New Rules of Work: 2025 Trends Leaders Can’t Ignore
2025 is bringing big shifts to the workplace, for senior leaders and managers, keeping up with these shifts is necessary to ensure the culture and morale remains as well as it can be.
Here’s what you need to know to support your team and stay on track.
The 4-day working week – to implement or not to implement?
The idea of a 4-day workweek is becoming more and more popular as companies explore ways to boost productivity while giving their employees flexibility. Some businesses that have implemented this model report better mental health, reduced burnout and greater job satisfaction. However, challenges such as workload management, customer expectations and maintaining business operations need careful consideration before making the shift.
Action for managers: Evaluate whether a 4-day workweek aligns with your company’s goals and operational needs. Run small-scale trials, gather employee feedback and measure productivity changes before making an informed decision.
Also, it might sound obvious, but don’t give everyone the same day off, for it to work you’ll need a core team every day, so each person, in the sales team for example, needs to select a different day off.
Is the Degree Dead?
Businesses have been moving towards hiring based on experience and actual ability rather than degrees or prior job titles for some time, but it is now appearing to be the standard approach in 2025.
This shift allows managers to open up the talent pool and build teams with varying skills across the board to help future-proof the business.
Skills-based hiring also creates opportunities for individuals from non-traditional backgrounds and gives everyone a chance to succeed and bring fresh perspectives to the workplace.
Action for managers: Update job descriptions to focus on outcomes and transferable skills. Work with HR and/or Recruitment to create tools that test practical abilities. Encourage candidates to showcase their skills through portfolios, tests or short tasks.
Work Perks – not just a nice to have
Well-being initiatives are shifting from “nice-to-have” to core business strategies. Mental health, work-life balance and financial security are integral to maintaining a supportive and healthy work environment. Companies that fail to prioritise employee wellbeing risk higher turnover rates and lower morale.
Action for managers: Use platforms like Hapi or OpenUp to provide holistic wellness initiatives, including fitness challenges and mental health resources. Additionally, offer flexible work arrangements and ensure employees have access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) for professional counselling and support.
Using AI to enhance not takeover jobs
Automation and AI are making work faster and easier, but they’re also reshaping roles and workflows. While technology can streamline tasks and boost efficiency, it also requires careful implementation to avoid creating a sense of job insecurity. When used effectively, these tools can free up employees to focus on creative and strategic work rather than the day-to-day grind
Action for managers: Introduce technology as a helping tool, not a replacement. Ask your team to suggest platforms and AI features that can help the business grow and help the boat go faster. Be transparent about the purpose of implementing new technologies and involve your team in decisions about their use. You might see it as an extra cost but in time it could save your teams outs of administrative work and give them time to be more creative and innovative.
Swap annual performance reviews for performance ‘check-ins’
Not only does ‘check in’ sound less formal than a performance review but it will help with putting your team at ease and cause less apprehension and stress as the meeting approaches. Annual reviews are seen as too far apart and are being replaced by frequent, regular feedback or quarterly check-ins. Employees value regular, actionable insights over year-end assessments. By providing frequent feedback, managers can address issues earlier, celebrate successes in real time and help employees grow more effectively.
Action for managers: Use feedback tools like CultureAmp or 15Five to help manage the ‘check-ins’ and document any actions. Also try to have them face to face, away from the office, if logistically possible – this helps with building rapport and a less formal environment.
Moving Forward
As we continue to move through 2025, the most successful managers will be those who embrace change with curiosity and care. By prioritising flexibility and agility over ‘always doing what we’ve done’ and staying on top of emerging trends, you can lead your team to success instead of wondering why everyone is leaving.
