Top trends that could shape the workplace in 2025

With 2024 drawing to an end, many are already predicting some of the major trends that could have a major impact on the workplace in 2025.

Employment platform SEEK is already looking ahead to 2025, predicting some of the biggest trends that could potentially shape the Australian workplace next year.

Hot demand in some pockets of the market

“The healthcare and social assistance industry has been responsible for a large share of employment growth over the last decade, and this is likely to continue in 2025,” said Blair Chapman, senior economist at SEEK.

“Outside of the care sector, the following three areas should start to see growth from as early as 2025:

• Information and communication technology;
• Transport and logistics; and
• Retail and hospitality.

“Employment for programmers and data scientists is likely to continue growing quickly as businesses look to keep up with the increasing use of AI by their employees, clients, and competitors.

“The use of online delivery services will continue to drive demand for workers in the logistics sector, so it is likely that demand for truck drivers and warehouse staff like store persons and forklift drivers will remain elevated in 2025.

“With cost-of-living pressures expected to ease and the potential for interest rate cuts in 2025, the demand for retail and hospitality workers should pick up in 2025 as households have a little more disposable income to spend.”

Better use of AI to help the job search

As AI continues to soar through the Australian workplace, an area it is predicted to impact greatly is the recruitment space. With AI-generated résumés becoming common practice, recruitment strategies will have to adapt, whilst jobseekers must realise they cannot over-rely on the technology.

“With the rise of generative AI tools, candidates and hirers have been increasingly leveraging AI to assist with the employment process, including in the development of résumés, cover letters and to help write job ads,” said Grant Wright, group executive of artificial intelligence at SEEK.

“When used appropriately, AI can enhance résumés and job applications by refining ideas and helping candidates showcase their best selves. But it’s important that jobseekers maintain control over their content and ensure it remains true to who they are.”

“Relying too heavily on AI risks losing personal touch, making it harder to stand out and challenging for employers to trust the authenticity of the information provided.”

Reducing friction in the hiring process

Once again, focusing on both the recruitment and hiring process, creating efficiency is predicted to be a crucial endeavour.

“Creating efficiency in the hiring process has always been a motivator for product innovation at SEEK, but in the current cost-conscious environment, with a relatively tight labour market and extremely high application volumes, the time and effort that goes into the recruitment process is an increasingly crucial problem to solve for most hirers,” said Simon Lusted, group executive of product at SEEK.

“Our focus is on reducing friction, or hold-ups, when hiring and in surfacing good candidates in real time, reducing the lag between deciding to hire and making an offer.

“From writing the job ad to salary benchmarking, shortlisting candidates, and following up, our world-class technology, backed by insights from over 40m candidate relationships, is helping hirers find the right person, faster.”

What’s driving happiness at work?

Finally, for businesses, figuring out what is going to motivate and make their employees happy in 2025 will directly affect their business outcomes, as it’s been proven time and time again how intertwined employee engagement and productivity are.

“The happiness of our workers may not seem as crucial a topic as it might have been two years ago, during the post-lockdown Great Job Boom, but a happy and engaged workforce is vital for an efficient and productive organisation,” said Aimee Hutton, head of customer insights and strategy at SEEK.

“Having a purpose at work is the top driver of workplace happiness. However, for younger workers who are starting out in their careers, the type of work, who they work with, and where are the key factors contributing to their happiness.”

The factors that rank as most important to happiness at work for Gen Z are:

• Day-to-day responsibilities;
• Senior leadership;
• Their team and colleagues;
• Work/life balance; and
• Career progression opportunities.

“While rising operating costs and reduced hiring budgets may continue to drive business decisions as we head into 2025, we also know that it is vital for businesses to understand and foster engagement among their employees for the betterment of both the business and their workers,” said Hutton.

Kace O'Neill

Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.