard
Priorities that leaders and decision makers will need to focus on in the new year.
According to research by the consulting firm Gartner, the top 5 HR trends and priorities that will matter most in 2025 are...
- Leader and Manager Development.
- Organisational Culture.
- Strategic Workforce Planning.
- Change Management.
- HR Technology.
It may be no surprise that Leader and Manager Development is the number one priority cited.
Gartner surveyed more than 1,400 HR leaders across over 60 countries and covering all major industries and the results show that 75% of HR leaders believe managers are overwhelmed, and 70% say their current leadership programmes are not preparing managers for the future.
“The reality is that people are promoted into managerial positions and expected to apply the obvious attributes necessary, which is usually less obvious amongst the day-to-day competing priorities of the business”
David Nikolich
Managing Director & Founder
ABSTRACT
Most people leaders recognise the importance of organisational culture, but aligning their organisational vision with the practical reality remains a challenge for many companies.
The Gartner survey suggests more than half of HR leaders believe their managers do not enforce their company’s culture and that leaders don’t feel accountable for demonstrating cultural values. This creates a major disconnect.
Managers have an important role of conveying their leaders messages in a compelling and inspiring way. Not just downloading information but by setting an example through their own behaviours.
"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."
'Top 5 HR Trends and Priorities That Matter Most in 2025' - Gartner
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” is a quote attributed to Peter Drucker, business author and management consultant. His theory is that business strategy will fail without a company culture that encourages its people to implement it.
We believe culture and strategy are both crucial to business success but you need to nurture both. You may need to re-establish or renew the vision, purpose and values of your organisation, or team, to ensure they are sustainable and in line with your people and growth plans.
Implemented well, cultural transformation will result in a strong leadership and management team and, perhaps more importantly, an empowered set of colleagues who are actively part of a collective journey.
The Gartner survey also highlights a significant gap in HR’s ability to align their identified talent populations with their long-term business goals through strategic workforce planning.
ABSTRACT also conducted our own LinkedIn Poll recently to ask...
“What is the most important Learning and Development priority for you, your team or your business in 2025?”.
It was a smaller sample size but again the number one response was for Leadership/Management Skills (50%), with 25% indicating Business Growth is their priority. 13% said ‘Career Development’ and 13% suggested ‘Something Else’.
Source: ABSTRACT Linkedin Polling
Does any of this resonate?
Some of it maybe, or all of it perhaps? Well ABSTRACT can help!
We have created a set of contemporary learning and development programmes, and an affordable coaching proposition, structured around three core specialisms of business growth, leadership essentials and career management. These are designed to help you build a modern organisation fit for today's social objectives.
To be more specific;
Leadership/Management Skills
Our You As A Manager Programme provides all the skills and behaviours required to become an effective and efficient manager.
Cultural Transformation
Our Cultural Transformation Programme offers a bespoke people development solution, delivering the business essentials for creating a high performing culture.
Career Development
Our AMBITION and ACCELERATE Programmes develop career management skills for your identified talent, retaining and better leveraging your emerging future managers and leaders.
For more support with your 2025 Learning and Development planning, click below:
