The pandemic accelerated all the changes in workplaces that were eventually due. A flurry of modifications, such as remote and hybrid work cultures, virtual meetings, and training, has transformed office spaces, shaping new HR trends.
2025 ushered in a new office concept that is not limited to just walls and cubicles. The way we work, the place where we work, and the technologies we use to stay interlinked with everyone all changed forever, driving significant HR trends in workforce management.
Here are the top HR trends to that went to 2025 and then beyond:
- Hybrid Work Culture
- Employee well being
- Remote collaboration
- Corporate Learning
- Virtual Work Culture
- Internal Mobility
- HR as the center stage
1. Hybrid Work Culture
It’s predicted that over the next few years, the spaces occupied by corporate offices will likely decrease, reflecting evolving HR trends.
While physical offices aren’t going extinct, their footprints will change forever. In a PwC Remote Work Survey, 73 percent of employees preferred working from home for a few days instead of a full week in the office, highlighting shifting HR trends in workplace flexibility.
Younger workers, in particular, miss the social aspect of a physical office. In a Harris Poll and CBRE survey of 1,000 office workers, 33 percent missed in-person meetings and collaborations, emphasizing the need for balanced HR trends in hybrid work models.
What emerged is a hybrid office, one that combines a corporate headquarter, with home and satellite offices so workers can decide where to work, based on the activity they are doing.
Regular offices will adopt HR trends like co-working spaces and hotel rooms closer to where employees live. The home office will undergo a complete 360-degree transformation to support remote work. In areas with easy commutes, more employees will go to the office, while in cities with longer commutes, satellite offices and home offices will become the preferred way to work.
Hybridity will also enter the workforce, as it will become more and more inclusive. The business case for diversity and inclusion is stronger than ever as McKinsey research shows that the most diverse companies are likely to outperform less diverse peers.
2. Employee Well Being: A Top Priority
The significance of employee engagement has been realized by companies, especially with the influx of digital-savvy millennial employees, shaping modern HR trends.
Old-school techniques like manually filling out forms for onboarding, surveys, feedback, and performance reviews will be replaced by innovative engagement strategies driven by evolving HR trends.
A major study into the mental health impact of the pandemic in the UK found that in the early stages of lockdown 57% of those who took part reported symptoms of anxiety, with 64% recording common signs of depression. There are several stress points, including blurring of lines between work and home, unmanageable workloads, and worries over job security. To retain talent, HR will have to make employee wellbeing a priority.
The shift to work-from-home has introduced new HR trends, such as helping employees balance work with raising kids and caring for family members. It has become clear that when organizations support employees’ personal lives, productivity improves.
2025 will see employer support for mental health, financial well-being, and sleep becoming integral to employee benefits, reflecting evolving HR trends. Companies will redefine the employee experience to include the entire family unit, offering benefits like childcare, home-schooling support, elder care resources, and mental health services.
Flexibility will shift from location to time, a key HR trend. While 2020 focused on ‘where’ employees work, 2025 will prioritize ‘when’ they work, with managers focusing on output rather than fixed schedules.
3. Remote Collaboration Here to Stay
Working from anywhere is the reality of today, shaping modern HR trends. Companies have decided to stick with the hybrid/remote work model for the years to come, reflecting the evolving HR trends in workplace flexibility.
A recent report predicts that the enterprise collaboration market will hit $45 billion by 2025. Almost 60% of those surveyed say investments in their digital workplace have helped them become more agile, which is essential in the current business environment.
Going forward, this year will see a heightened development of digital workplaces and the adoption of enterprise collaboration tools, driven by evolving HR trends. Decisions will be made consciously rather than as knee-jerk reactions, as remote work is here to stay.
Look out for improved products that facilitate seamless communication among remote workers. Adopting sophisticated collaboration tools and experimenting with different software to enhance the employee experience will be a major focus of HR trends.
4. Corporate Learning will be Reengineered
Expect new ways to learn online. Research and Markets have forecast the e-learning market to triple by 2025 to reach $325 billion. And that was before the pandemic.
This estimate will only increase. In an online survey of 300 learning leaders in the US, conducted by Future Workplace and Mursion, 72% report that they will use virtual reality simulations for training by 2025 to help employees navigate challenging customer service experiences, resolve conflicts, and develop soft skills. This is more than double the 35% of respondents who are currently deploying VR for training today.
The massive growth among organizations integrating MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) into their learning curriculum will continue into 2025.
5. Work Culture Will Go Virtual
In 2025, companies will need to focus on building a strong work culture, aligning with evolving HR trends. Employees expect their employers to take an active role in societal and political issues, pushing companies to engage more deeply in cultural discussions.
CEOs will need to go beyond statements and make significant budget investments to support social causes, reflecting the growing HR trends of corporate responsibility and employee-driven values.
HR will come up with plans to instill the core values of the organization virtually, so that employees share the same growth mindset and the organization moves forward as a whole.
6. Internal Mobility for Retention
Artificial Intelligence will play a key role in HR trends, not only in sourcing new hires but also in matching internal talent supply and demand. For example, Schneider Electric, with over 135,000 employees across 100 countries, reviewed exit interviews and found that nearly 50% of employees left due to a lack of visible career growth, highlighting the importance of AI-driven career development in modern HR trends.
In the coming future, internal talent mobility platforms will match employees to new part time and full-time roles as well as stretch assignments and mentoring engagements.
More working from home will increase the risk of detachment and lower engagement of staff, and this creates opportunities for recruiters. As it becomes clear that many professionals can do their work from home, it will become easier to hire talent on the international market. As the speed of in-demand skills accelerates, companies will shift their investment away from building strategies and focus more on buying and renting talent than they have ever before.
7. HR Will Acquire Center Stage
Massive workplace changes are elevating the role of HR, shaping key HR trends as employees look to HR leaders for guidance in navigating the new normal. The use of VR and AR in employer branding, selection, onboarding, training, and virtual meetings is set to rise in 2025.
People Analytics will become a highly sought-after HR skill, reflecting evolving HR trends. HR leaders will leverage data to solve business challenges, identify high-potential employees, analyze benefit selections, and personalize learning solutions for a more strategic workforce approach.
The Crux
Inevitably, no one knows exactly how work and the employee experience will continue to evolve, but these uncertainties are shaping HR trends. Many of us feel like we are navigating uncharted skies, while challenges like diminishing natural resources, climate change, and the need for sustainable development remain real.
Letting intuition guide decisions, leading employees with thoughtful choices, and prioritizing holistic well-being are key to success in a post-pandemic world. These internal and external influences will continue shaping HR trends for years to come.
