12 Opportunities for HR in 2025: Thriving People, Thriving Organisation

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity

This quote, most commonly attributed to Sun Tzu, aptly captures the essence of the 2020s as we reach the halfway point of what has been a turbulent decade thus far. The chaos element has been to the fore with a global pandemic, geopolitical tension, and economic uncertainty leading to an increasingly complex and volatile business environment. Sprinkle in the rapid advances in technology and artificial intelligence, then it’s not hard to see why 45% of CEOs believe their company will not be viable in ten years if it stays on its current trajectory (1).

Here comes the opportunity element. For the HR profession, there’s a strong case to be made this perfect storm has accelerated the transformation of the field from a support function to a strategic partner to the C-suite and the board. Josh Bersin argues that the chief people officer may now be the most important C-suite role of them all (2). Certainly, the opening words of Deloitte’s latest Global Human Capital Trends report encapsulates that many of the major challenges organisations face have people topics at their heart (3):

We’re operating in a world where work is no longer defined by jobs, the workplace is no longer a specific place, many workers are no longer traditional employees, and human resources is no longer a siloed function

Herein lies the opportunity for chief people officers: to align people strategy, analytics and technology to enable company growth, lead transformation both for the business and the function, act as the steward for ethical AI (4), and upskill HR professionals. Thriving people, thriving organisation.

During the 10+ years I’ve been publishing this annual look at the year ahead, it has evolved from a framing of predictions or trends to opportunities, given that much of what follows will likely take years to play out. As ever, the 2025 opportunities are informed by the research and work we do at Insight222 (5), interviews with guests on the Digital HR Leaders podcast (6), conversations with leaders in the field and market analysis. References are numbered throughout, and a comprehensive list with links is included at the end.

Get involved – what should opportunities #11 and #12 be?

Readers may note that the title and accompanying image indicate 12 opportunities, whereas only ten are outlined. That is because – as was the case in previous years - I’m keen to crowdsource the final two opportunities from readers. What other opportunities should be included? Please let me know in the comments section below, and I’ll add my favourite two to an updated version in January.

THE 2025 OPPORTUNITIES FOR HR

Ten opportunities for HR to realise in 2025…

1. Cultivating the thriving organisation

Ask not what your people can do for you, but ask instead what you can do for your people

A 2024 study by McKinsey estimates that the total global opportunity for optimising employee health and wellbeing could be up to $11.7 trillion (7). Numerous studies, including by Oxford University, find a strong positive relationship between employee wellbeing and firm financial performance (8). Indeed, according to Accenture, companies that take a people-centric approach could create $10.3 trillion in economic value (9). When people thrive, organisations thrive. Yet, employee burnout levels remain at an all-time high (10, 11). This presents an opportunity for HR to flip the script and, to paraphrase President John F. Kennedy, ask not what your people can do for you, but ask instead what you can do for your people. By focusing on creating value for employees and helping them to thrive, companies can create a virtuous cycle whereby employee outcomes enhance organisational outcomes and vice-versa (12, 13). For example, one PwC study found that making investments in 11 key areas of employee experience can yield savings equivalent to 12.6% of revenues (14). While Deloitte reports that the organisations that score highest on treatment of their workforce had a 2.2% higher five-year return on equity (15). Reimagining work as a product (16), becoming a listening organisation focused on turning employee feedback into action (17), as well as using people analytics to measure how wellbeing, purpose, learning, and attrition connect to business outcomes (18, 19), are three ways to create value. If successful in this mission, HR could elevate the function from its traditional role as a cost centre to a true value creation centre, while creating a fairer, healthier, and more humane organisation (20). What could be a bigger and better opportunity than that?

An organization that views its employees as its most important resource can maximize its return on talent (21)

FIG 1:  Thriving stars have an outsize influence on organisations (Source: McKinsey)

2. Transforming HR into a strategic partner

The CHRO must transform the HR team, moving from the “service delivery” model to an HR team of consultants, problem-solvers, and analysts. (22)

With CEOs increasingly demanding more from HR and with data and AI enabling the transformation of HR into a more strategic, value-added and insight-driven function (23, 24), chief people officers have the opportunity to elevate HR from its traditional role as a support function into a true strategic partner (25). Six areas to consider are: i) Rethinking the HR operating model. Nearly two-thirds of companies have done so in the past two years (26). There’s certainly no shortage advice (27 – see FIG 2, 28, 29, 30). ii) Putting people analytics at the right-hand of the CHRO. Our research at Insight222 finds that a strong connection with the people analytics leader together with combining people strategy and analytics enhances the credibility and impact of the CHRO with the board (31, 32), as does embedding it as part of the HR service model (33). iii) Reimagining key HR roles and processes through automation to increase the focus on high-value strategic work (34, 35). iv) Prioritising high-impact use cases for deploying AI across HR programs and the employee lifecycle (36, 37). v) Identifying future skills and capabilities of HR professionals together with a strategy to close any gaps. vi) Leading on the development of ethical and responsible AI policies and enablement programs (38) – and never forgetting the ‘H’ in HR.  

FIG 2: Assessment of Ten Dimensions of HR Effectiveness (Source: The RBL Group)

3. Setting the agents to work

We're using AI in three broad categories: recommendations, assistants, and agents. This is transforming our HR function. (39)

The topic du jour is agentic AI – the next frontier of generative AI (40). Gartner predicts that by 2028, at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024 (41). Josh Bersin believes that agentic AI will change the HR tech stack and make our HR roles easier (42, 43). The likes of SAP (Joule), Workday (Illuminate) and ServiceNow (AI Agents) have already launched tools (44). Early use cases in HR are also emerging such as HiRO, a digital worker, IBM has used to save 50,000 hours in its quarterly promotion process (45, 46). From what I’ve learned in the last few months (and I’m still learning about this too), agentic AI – in essence a shift from Large Language Models to Large Action Models - provides a huge opportunity to rapidly accelerate HR’s progress from support function to strategic partner. Some suggestions for chief people officers to prepare: i) stay informed with the latest developments by keeping in touch with your peers, enterprise and HR tech partners, ii) identify and prioritise potential use cases, iii) upskill and prepare your team, iv) double down on ethics, privacy and responsible AI (47, 48, 49). One additional recommendation is to engage your people analytics team. Our research at Insight222 identified that AI strategy for the HR function is increasingly coming under the auspices of the people analytics leader (50). Moreover, this is also seeing the people analytics leader in some companies taking on a wider portfolio for disciplines such as HR tech and digital transformation, people strategy and operations (51, 52, 53).

FIG 3: A System of Agents (Source: Foundation Capital)

4. Elevating hybrid from where to how

What we need isn’t an office mandate—it’s a ‘collaboration mandate.’ (54)

There’s still too much focus on where people work rather than how work gets done. Despite executives being 3x more likely to say the how is more important (55). Indeed, with more than 90% of companies having hybrid workers (56) and with employees working remotely on average more than 25% of the time (57) it’s time to elevate the conversation from an office to a collaboration mandate (58). HR has an opportunity to lead the redesign of work through conducting experiments and collecting data to learn how work is getting done, and how employees are feeling (59). The shift to hybrid has been one of the key factors driving growth in people analytics (60). The body of published research is growing with several studies finding that in comparison to their fully in-person or remote colleagues, hybrid workers have higher wellbeing (61), engagement (62) and retention but no difference in collaboration and innovation (63). Additional research provides guidance on when in-person matters (64), making the office a magnet not a mandate (65), cultivating culture (66), fostering trust (67), and focusing on outcomes (68 – FIG 4) including broadening how we measure productivity (69). Hybrid is here to stay, so let’s make hybrid work – for companies, and for workers – and let’s follow the science rather than the headlines (70).

FIG 4: Focus on Productivity, Not Physical Presence (Source: Brian Elliott)

5. Investing in a people analytics “A Team”

In “A” Teams, people analytics is embedded in the people strategy. “A” Teams regularly and dynamically prioritise their work according to the needs of the C-suite and the business agenda (71)

People analytics is now widely acknowledged as an organisational imperative (72), with chief people officers recognising that they need data and insights to gain traction with the board (73). Recent studies by Deloitte (74), Josh Bersin (75) and PwC (76), as well as our own fifth annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends study (77), all show significant growth in people analytics. Yet, together, they also highlight that most organisations are still only scratching the surface of what is possible. Only 10% of the 348 companies that participated in the Insight222 study are defined as “A” Teams (see FIG 4). Our research – and experience of working directly with over 100 organisations through the Insight222 People Analytics Program® – finds virtually all “A” Teams play a key role in defining the people strategy and effectively align their work to the most important business priorities accordingly (78), echoing other studies (79, 80). Additionally, chief people officers can realise more value with people analytics by focusing on: i) Improving the adoption and consumption of people data and insights by employees and managers. ii) Using intelligent automation to personalise analytics solutions. iii) Measuring the value of people analytics, working closely with finance (81). Success istarts with the right people analytics leader (82), who should be executive influencers, consultants, storytellers and marketeers. The role of the people analytics leader continues to evolve, and chief people officers should carefully consider the type of leader they need (83, 84). People analytics - and the ability to drive actions with insights – is the silver thread to unlock and realise all the opportunities outlined in this article, and a critical element of the drive to make HR more evidence-based (85). Remember, as Jonathan Ferrar and I wrote in our book, Excellence in People Analytics:

People Analytics is not about HR. People Analytics is about the business (86, 87).

