HR leaders share 2025 goals: Tech-powered performance, employee engagement

Last year brought ongoing change in workplaces as many organizations struggled transitioning to hybrid work, integrating new technology like generative AI tools, and navigating social issues and politics driving incivility among staff. This year they want to do better.

We asked a range of HR leaders for their 2025 goals. Using tech to enhance people functions like performance management, exployee and manager experience, was a core pattern, as was intentions to better understand the perspective shifts of Gen Z. Here is a selection.

Emily Woolard, vp of HR at GMR Protection Resources, a security consulting firm, with 100 employees based in the Dallas Fort-Worth metro area:

• Foster an environment of continuous learning.

One key goal for Woolard is better marketing the learning opportunities GMR offers. ”When you’re in human resources, your benefits and what you can provide to employees to help them develop and grow are kind of your marketing materials,” she said.

Staff can take courses through a learning management system on how to be a first-time manager, emotional intelligence and other soft skills, and more technical skills. It also has a challenge and award for those who participate. GMR also offers education reimbursement for employees who want to grow and develop in their roles by pursuing certifications related to their jobs, such as a PMP certification for a project manager.

• Implement new technologies to streamline performance management.

Woolard is excited to introduce a new performance management system, Perform Yard, that streamlines the process and takes a more holistic, ongoing approach to how daily progress translates into achieving long-term goals. The software offers transparency into key KPIs from those at the top of an organization to the bottom, offering greater visibility into how each employee’s contributions help meet business outcomes. 

“We’re trying to align the process from an administrative standpoint, but most importantly, to make the process easier for employees to see what they have done over the course of the year and how it’s impacted the overall goals. And so it’s a motivator in a lot of ways,” Woolard said. 

“We’ve been old school, sending out Excel sheets to every manager, asking them to type in, send the copy for review, send it to their manager, have that manager then send it back to HR, then the employee sits down and does the review,” she said. “This gives an employee full access to their entire performance every step of the way, and it gives a manager the ability to track and communicate with that person throughout the year and keep it all in one place.”

• Drive engagement and create opportunities to ensure employees feel valued.

“Engagement really means, how happy are you at work? And the happier you are, the more productive you’re going to be. You’re going to actually want to be there. And so I find engagement probably the biggest piece when it comes to the people planning of a company,” Woolard said.

Last year GMR conducted an internal engagement survey, asking questions about preferences when it comes to events, and whether staff prefer public or private recognition, for instance. Woolard used those results to come up with a plan and budget for engagement initiatives in 2025.

Next week GMR will have a pet costume competition, where staff can submit photos of their costumed pets for a winning title. Another unique team-building event it recently conducted had staff across departments bring a random item from their desks to a conference room. There, employees across teams were asked to complete a wrapping paper competition of their oddly-shaped items. 

“We’re creating an environment that has a level of fun, and ability for us to take breaks throughout the day, because the monotony of the day can be really tiring,” she said.

KeyAnna Schmiedl, chief human experience officer at Workhuman:

• Align people needs with business goals.

This year Schmiedl’s goals focus on creating a better working experience while delivering for the business following some misalignment during the post-pandemic transition period experienced by many in the field. This is more important than ever “given the perpetual need for organizations to create alignment around what to speak about related to external events,” she said. It also comes as companies ask more of their employees, like coming into hybrid work arrangements, leaving HR to navigate how to support people with differing needs, like parental or mental health support.

• Pay greater attention to the needs of Gen Z employees.

In 2025, Gen Z will officially outnumber baby boomers in the workforce. “The slow perspective shift that’s been taking place, where a role isn’t a long-term investment but instead a stepping stone on the patchwork of experience that creates a career, is about to be kicked into high gear,” Schmiedl said. 

“HR needs to be ready for that perspective shift and to articulate the immediate and tangible impact their organization has. Benefits, company culture, growth opportunities and learning and development offerings — if something is out of order there, the organization will not be set up for success in the new year,” she added.

• Clarify the employee value proposition.

“As the head of the Human Experience function, I want us to be able to clearly articulate the employee value proposition and encourage all our people to explore the full range of our benefits with open feedback loops where people can share with us ideas for improvement,” she said. “At the same time, I also want to rebalance the alignment between people leaders/the business and our employees allowing us to set parameters in alignment with our values and working expectations that help to cement the clarity around business needs and skills development.”

Iryna Tkach, global director of talent management at SoftServe, an IT company headquartered in Austin, Texas:

• Elevate the manager experience.

Last year SoftServe launched an AI-based search assistant to support managers in their roles. “I will continue to enhance the tools, resources, and development pathways available to managers. The goal is to empower them further in leading their teams with confidence, fostering engagement, and driving performance in an evolving workplace,” Tkach said.

• Strengthen human-centric change management in HR.

“As our business navigates rapid shifts, I aim to elevate HR’s ability to lead change in a more empathetic, employee-centered way. This includes equipping HR teams with the skills and frameworks to manage transformation initiatives with greater care and sensitivity, ensuring smoother transitions for employees,” she said.

• Upskill HR with AI and emerging tools.

Building on the momentum of an internal future of work conference, Tkach plans to focus on embedding AI and emerging technologies into HR workflows. “By upskilling HR teams and integrating AI-driven tools, we aim to enhance efficiency, decision-making, and the overall employee experience,” she said.