Under the Radar in 2025

New Year. New trends. Experts say these five forces—around hiring, boards, remote work, pay, and technology—could shape life at work in 2025. Happy New Year from your Korn Ferry content team!

1) The Year of the Stealth Payroll Cut

Experts believe that the one of the biggest talent trends of 2025 might actually be how to go about shedding it—ideally in ways that many executives hope goes unnoticed.

There’s a growing sense in many C-suites that organizations certainly have too many people in manager roles and, perhaps, given their individual business outlooks, too many employees in general. Historically, such a mood has often portended a wave of publicly announced layoffs involving hundreds or thousands of workers. Some experts are surprised that CEOs are reluctant to cut payroll now.

Read the full article here.

2) Stock Options… for All?

“Equity compensation” has long been a phrase that inherently refers to executives: It’s standard practice for leaders to receive compensation packages dominated by equity, while rank-and-file employees are paid predominantly in cash, sometimes with access to limited stock options.

But as the New Year begins, experts are calling attention to a little-noticed but important shift. A recent report by the Conference Board predicts 6% growth in equity compensation in 2025, and experts believe a wider range of workers will be included. What they don’t know: how well that might be received.

Read the full article here.

3) The New Hybrid Hierarchy

The entire department had long shared the same in-office expectation: four days per week. Then executives, who wanted the best of the best, hired a new project leader based in the next state over. The new person was only expected to appear in-office every two weeks. His coworkers were miffed.

If you work at a firm that wants people back in the office, the only leeway you’re likely to be seeing has been the kind quietly left up to your manager’s discretion.

But in 2025, the favoritism, as such, is expected to be broader and more formal, with companies making flexibility part of what they offer to attract key candidates. The timing makes sense: Working from home is a perk that is becoming precious for many, since 8 in 10 CEOs say they want a full return to office. But it’s one likely to be controversial.

Read the full article here.

Other Must-Reads from Korn Ferry

• The Fight Over AI Is Just Beginning - Investment and returns aren’t the only concerns raised by AI. Why leaders should expect more employee protests and legal actions, among other challenges.
• Boards in Survival Mode - To help keep activists at bay, boards are seeking new ways to govern and oversee firms. Will it work?
• The 2024 Essentials - Catch up on the biggest stories of 2024, with insights on the job market, workplace technology, and the changing face of leadership.

Check out Briefings, our bimonthly national magazine, for in-depth and unusual looks at critical leadership issues.