FIG 5: Insight222 Leading Companies in People Analytics model (Source: Insight222)

6. Making workforce planning strategic

Strategic workforce planning is a perennial challenge. Although the core principles are not new, the urgency to act has increased, and the availability of data-driven insights has changed the competitive landscape (88)

Strategic workforce planning (SWP) is essentially a systematic and data-led approach for an organisation to ensure it has the right workforce to achieve its business objectives (89). With the speed and extent of change arising from the fifth industrial revolution, talent shortages and the shift to skills, SWP has arguably never been so important. It is consistently cited as a top three priority for people leaders (90, 91), a challenge compounded by studies suggesting that only 15% of organisations currently practice SWP (92). Our research at Insight222 finds a growing number of companies – 50% in a 2024 study - combine SWP with people strategy and analytics (93). These companies are more successful in connecting their SWP activities to their business priorities (94), have a better view of their future talent needs, and the strategies to close any gaps (95). Four other steps to increase success with SWP are: i) Aligning SWP efforts with business strategy (96, 97 – see example from Merck Group in FIG 6) including prioritising business critical roles and skills (98); ii) Bringing together people, business and external data to get the full picture (99); iii) Connecting SWP to other talent capabilities such as internal mobility, recruiting and learning (100); and, iv) Measuring the impact of workforce planning activities and linking these to business outcomes (101).

FIG 6: How Merck prioritises SWP needs by relevance and actionability (Source: Gartner)

7. Orchestrating skills for Impact

A cultural shift to skills-first approaches needs both sponsorship from executives and governance from human-resources professionals (102)

While ‘skills’ has been an opportunity for HR for several years, the topic continues to gather momentum. Skills gaps and shortages are one of the most pressing concerns for companies (103). Rapid advances in technology only exacerbate the challenge (104), with 44% of workers’ skills expected to be disrupted by 2028 (105) and reskilling workers a primary objective for many companies (106). Consequently, one study reports that 90% of companies are experimenting with a skills-based approach (107). Why? Because becoming skills-based can lead to greater agility, resilience, and flexibility in the face of rapid change (108). EPAM, which has adopted a skills-based approach for 30 years, believes it catalyses its business agility and enables the company to attract, develop and retain some of the best tech talent in a highly competitive market (109). Meanwhile, Standard Chartered has generated over 1,700 gigs and $6m of productivity from its initial talent marketplace pilot in India (110, 111) and has also calculated that reskilling and redeploying internal talent generates a saving of $49,000 per role versus hiring externally (112). We are continually learning more about what drives success in this space including at companies such as Ericsson (113), J&J (114, 115), IBM (116), Google (117), Mastercard (118) and Lloyds Banking Group (119). Some steps to consider: i) Do your homework – shifting to a skills-based approach is not cheap or easy, make sure there is a business problem to solve (120, 121, 122 – see FIG 7). ii) Experiment – a skills-based approach will likely not be right for every role in your company. Focus on critical roles, start with a pilot and an executive sponsor (123). iii) Focus on data quality – data is the foundation on which your skills initiative will succeed or fail (124). iv) Get your people analytics team involved – our research at Insight222 finds that 50% of people analytics teams are supporting their company in becoming skills-based (125). v) Communicate the value and use skills as the glue to connect recruiting, learning, mobility, compensation and workforce planning together.    

FIG 7: Skills-based talent management strategy, business outcomes can guide your actions (Source: Gartner)

8. Turning up the volume on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

The backlash against DEI is out of sync with the opinions held by the most important set of stakeholders: your employees (126)

Some companies – particularly in the US – are backtracking on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) even inexplicably decided to drop the ‘E’ from its IED framework, despite this flying in the face of years of research on DEI in the workplace (127, 128). This is an opportunity for HR to lead the fightback and protect the networks of people engaged in DEI work (129). It was certainly good to hear L’Oreal CHRO Jean Claude Le Grand on the main stage at UNLEASH declare that “DEI is not a trend. DEI is part of our DNA (130).” In 2025, despite fears about what Trump’s second term could mean for DEI (131), let’s hope we hear more chief people officers – especially those based in the US – making similar declarations, and backing it up with action. They will be helping their companies if they do. Firstly, because DEI programs are getting more popular with employees, not less (132) and help organisations attract, retain and engage talent (133). Secondly, research finds DEI, particularly at the leadership level, is connected to financial performance, innovation, and societal impact (134). Thirdly, incorporating DEI practices into core business planning can provide a competitive edge (135). People analytics has an important role to play in measuring DEI efforts and connecting them to outcomes (136) including using advanced analytics to get deeper insights on belonging (137), inclusion (138) and psychological safety (139). Indeed, our own research at Insight222 finds, for the fourth consecutive year, that DEI is one of the top three areas where people analytics is adding the most business value (140). While some companies pause or roll back their DEI programs, those that stay the course and redouble their efforts will drive organisational performance. So, let’s turn up the volume to maximum on DEI in 2025 and beyond.

FIG 8: The business case for diversity on executive teams and financial outperformance

9. Advancing social capital

If ‘human capital’ is about what an individual knows, ‘social capital’ is about how well positioned that individual is to use what they know to get work done.

