Breakfast Bite: What’s the best gift you can give your managers this Christmas?

What’s the best gift you can give your managers this Christmas? It’s rest.

Here’s why.

As we near the end of the year, our focus naturally turns to the challenges and opportunities of 2025. The business press is awash with predictions for what our managers and leaders will be up against and the skills they’ll need beyond January.

Next year is slated to be another tough one but the winners will be the companies who can handle the critical choices coming their way. Here are three significant points you’ll be contending with.

Employee experience vs budgets

The uncertainty of the economic climate is likely to impact already squeezed recruitment budgets so there’s even more pressure to value the talent you have to come out on top. It makes sense to recommit to upping your employee engagement game.

The Employment Rights Bill

The UK Government’s new Employment Rights Bill has been described as ‘the biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation’.

This will have an impact on anyone with any form of responsibility for others and they will need to know what the changes are and how to proactively put them into practice.

Workplace evolution

The impact of AI and workforce expectations continues to keep leaders up at night.

The issues are complex as companies navigate client service, fee structures, operational efficiencies and innovation in the shifting sands of gen AI tech. For People Matters, CPO’s are considering the impact on leadership, skills, training, development, workflows and career pathways given the above often geographically dispersed teams.

Nothing is set in stone anymore which is likely to cause more anxiety next year.

So the most important gift you’ll give your managers this year is rest

With the festive break coming up, this is the time to restock energy before we take on the challenges of 2025. It’s vital that we actively ringfence time for managers and leaders who are on their knees after a difficult year to recharge and come back fighting.

We’ve got you covered

Our popular Breakfast Bites continue next year with a series on what you need to know to keep ahead of the Employment Rights Bill; how embedding a coaching culture leads to performance; and how to build accountability. Each led by our experts, get practical know-how to achieve real-life results.

And finally, thank you

For being part of our community of forward-thinking leaders and decision-makers this year. 2025 is in our hands.

If you’re catching up on reading over the festive break, we invite you to dip into the Jarred Think Tank. A hub of talent management know-how and expert advice, you’ll find plenty to put into practice when you return in January.

We wish you a restful holiday and an awesome 2025.