Shaping HR in 2025

Ready for 2025: What are planned priorities on people's agenda?

As we near the end of another year, it’s time to look ahead and strategize. We hope 2024 has been successful so far for you and your business, and now is the moment to map out a clear vision and align on people strategies, budgets, and technologies to reach your 2025 business goals.

With recent advances in AI and a move toward skills-based hiring, many organizations feel the weight of "analysis paralysis." For 2025, the focus shifts from seeking perfection to making consistent, impactful progress. In this newsletter, we will explore the top trends shaping next year’s talent landscape.

Top Priorities for the People Agenda in 2025

Gartner surveyed over 1,400 HR leaders from more than 60 countries across various industries to pinpoint their key priorities and challenges for 2025. The findings reveal the following top five priorities for HR leaders:

1. Leader and Manager Development Developing leadership capabilities is critical, especially as 75% of HR leaders indicate that managers are overwhelmed by their expanding responsibilities.
2. Organizational Culture Fostering a strong and adaptable organizational culture will be essential for engagement and retention.
3. Strategic Workforce Planning Proactive workforce planning will help organizations align their talent strategies with future business needs.
4. Change Management Effectively managing change will be necessary to navigate evolving market conditions and maintain operational efficiency.
5. HR Technology Investing in the right HR technologies will enable better data-driven decision-making and improve recruitment processes

A Closer Look: Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP)

As we wrap up the year, now is the perfect time to refine and plan your talent strategy for next year’s critical hiring needs. Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) can be the cornerstone of aligning your workforce with future business goals. HR leaders should focus on starting small with phased implementations of Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) instead of aiming for fully comprehensive solutions right away. This approach avoids over-complication and ensures workforce strategies are practical and deliver tangible results.?

Get Ready for 2025 with SWP

Effective strategic workforce planning (SWP) must align workforce capabilities with organizational objectives rather than just headcount management. At Uplift, we’ve observed that companies that clearly define their competency and skills requirements not only streamline the recruitment process but also achieve more impactful and sustainable hiring decisions.?

According to Gartner's study, only 15% of organizations currently practice strategic workforce planning. Many HR teams adopt a narrow, tactical view of SWP, which limits their responsiveness to market changes like competition, mergers, or economic shifts. A scalable and comprehensive approach to workforce planning enhances HR's ability to support critical business initiatives and adapt to evolving conditions.

Here’s an example of a project plan to guide your SWP implementation:

This phased approach allows you to prioritize actions, minimize complexity, and scale efforts effectively.?

If you’re ready to jumpstart your 2025 talent strategies, Uplift is here to support your hiring and workforce planning needs. Let’s brainstorm your talent strategy together to make 2025 a year of growth and success! Contact us.?

Previously on Uplift...

?? New Episode: Navigating Tech Leadership Strategies for Success

We’re excited to bring you the latest episode of Uplifting Leaders, where host Serap Zel, PhD , Founder/CEO of Uplift, connects with Gozde Akar Cevikel , Business Unit General Manager at a leading global tech company. With over 16 years of experience, G?zde shares her journey from P&G to the tech industry, offering valuable insights into the evolving landscape of tech leadership.

In this episode, we explore key strategies for navigating digital transformation, driving sustainable growth, and building high-performing teams in fast-paced environments. Key highlights include:

-How AI and IoT are reshaping the tech sector.

-Balancing speed with sustainability in scaling businesses.

-Building agile and effective teams in dynamic markets.

Tune in for practical advice on thriving in tech leadership and driving success in a rapidly evolving industry!

?? Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

??Webinar Recap: Leading Global Talent Acquisition - Success Tips Across Regions

In November, we hosted an insightful webinar on Leading Global Talent Acquisition: What are the Success Tips Across Regions? with Annelisa Dinwoodie ,Senior Manager of Executive Recruiting at Bumble Inc. (formerly Meta & 亚马逊 ). The session, hosted by Serap Zel, PhD, CEO & Founder of Uplift, explored key strategies and best practices for global recruitment in today's ever-changing talent landscape.

If you missed the live session, don't worry! You can still access the recording and gain valuable insights on:

?? Transitioning from large global companies to startups or scaled environments

?? Regional recruiting strategies for Europe, LATAM, APAC, and the US

?? Adapting to trends like diversity initiatives, remote work, and the borderless talent market

Ideal for talent acquisition leaders, recruiters, and HR professionals looking to elevate their global hiring strategies. Watch the recording now and stay ahead of the curve!

Watch the recording here

?? Uplift HR Connect: Driving the People Agenda in Dubai

We hosted Uplift HR Connect, our biannual event bringing together senior HR leaders for a day of collaboration and discovery. The event featured key discussions on talent trends in the UAE, hands-on demos of Virtual Reality-based Talent Assessments (special thanks to Neo Auvra), and interactive workshops focused on aligning HR strategies with business challenges.

?? Explore more in the post – click the image for details and the recap video!