Social capital represents the next frontier for HR in gaining a deeper understanding of what drives individual, team and organisational effectiveness. As Michael Arena explains, if ‘human capital’ is about what an individual knows, ‘social capital’ is about how well positioned that individual is to use what they know to get work done. (141). The study of social capital is not new. Indeed, the likes of Arena and Rob Cross have been doing this work for decades – and specialist firms such as Worklytics , Cognitive Talent Solutions , Polinode and Innovisor have grown by specialising in this field. But like a lot of the 2025 opportunities presented here, a combination of the pandemic, the rise of distributed and hybrid work, and advances in technology mean that the need for analysing social capital and the ability to do so have increased dramatically. We can see this in the passive element of employee listening programs, which enables organisations to combine active data from surveys with passive data to understand the impact of topics such as hybrid working, meetings, and focus time on outcomes such as wellbeing, collaboration, innovation, productivity and attrition (142,143,144,145,146, 147, 148). Other use cases for network data exist to support work around topics as diverse as: M&A (149), performance (150), DEIB (151, 152), skills mapping (153), team effectiveness (154) and the identification of key influencers (155). For those looking to get started with a pilot, I recommend identifying a specific business problem to solve, getting a business sponsor, keeping the scope manageable, involving your IT and privacy team (and works council if appropriate), and considering partnering with a vendor (156).

FIG 9: Organization network analysis can help uncover collaboration within an organization (Source: Deloitte)

10. Enabling the HR professional of the future

41% of chief people officers wish they had had greater depth in people analytics prior to assuming their roles (157)

If HR is to become a true strategic partner to the business, then we must upskill ourselves, focusing on developing competencies that create value (158, 159). Chief people officers need to invest in attracting and developing HR professionals with the vision, agility and business acumen to navigate an everchanging landscape, raising the technology and analytical expertise of the function (160). Let’s take one area where the function needs to upskill that I know well from the work we do at Insight222 around improving the data literacy of HR professionals (161). Our research highlights five key skills to elevate data of literacy for HR: i) consulting, ii) influencing stakeholders, iii) interpreting data, iv) building recommendations from insights, and v) storytelling (162). While there has been steady progress with 58% of companies (163) now saying they have a data driven culture in HR (up from 42% in 2021), there is still some way to go – and the opportunities afforded by AI make it even more important for HR professionals to acquire these skills. Tellingly, this is an area of development for senior HR leaders too with 41% of chief people officers wishing they had had greater depth in people analytics prior to assuming their roles (164). With Insight222 research also finding that role-modelling of people data and analytics by the chief people officer and HR leadership team is paramount for the improvement of data literacy across the HR function overall (165), this is an opportunity that chief people officers can ill afford to squander. The HR function will continue to evolve with new roles emerging (166). We need to take the ethos of continuous learning that we advocate for the rest of the organisation and apply it to ourselves in HR.

FIG 10: Example of a learning journey Insight222 delivers to HR leaders, BPs and professionals (see here)

FIG 11: 13 HR Jobs of the Future (Source: Jeanne Meister)

References

(1) PwC 27th Annual Global CEO Survey: Thriving in an age of continuous reinvention (PwC 2024)

(2) Josh Bersin Why Is It So Hard To Be A Chief HR Officer (CHRO)? (Josh Bersin 2024)

(3) 2024 Global Human Capital Trends: Thriving beyond boundaries – Human performance in a boundaryless world (Deloitte 2024)

(4) Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA Miriam Daucher Alexandra Zea - The future of human resources: Who will care for the human at work? ( Mercer 2024)

(5) Insight222 Research Homepage (Insight222)

(6) Digital HR Leaders Podcast Homepage (Insight222)

(7) Jacqui Brassey, PhD, MA, MAfN 🎗️ (née Schouten) Lars Hartenstein Barbara Jeffery Dr. Patrick Simon Working nine to thrive (McKinsey 2024)

(8) Jan-Emmanuel De Neve Micah Kaats George Ward Workplace Wellbeing and Firm Performance (University of Oxford 2023)

(9) Ellyn Shook Paul Daugherty , Work, workforce, workers: Reinvented in the age of generative AI (Accenture 2024)

(10) Dawn Klinghoffer Katie Kirkpatrick-Husk PhD - With Burnout on the Rise, What Can Companies Do About It? (MIT SMR 2023)

(11) @Jacqui Brassey Erica Hutchins Coe Martin Dewhurst Kana Enomoto Renata Giarola Brad Herbig Barbara Jeffery, Addressing employee burnout: Are you solving the right problem? (McKinsey Health Institute 2022)

(12) Susan Cantrell Jen Fisher Joanne Stephane Jason Flynn Amy Fields Yves Van Durme , When people thrive, business thrives: The case for human sustainability (Deloitte 2024)

(13) Jacqui Brassey, PhD, MA, MAfN 🎗️ (née Schouten) , Aaron De Smet , Emily Field , Taylor Lauricella Brooke Weddle , To defend against disruption, build a thriving workforce (McKinsey 2024)

(14) Bastiaan Starink Jan Willem Velthuijsen - What every HR leader needs to show the CFO (PwC 2023)

(15) Cantrell et al (see 11)

(16) Eric Anicich Dart Lindsley , Reimagining Work as a Product (HBR, 2024)

(17) Ethan Burris Benjamin Thomas Ketaki Sodhi, PhD Dawn Klinghoffer , Turn Employee Feedback into Action (HBR 2024)

