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Vietnamese “Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2025” is a recently released survey conducted by Gartner on 1,400 HR leaders across all major industries in 60 countries. 49 per cent of the respondents are CHROs.
The result reveals that the majority of HR leaders in the survey prioritise the following five areas:
So, what are those key priorities, and what should HR leaders do? Below is a quick summary of each matter.
Source: Gartner
1. Leader and manager development
According to Gartner’s survey, the number of HR leaders who said their managers are feeling overwhelmed by their increased responsibilities is up to an alarming 75%. Not only that, 70% stated their current leadership programs are inefficient and thus unable to equip their managers with the necessary skills for today and tomorrow.
Traditional methods, such as typical seminars or lectures, do not help acquire skills but hurt overall development. Despite still providing credible value, they simply do not match the current unprecedented fast pace of the business.
There are also the following issues that might explain the reason why traditional leadership development hinders individuals’ growth:
- Overbearing with theoretical concepts and frameworks with limited practical applications
- Generic, one-size-fits-all content coupled with one-way communication and limited engagement from participants
- Lack of personalised programs, instructors have difficulty giving feedback to each participant
Read more: A Dilemma in Leadership Development: Performance vs. Potential
A final yet detrimental factor is the lack of follow-up and reinforcement plans. Once a particular training or seminar is over, the manager is on their own and is expected to incorporate what they have learned into the daily operations immediately. No cushioned period, no reflection, and no follow-up and adjustment in between.
This requires HR leaders to rethink their development strategy, placing more emphasis on ongoing approaches that embody practical learning, real-world challenges, and peer interactions in everyday tasks.
This means prioritising plans centred around collaboration, on-the-job learning, and regular follow-up rather than a one-off event. HR leaders can consider a blend of learning methods—from in-person to virtual, one-on-one, etc.—to maximise efforts.
Today's modern leaders must possess greater resilience than ever before. Therefore, they must possess the necessary tools and knowledge to manage the ongoing changes in the market.
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2. Organisational culture
Culture develops where people are present. Various studies have proven businesses with healthy, well-recognised cultures tend to innovate better. A common theme among them is a strong sense of employee engagement. An environment with a shared culture and agreed-upon principles can help nurture collaboration and performance.
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As the workforce dynamics continue to change at a rapid pace, managers are pushed upon more and more responsibilities - they need to boost not just their own but also their team members’ productivity while also ensuring everyone is engaged.
When managers are busy chasing the numbers, it is easy for them to forfeit the rest.
57 per cent of HR leaders in the Gartner research state that “managers do not enforce the company’s culture,” while 53 per cent state “leaders don’t feel accountable“ to demonstrate the cultural values organisations want.
Thus, aligning the company’s vision with reality remains a priority for HR leaders in 2025. However, how can all members of the company, regardless of the positions, find the connection (and eventually productivity) in a performance-focused culture?
Read more: Transitioning from Culture Fit to Culture Add: The Strategy
The challenge facing HR leaders is providing a support system concentrating on engagement to align employees’ daily behaviours with the company’s values. For starters, they need to ensure every member understands the desired values (exemplary right actions/ behaviours versus the wrong ones). It will be the responsibility of team leaders and managers to oversee the movement and demonstrate their commitment to these values.
Many are fast to jump on the AI train, hoping the advanced technology can help offload some of the daily operational burdens. It does in some way, but employee engagement is a people process, not a technical issue. What matters and is vital to the process are the people involved. No app can straighten a crooked belief.
Learn more: Strengthening the Vital Link: Developing Growth Mindset in Middle Managers
3. Strategic workforce planning
According to Gartner, 66 per cent of respondents state that their workforce planning still heavily focuses on headcount planning. They also indicate a struggle to explain the ROI for strategic planning initiatives.
In 2025, HR leaders need to broaden their focus beyond immediate staffing needs and develop comprehensive, capabilities-focused plans that look two or more years into the future.
