Savvy employers should keep abreast of the latest developments, technologies and best practices within their industries to stay one step ahead of the competition. As workplace trends constantly evolve, remaining agile and adapting working models to blossoming trends can help organizations improve company culture, retain employees and fuel growth.
Consider the following workplace trends for 2025:
- Reskilling and upskilling—The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how organizations work, making adaptability a critical skill for employers across industries. AI will make some manual tasks obsolete in the future, but its evolution may also demand new, novel skills. To be competitive in the year ahead, organizations should remain agile and find ways to help their workforce keep up with AI developments through upskilling and reskilling initiatives.
- Human-centric leadership—As AI automates tasks, leadership roles may shift from operational to people management. Rather than focusing on managing tasks, managers might focus on making emotional connections with employees, which is crucial to nurturing their teams through rapid change. Organizations would be wise to develop emotional intelligence among leaders in 2025.
- Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)—Even though they are still emerging, AR and VR technologies may begin to transform how employees connect, collaborate and learn in 2025. These technologies may be particularly beneficial for employee training. Specifically, VR simulation training can provide immersive, hands-on training to allow workers to practise complex tasks without the risk of injury.
- Hybrid work—Although some business leaders have encouraged their workers to return to the office, remote work remains popular among employees striving for a solid work-life balance. Hybrid work may become the default working arrangement for employers looking to boost retention rates in 2025. This pattern is particularly popular with younger Canadians; 70% of workers between the ages of 20 and 24 prefer hybrid work, according to a recent report by the University of Waterloo and RBC Future Launch.
- Sustainability—Environmental responsibility has become essential to attract socially conscious employees, and this trend is set to continue throughout 2025. In fact, more than 70% of employees say that environmentally sustainable companies are more attractive to work for, according to multinational technology company IBM.
Organizations should be ready to adapt, embrace technology and prioritize sustainability in 2025. Keeping abreast of developments that could impact profitability throughout the year may help organizations increase resilience and achieve growth.