(18) Brassey et al (see 10)

(19) Peter Cappelli Ranya Nehmeh , HR’s New Role (HBR 2024)

(20) Vincent Bérubé Ben Fogarty Neel Gandhi Rahul Mathew Marino Mugayar-Baldocchi Charlotte Seiler , Increasing your return on talent: The moves and metrics that matter (McKinsey 2024)

(21) Berube et al (see 20)

(22) Bersin (see 2)

(23) Julie Bedard, Katie Lavoie, Renée Laverdière, Allison Bailey, Vinciane Beauchene, and Jens Stefan Baier, How Generative AI will Transform HR (BCG 2023)

(24) Volker Jacobs , Squaring the Circle: Why the old promise of P&O transformation –more for less – can finally be fulfilled ( TI PEOPLE 2024)

(25) Bersin (see 2)

(26) Marc Effron , It’s (Still) the Mortar not the Bricks (Talent Strategy Group 2024)

(27) Dave Ulrich Joe Grochowski Norm Smallwood Joe Hanson Ernesto Uscher , What Makes an Effective HR Function? (LinkedIn, 2023)

(28) Sandra Durth Neel Gandhi Asmus Komm Florian Pollner – HR’s new operating model (McKinsey 2022)

(29) Kraig Eaton Susan Cantrell Kim Eberbach Julie Duda , From function to discipline: The rise of boundaryless HR (Deloitte 2024)

(30) Josh Bersin Kathi Enderes , The Definitive Guide to Human Resources: Systemic HR (2023)

(31) Naomi Verghese Jonathan Ferrar Jordan Pettman , Building the People Analytics Ecosystem: Operating Model v 2.0 (Insight222 2024)

(32) Jay Dorio How CHROs Can Drive Strategic Influence with People Analytics: Insights from Rabobank’s Janine Vos (myHRfuture 2024)

(33) Jaap Veldkamp - Positioning People Analytics into the HR Service Model: A Path to Sustainable Impact (2024)

(34) Nickle LaMoreaux David Green 🇺🇦 , How IBM Uses AI to Transform Their HR Strategies (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode 2024)

(35) Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA Helen White Kate Bravery Jason Averbook Todd Lambrugo – Generative AI will transform three key HR roles (Mercer 2023)

(36) Bedard et al (see 23)

(37) Josh Bersin Job Task Re-Engineering With AI: A Massive Opportunity Ahead (2024)

(38) Jesuthasan et al (see 4)

(39) LaMoreaux and Green (see 34)

(40) Lareina Yee Michael Chui Roger Roberts Stephen Xu , Why agents are the next frontier of generative AI (McKinsey 2024)

(41) Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2025 (2024)

(42) Josh Bersin AI Agents, The New Workforce We’re Not Quite Ready For (Agentic AI) (2024)

(43) Joanne Chen Jaya Gupta , A System of Agents brings Service-as-Software to life (2024)

(44) Felipe Jara , HR - Let's Prepare for a Big Wave of Multi-Agents AI Systems (2024)

(45) LaMoreaux, Green (see 34)

(46) Jon Lester A Future for HR (IBM, 2024)

(47) Jason Averbook , AI Agents: The Next Frontier in HR Technology, and, How AI Agents are Revolutionizing HR—and How to Get Ready (2024)

(48) Lars Schmidt Agents of (Massive) Change: How AI Agents Are Poised to Alter Work (LinkedIn Talent Blog, 2024)

(49) Anshul Sheopuri Lucrecia Borgonovo , At the inflection of AI and HR: How we’re equipping employees for the AI era (Mastercard, 2024)

(50, 51) Verghese, et al (see 31)

(52) Richard Rosenow From Data to Strategy: The New Role of Workforce Systems Leaders in Transforming HR ( One Model , 2024)

(53) Andrés García Ayala People analytics at the heart of AI’s successful workplace adoption (2024)

(54) Michael Arena Philip Arkcoll , The collaboration mandate: Does returning to the office improve innovation? (PEX, 2024)

(55) Annie Dean , Lessons Learned: 1,000 Days of Distributed at Atlassian (Atlassian, 2024)

(56) Debra Clark, Hybrid Working Trends (The HR Director, 2024)

(57) Jose Maria Barrero Nick Bloom Shelby Buckman Steven J. Davis – SWAA December 2024 Updates (WFH Research, 2024)

(58) Arena, Arkcoll (see 54)

(59) Lynda Gratton , Redesigning How We Work (HBR 2023)

(60) Insight222 , What Are The Five Trends Shaping People Analytics in 2024? (myHRfuture, 2024)

(61) Heidi Grant Ginnie Carlier Frank Giampietro , Using Data to Design Your Hybrid Work Policies

(62) Heidi Manna David Green 🇺🇦 , How to Create a Flexible Work Model That Enhances Inclusion and Employee Experience (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode)

(63) Nick Bloom James Liang Ruobing Han , One Company A/B Tested Hybrid Work. Here’s What They Found (HBR 2024)