This means shifting from a reactive approach, where the primary concern is filling current vacancies, to a proactive strategy that anticipates future organisational needs as well as trends and challenges that may impact the organisation.
Read more: Will Skills-Based Hiring Overtake Degree Requirements?
Doing so allows HR leaders to identify emerging essential skills for future success and create strategies to cultivate these skills within their workforce. This forward-thinking approach involves analysing industry trends, understanding the evolving talent landscape, and identifying the skills and competencies crucial for success.
It requires a deep dive into the potential impacts of technological innovations, demographic shifts, and global economic changes, allowing HR to develop more resilient talent strategies that are not only effective but also aligned with business goals.
This approach to strategic workforce planning will enable businesses to close critical skill gaps, ensuring both leaders and employees are well-prepared for potential disruptions or economic downturns. Consequently, HR departments also prove their pivotal role in driving the organisation's growth and sustainability.
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4. Change management
Whether businesses want to admit it or not, it is a fact that employees and leaders are facing constant and rapid transformations post-pandemic. Not all of these transformations have positive impacts on the employees and organisations.
Consider the change in work models. In just five years, the corporate world has experienced three significant and abrupt changes. The first is the change from traditional office settings, where employees would commute daily to a central location, to remote work environments that allow individuals to perform their duties from the comfort of their homes.
The latest transition we witness is the evolution from remote to hybrid work models, which combine both remote and in-office work, offering flexibility and the opportunity to balance personal and professional responsibilities.
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All of these changes require organisations to rethink their infrastructures, policies, and culture to support a borderless and dynamic workforce. Moreover, employees are required to develop new skills to cope and respond to changes.
Let's also not forget about the shift in technology used in the daily work. These tools have evolved faster than ever before. Today, how tasks are performed and decisions are made has significantly transformed since the wide adoption of smart techs like Generative AI.
73% of HR leaders in the Gartner research report that their employees are experiencing change fatigue, a state of mental and emotional exhaustion caused by the constant need to adapt to new normalcies.
Additionally, 74% state that managers are not adequately equipped to lead change and guide their teams through these transitions, further complicating organisational progress.
In 2025, HR leaders must prioritise building change resilience by moving away from the usual top-down change approach and equipping employees with the skills and necessary mindset.
HR leaders need to identify internal change influencers to encourage a more inclusive approach and foster an environment that welcomes new ideas and feedback. These special influencers can bridge the gaps between upper management and their colleagues and translate strategic goals into actionable steps, thus increasing change adoption rates.
This sense of ownership and engagement not only boosts morale but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Read more: Want to Grow? Move Out Of Your Comfort Zone and Into the Growth Zone!
5. HR technology
Recognising the critical role that advanced technology plays in maintaining a competitive edge, companies are increasingly adopting new technologies. HR technology in 2025 will receive more attention as businesses aim to continue optimising their IT investments.
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However, despite these efforts, a significant 55% of HR leaders express concerns that their current solutions fall short of meeting the rapidly evolving business needs. Furthermore, an alarming 51% report an inability to measure the ROI on technology investments.
This is not to undermine the potential of new technological solutions. For instance, Gen AI holds immersive power to transform all business processes, including HR. The focus in 2025 for businesses and HR leaders should be on long-term, sustainable values instead of short-term efficiency bursts.
In other words, merely automating routine admin tasks is not enough. HR technology needs to enrich the employee experience, refine and optimise workflows, and drive innovations within the HR function. This could mean that in addition to having dedicated budgets for training, users can fully leverage the solutions for their work.
The role of HR professionals in shaping the workplace has always been crucial. However, the results of the recent Gartner study clearly indicate that businesses must adopt technology to streamline their operations.
This technological shift is not just a trend but a necessity, enabling HR leaders and managers across the organisation to focus more on people-centric processes, such as creating more tailored leadership development programs, enhancing organisational culture, and optimising workforce plans that align with the company's long-term goals.
The question is, are you ready to take up the challenge and act now?
