As HR and Learning & Development (L&D) professionals look to the year ahead, the core challenges of 2024—talent retention, strategic alignment, skill development, budget constraints, and employee engagement—will continue evolving, with new priorities emerging.
Blanchard has just sent out invitations for its 2025 HR / L&D Trends Survey to identify the top challenges leadership, learning, and talent development professionals expect to face. How will 2025 results compare with this year’s? Below are some of the issues we will be tracking.
Interested in getting a copy of the results when they are released in December? Complete the short 7-minute survey and you’ll be invited to receive a free copy of the report and a webinar breaking down the results. Use this link to access the survey.
Contrasting 2024 and 2025 Challenges
In 2024, HR and L&D leaders were focused on foundational issues: aligning talent strategies, addressing immediate skills gaps, and adapting to a hybrid work model. In 2025, we think these challenges will remain top of mind and continue to evolve as organizations refine strategies to anticipate long-term workforce needs and technological advancements.
For example:
· Talent Retention in 2024 centered on competitive wages and flexible work. In 2025, it will broaden to include proactive succession planning, finding the right people with the necessary skills and experience to be competitive in the market, and holistic career growth to future-proof the workforce.
· Skill Development in 2024 focused on keeping up with rapid change. In 2025, it will most likely be more anticipatory and targeted on building leadership bench strength through tailored experiences that teach critical-thinking skills, digital fluency, and a continuous-learning mindset—together with an increased emphasis on empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence skills.
· Employee Engagement in 2024 focused on culture and well-being basics. In 2025, it will almost certainly encompass an expanded focus on recognition, rewards, well-being, and inclusion to create a resilient, psychologically safe, and engaged workplace culture.
· Technology Integration in 2024 centered on exploring AI’s potential. In 2025, it will require the addition of guidelines for ethical AI use and strategies for data privacy. From an HR/L&D perspective, the focus will be on using AI to assist in two areas:
o Career Development—by analyzing an employee’s skills and offering suggestions on which skills should be addressed; and
o Performance Management—by analyzing employee data and providing insights to managers.
Big Questions for HR and L&D in 2025
· Leadership Adaptability and Empathy: How can leaders continuously adapt to meet both business demands and employee well-being needs in a changing world?
· Learning Agility and Reskilling: How can L&D departments rapidly develop learning solutions that empower employees to learn in real time and bridge skill gaps quickly?
· Personalization in Development Programs: What role will personalization play in creating meaningful and impactful development experiences for employees at all levels?
As we look ahead to the coming year, HR and L&D professionals will continue to identify ways to navigate the complexities of 2025 by aligning talent development with business objectives. The goal: to create resilient organizations that can thrive in a rapidly changing environment. What will those strategies look like? We invite you to participate in Blanchard’s 2025 survey, which will help to inform data-driven strategies now and into the future.
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