(64) Dawn Klinghoffer Karen Kocher Maryleen Emeric Leal Jared Spataro , In the Changing Role of the Office, It’s All about Moments That Matter (Microsoft 2023)

(65)  Kelly Jones , Unlocking the Power of Hybrid Work: 5 Guiding Principles from Cisco's 3-Year Study Article | White Paper | Executive Summary

(66) Michael Arena Andras Vicsek John Golden, Ph.D. Scott Hines, PhD , Cultivating Culture in a Hybrid Context

(67)  Alexandra Camp Phil Kirschner Laura Pineault Dr. Patrick Simon , Hybrid can be healthy for your organization—when done right

(68) Brian Elliott , Return-to-Office Mandates: How to Lose Your Best Performers (MIT SMR 2024)

(69) Lynda Gratton - Seven Truths About Hybrid Work and Productivity MIT SMR 2024)

(70) Marc Effron , Above the Fray: What We Know About How WFH and Hybrid Affect Work

(71) Jonathan Ferrar Naomi Verghese Madhura Chakrabarti, PhD , Harnessing Data for Growth: The Impact of People Analytics (Insight222, 2024)

(72) Eric Lesser Peter DeBellis Marc Solow , 2023 High-Impact People Analytics Research (Deloitte, 2024)

(73) Shari Chernack Jonathan Gordin , 2024 Voice of the CHRO: Maximizing HR effectiveness in a changing landscape (Mercer, 2024)

(74) Lesser et al (see 72)

(75) Josh Bersin , People Analytics, A Complex Domain, Is About To Be Transformed by AI (2024)

(76) PwC Saratoga, Saratoga Annual Benchmarking Report 2024 (PwC, 2024)

(77, 78) Ferrar et al (see reference 71)

(79) Dave Ulrich Harrison James , Human Capability and Stakeholder Value: Updating the Organization Guidance System (LinkedIn, 2024)

(80) Thomas Hedegaard Rasmussen, Mike Ulrich Dave Ulrich - Moving People Analytics From Insight to Impact (Sage Journals, 2023)

(81) Jasmine Panayides , Partnering with Finance to Drive Greater Business Impact with People Analytics (myHRfuture, 2024)

(82) Patrick Coolen , The 10 golden rules for establishing a people analytics practice (LinkedIn, 2024)

(83) Verghese et al (see 31)

(84) Rosenow (see 52)

(85) Rob Briner David Green 🇺🇦 , What is Evidence Based HR and Why is it Important? (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, 2024)

(86) Jonathan Ferrar David Green 🇺🇦 , Excellence in People Analytics ( Kogan Page Publishing , 2021)

(87) David Green 🇺🇦 , A History of People Analytics in Five Ages (LinkedIn, 2021)

(88) Jens Stefan Baier, Vinciane Beauchene, Julie Bedard, Jean-Michel Caye, Dr. Philipp Kolo, Fang Ruan, Alexander Alonso, PhD SHRM-SCP, Anthony Ariganello, Kai H. Helfritz, Bob Morton, Chartered CCIPD, Lucas van Wees, Wilson Wong - Creating People Advantage: Set the Right People Priorities for Challenging Times (BCG, 2023)

(89) Adam Gibson Nicola Oldroyd , Agile Workforce Planning (Strategic Workforce Planning, Best Practices and Emerging Directions, Oxford University Press, 2024)

(90) Baier et al (see 88)

(91) Kate Bravery Joana Silva Jens Peterson , 2024 Global Talent Trends (Mercer, 2024)

(92) Mark Whittle Liana Passantino, PhD Maggie Schroeder-O’Neal , Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2025 (Gartner, 2024)

(93) Verghese et al (see 31)

(94) Laura Wright Shubert David Green 🇺🇦 , How MetLife Made a Success of their Strategic Workforce Planning (Digital HR Leaders podcast, 2022)

(95) Alex Browne David Green 🇺🇦 , Nestlé's 4B Methodology to Strategic Workforce Planning (Digital HR Leaders podcast, 2023)

(96) Alicia Roach , Chris Hare David Green 🇺🇦 , How to Democratise Strategic Workforce Planning (Digital HR Leaders podcast, 2023)

(97) Whittle et al (see 92)

(98) Rebecca Thielen and David Green 🇺🇦 , Microsoft's Key to Strategic Workforce Planning Success (Digital HR Leaders podcast, 2024)

(99) Jeroen Van Hautte 🐺 , How unlocking skills lies in capturing business data (TechWolf, 2023)

(100) Brian Heger , Enabling Strategic Workforce Planning Through Skills, Artificial Intelligence, and Internal Talent Marketplace (Strategic Workforce Planning, Best Practices and Emerging Directions, Oxford University Press, 2024)

(101) Jonathan Ferrar , How to Build a Workforce Planning Strategy that Delivers Business Value (myHRfuture, 2021)

(102) World Economic Forum and PwC, Putting Skills First: Opportunities for Building Efficient and Equitable Labour Markets (World Economic Forum, 2024)

(103) Baier et al (see reference 88)

(104) MIT SMR Connections and Mercer, Strategic Shift: Skills-Powered Organizations in the Age of AI (MIT, 2024)

