Hiring for potential, hiring fraud, retention strategies and more
Hello, and welcome to WorkLife’s 5 things newsletter. In this weekly newsletter, we will spotlight five things to know about the latest issues affecting modern workplaces.
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Here are 5 things to know about work this week.
1. Hiring for potential, not perfection may be the solution to finding fresh talent in 2025
Companies are continuing to move away from the traditional approach of seeking “perfect” candidates who check every box in a job description, instead embracing a more nuanced strategy: hiring for potential.
The shift in the way businesses search for talent has been happening for some time but has taken on new urgency as competition for the best people has become fiercer.
“Employers would go on tireless hunts for the ‘perfect’ candidate,” said Kareem Bakr , managing director and co-head of North America at global recruiter Phaidon International . “However, as new technology creates roles that have only existed for a short period of time and the fight for top talent remains competitive, employers are thinking outside of the box.”
2. Hiring fraud: why AI in recruitment could still be a mess in 2025
Generative AI tools are poised to take over a variety of more basic job functions. And In HR, recruiting and hiring is one area ripe for AI integration.
“There’s a significant chunk of the recruiting process that can be fully automated through AI,” said Jackie Watrous , senior director analyst in Gartner ’s HR technology practice.
But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. Some of the new tools have flaws or come with ethical and bias concerns. Some workers are hesitant to engage with AI bots and other features during the hiring process. And employers are running into more cases of candidate fraud as job seekers use the tools themselves to enhance application materials.
There’s still a long way to go, and here are some major kinks employers will need to work out when it comes to using AI tools in their hiring processes in the coming year.
3. Tech shifts and employee demands – HR’s transformative year ahead
Led by technological advancement, shifting demographics and evolving employee expectations, HR leaders are set to confront unprecedented change in workplace dynamics in 2025 — and at the same time, never have so many people managers been as empowered to determine the course of their organizations.
Heads of HR are assuming larger, more strategic roles as CEOs see them as increasingly indispensable, leading to many ranking HR execs achieving the title of chief people officer.
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“In 2025, as organizations reevaluate best practices and understand the value of people-centric business strategies, they’ll find that HR leaders are their biggest asset,” said Ray Martinelli , chief people officer at content management platform Contentful . “People leaders across the board have a unique opportunity to act as key drivers in company operations to reshape workforce dynamics and nurture a positive company culture.”
4. WorkLife Research: A guide to the retention strategies that matter most to employees
Hiring, onboarding and training new employees is expensive. To avoid this added cost, companies may find that engaging and supporting their current employees helps to retain a productive and loyal workforce. While attrition is natural, companies must monitor employee satisfaction and deliver growth opportunities to retain employees that the company has already invested in developing.
A study conducted by HR Acuity last year found that 37% of employees feel their employer lacks empathy, fairness and authenticity. Over a third of the 2,000 surveyed employees said they don’t fully trust their employer to make equitable decisions. Without trust, a loyal relationship between employee and employer is hard to build.
“Gen X parents were told you get a degree, you get a job, and you stay at that job for 25 years, or until you retire. In 2020 we saw this change, that as much as employees were loyal to the company, employers were not loyal to their employees,” explained Eric Mochnacz , director of operations at Red Clover , an HR consulting firm.
5. 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, employee and manager experience, was a core pattern, as was intentions to better understand the perspective shifts of Gen Z. Here is a selection.
Elsewhere in Digiday Media
Check out some of Digiday Media’s other stories on the future of work over the past week:
This is a weekly compilation of highlights from WorkLife’s daily newsletter. Sign up here to get WorkLife’s comprehensive work coverage in your inbox each morning.
This newsletter was curated by Courtney Marabella, senior social media/audience manager for Digiday. Let us know what you think, or what you hope to see more of, by dropping us a note at courtney@digiday.com.