Workplace trends in 2025: Hybrid Work, AI Impact and Employee Engagement
We went through the tech trends that await us in 2025 but in this article, we’ll talk about everything developers can expect from their workplaces and the key factors HRs should focus on in 2025. So keep on reading, as we break down each aspect of workplace trends for 2025.
Is remote work still an option?
Starting from COVID-19, this trend still is massively present in the U.S. but Southeastern Europe is facing its fade out. Companies are still asking their employees to visit the office at least twice per week if not more often.
We’ve said goodbye for good to the office from 9-5, 5 days of week way of working, and what we see lately is the rise of office first, hybrid or flexible working hours type of thing. Anyway, you must be in the office for a couple of days during the working week but do you really need to stay all day is still negotiable.
What HRs are now focusing on is building the office setup to reflect flexibility, employees’ well-being and social gatherings. Rather than just having a desk to work at, we see flexible working stations (such as work points, collaborative areas for teamwork and comfy lounges for casual check-ins). Workpoints are adaptive work settings that can be booked in Calendars (just like any other meeting room) and used by anyone throughout the day. This way anyone can choose their preferred option depending on the type of work that needs to be done or just the current mood the person is in.
What also becomes very important for organizations and HRs, is building a culture where employee engagement is prioritized over attendance. Simply being present at the office is not what hybrid work aims for, rather leaders want to see co-workers that are creative, energized and that bring their maximum to the table.
The impact of AI
We all know how disruptive has been the introduction of AI into our everyday lives. What HRs can already confirm is the rise of AI CV catfishing. We have all used different templates and text generators for our CVs but now, beautifying it becomes so high that you’re not even the same person as before. Not only are we used to glorify our achievements on LinkedIn we are not pretending that we are something we are not. And that can be extremely dangerous in recruiting, seeing those AI-generated CVs and trying to do CV screening. Almost always you have to do a reference check and see the candidate in person, otherwise, you don’t know even what you are dealing with.
The whole hiring process will be impacted and HRs might want to use random words in their job ads just to check if the word has been used by an AI-generated CV or if someone has really paid attention to it.
But there are also good things that AI has brought to HR software, such as assessing DEI (Diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives within the company, digesting team’s or companies’ performance or just bringing certain trends to the surface.
Recruiting trends in 2025
What we saw by the end of 2024 is that most of the companies are hiring to accommodate growth. Some companies are already experiencing it but some are hiring just by having potential projects on the horizon. If you are looking for a job, make sure to check this at the interview. If some projects are just planned and wished for, you might as well lose your job once those projects disappear from the radar.
Engineering managers and leaders in general are now becoming very important for organizations since we have finally realized their importance in IT companies. We can see job ads like that being more and more present on job boards, but in general hiring in the IT industry in SouthEast Europe is in a kind of cool-off period.
To prevent burnout and over-hiring, teams seek more contract professionals for relief. That might sound strange to you, but actually, when you think about it, it’s a great idea since you can address any project ramp-up and potential issues with existing projects. Also, contractors are easier to fire and they are very helpful when you need an extra pair of hands. That brings us to the next point: Gig and freelance workforce management. Onboarding for freelance and gig workers, ensuring smooth incorporation and efficient collaboration with permanent staff will be the focus of every HR team.
Rising employee detachment
Although we are aware of all the available tools for handling hybrid and remote workers, looks like managing their motivation is still an issue. With the hiring market being at the cool off, some people who would wish to change their jobs can’t find the perfect option so they get stuck into their current roles. One way of coping with it is that you stop to care, detach yourself from the company and the team and even rethink any freelance options you once thought of.
The challenge remains in 2025 but we should see this trend fading out by the end of 2025.
Perfect workplace in 2025
In 2025 the workplace will go beyond the collection of experiences and move towards a space designed to foster intentional transformations.
It’s not a place anymore where we work and earn a living, it’s a place where we transform personally and professionally. Let’s see if we will reach that bar by the end of 2025.