(105) Attilio Di Battista, Sam Grayling, Elselot Hasselaar, Till Alexander Leopold, Ricky LI, Mark Rayner and Saadia Zahidi – The Future of Jobs Report 2023 (World Economic Forum, 2023)

(106) Anish Lalchandani and David Green 🇺🇦 , The Four Reskilling Principles Every HR Leader Should Know (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, myHRfuture, 2024)

(107) Susan Cantrell, Michael Griffiths, Robin Jones, and Julie Hiipakka - The skills-based organization: A new operating model for work and the workforce (Deloitte, 2022)

(108) Allan Schweyer , Barbara Lombardo, PhD , Matt Rosenbaum and Peter Sheppard , The Long but Rewarding Journey to Becoming a Skills-Driven Organization (The Conference Board, 2024)

(109) Sandra Loughlin, PhD and David Green 🇺🇦 , Building a Skills-Based Organisation: Lessons from a 30-Year Journey (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, myHRfuture, 2024)

(110) World Economic Forum and PwC (see reference 102)

(111) Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA and Tanuj Kapilashrami , The Skills-Powered Organization: The Journey to the Next Generation Enterprise (MIT Press, 2024)

(112) Tanuj Kapilashrami , Michael Fraccaro , Tamla Oates-Forney , and David Green 🇺🇦 , CHRO Panel: Delivering against the transformation imperative ( Gloat , 2024) – see extract

(113) Schweyer et al (see reference 108)

(114) Nick van der Meulen , Olgerta Tona , and Dorothy Leidner , Resolving Workforce Skills Gaps with AI-Powered Insights (MIT, 2024)

(115) Christina Norris-Watts, Doug Shagam, and David Green 🇺🇦 - How Johnson & Johnson are Scaling Their Skills-Based Approach to Talent (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, myHRfuture, 2023)

(116) Lamoreaux and Green (see reference 34)

(117) Bo Cowgill, Jonathan Davis, Pablo Montagnes, Patryk Perkowski and Bettina Hammer - How to Design an Internal Talent Marketplace (Harvard Business Review, 2023)

(118) Michael Fraccaro and David Green 🇺🇦 , How Mastercard is Using AI to Drive Employee Success and Leadership Growth (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, myHRfuture, 2024)

(119) Lara Wainwright , Duncan Reynell and David Green 🇺🇦 , How Digital Transformation Fuels Skills and EX at Lloyds Banking Group (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, myHRfuture, 2024)

(120) Marc Effron , Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze? Questions About Becoming a Skills-based Organization ( The Talent Strategy Group , 2024)

(121) Jaejin Lee , Skill-based Transformation: “Don't Start with Skills, Start with Work!” (LinkedIn, 2024)

(122) Gartner, Skills-based talent management strategy, business outcomes can guide your actions – Gareth Flynn , LinkedIn post (Gartner, 2024)

(123) Mikaël Wornoo🐺 and David Green 🇺🇦 , How to Use Skills Data to Solve Business Challenges Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, myHRfuture, 2024)

(124) Sandra Loughlin, PhD , Seven Elements of Skills Data Quality (LinkedIn, 2024)

(125) Verghese et al (see reference 31)

(126)  Brian Elliott , How to Stand Up When It Comes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2024)

(127) Enrica Ruggs and Oscar Holmes IV , Why Dropping the E in DEI Is a Mistake (Harvard Business Review, 2024)

(128) Josh Bersin , DEI Attacked by SHRM, Civility In The Workplace, And The ROI of AI (Josh Bersin, 2024)

(129) Lori Nishiura Mackenzie , Sarah Soule , Shelley J. Correll , and Melissa C. Thomas-Hunt , How DEI Can Survive This Era of Backlash (Harvard Business Review, 2024)

(130) David Green 🇺🇦 , Key Learnings from Unleash World 2024 (LinkedIn, 2024)

(131) Kenji Yoshino , David Glasgow , and Christina Joseph , What Trump’s Second Term Could Mean for DEI (Harvard Business Review, 2024)

(132) Elliott (see reference 126)

(133) BCG, It’s Time to Highlight the Business Opportunity of DEI Initiatives (BCG, 2024)

(134) Dame Vivian Hunt, Sundiatu Dixon-Fyle, Celia Huber, Maria del Mar Martinez, Sara Prince, and Ashley Thomas - Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact (McKinsey, 2023)

(135) Quinetta Roberson , How Integrating DEI Into Strategy Lifts Performance (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2024)

(136) Lily Zheng , To Make Lasting Progress on DEI, Measure Outcomes (Harvard Business Review, 2023)

(137) Shujaat Ahmad , Real Measures that Matter for Real Change on DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) (Belong & Lead, 2024)

(138) Serena H. Huang, Ph.D. , DEI Funding Cuts? You Need Data Analytics and AI More Than Ever (LinkedIn, 2024)

(139) Henrik Bresman and Amy Edmondson , Research: To Excel, Diverse Teams Need Psychological Safety (Harvard Business Review, 2022)

(140) Ferrar et al (see reference 71)

(141) Michael Arena , Leveraging Social Capital (HR Exchange Network, 2018)

(142) Klinghoffer et al (see reference 64)

(143) Rob Cross , Mike Benson , Jack Kostal, PhD , and RJ Milnor , Collaboration Overload is Sinking Productivity (Harvard Business Review, 2021)

(144) Arena et al (see reference 66)

(145) Michael Arena , Adaptive Space (McGraw Hill, 2018)

(146) Rob Cross , Beyond Collaboration Overload (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021)

(147) Rob Cross and Karen Dillon , The Microstress Effect (Harvard Business Review Press, 2023)

(148) Michael Arena and David Green 🇺🇦 , What the Impact of Distributed Work on Organisational Networks Tells Us About the Future of Talent Management, (Digital HR Leaders podcast episode, myHRfuture, 2024)

(149) Francisco Marin , 5 Ways ONA Creates Value in Mergers and Acquisitions, (LinkedIn, 2020)

(150) Maya Bodan , Don Miller , Susan Cantrell , Gary Parilis , and Carissa Kilgour , Harnessing organization network analysis (ONA): Measure workforce performance and optimize strategies (Deloitte, 2024)

(151) Inga Carboni , Andrew Parker , and Nan Langowitz , Mapping Exclusion in the Organization (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2021)

(152) Jonathan Ferrar and David Green 🇺🇦 , How Can Passive ONA Highlight the Impact of Relationships on Diversity and Inclusion? (MyHRfuture, 2021)

(153) Lee (see reference 121)

(154) Michael Arena and Philip Arkcoll , Enabling High-Velocity Teams (HR Exchange Network, 2024)

(155) Jeppe Vilstrup Hansgaard , How to Rethink Change with the Three Percent Rule (Innovisor, 2019)

(156) Manish G. and David Green 🇺🇦 , The Role of Network Analytics (ONA) in Ensuring Team Collaboration and Well Being (myHRfuture, 2020)

(157) Jonathan Gordin, Shari Chernack, Karen Shellenback, and Yamile Bruzza, Evolving the CHRO role in a rapidly changing world of work (Mercer 2023)

(158) Dave Ulrich , Update on HR Business Partner Model Continuing Evolution and Relevance (LinkedIn, 2024)

(159) Dave Ulrich , Patrick Wright , Mike Ulrich , Erin Wilson Burns , Do you want to be more effective as an HR professional? Here’s how (The RBL Group, 2021)

(160) Chernack and Gordin (see reference 67)

(161) Insight222 Building a Data-Driven Culture in HR, Immersive Learning Experiences, (Insight222, 2024)

(162) Naomi Verghese, Jonathan Ferrar - Upskilling the HR Profession: Building Data Literacy at Scale (Insight222, 2023)

(163) Ferrer et al (see reference 71)

(164) Gordin et al (see reference 157)

(165) Naomi Verghese Why is Role-modelling by the CHRO and HRLT Essential for Building Data Literacy in HR? (myHRfuture, 2023)

(166) Jeanne C M. 13 HR jobs of the future (HR Executive, 2024)

A selection of other 2025 HR predictions, opportunities and trends

There are a plethora of other resources documenting predictions, opportunities and trends for HR and the future of work in 2025 including (in alphabetical order):

Alexandra Nawrat, Five New Year’s resolutions for HR leaders in 2025

Andrew Spence , Beyond Prediction: Shaping Your Work Story in an Uncertain World - Andrew walks through seven dominant narratives on the Future of Work - from 'Dataism' to the 'Singularity' via 'Job Destruction.'

Daniel Zhao , Glassdoor Worklife Trends 2025 - includes data showing that Gen Z will make up 1 in 10 managers in 2025.

Gartner, Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2025

The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) , 2025 Priorities & Predictions

Jen Colletta , 5 CHROs share what’s topping their 2025 HR strategy agenda - includes Melissa Werneck highlighting the HR's role as the ambassador for the responsible implementation of generative AI at work.

LinkedIn, Global Talent Trends

Dr. Solange Charas and Stela Lupushor , Crystal Balls and Cold Reality: HR Predictions for 2025

Steve Hunt , A guide to HR predictions, trends, and forecasts

Visier Inc. , Embracing the AI Driven Workforce: 5 Workforce Trends for 2025

Unlock the potential of your people analytics function through the Insight222 People Analytics Program

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Green 🇺🇦 is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 100 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021.

MEET ME AT THESE EVENTS

I'll be speaking about people analytics, the future of work, and data driven HR at a number of upcoming events in early 2025:

• January 21 - People Analytics in Italy: Insights from Research and Practice with Martha Curioni and Aizhan Tursunbayeva, PhD, GRP (VIRTUAL - Register here)
• January 23 - The Strategic Outlook for People Analytics in 2025 with Ian Cook and Dawn Klinghoffer (WEBINAR - Register here)
• February 26-27 - People Analytics World, Zürich
• April 29-30 - People Analytics World, London

More events will be added as they are confirmed.