For leaders in human resources (HR) creating a culture of connection is a top priority, according to a recent survey. Connection, according to a Gartner survey of HR leaders, is the key to making culture stick. Culture, in many ways the collection of shared stories and agreed-upon principles in the workplace, can foster an environment of collaboration and performance. A sense of connection is the foundation of engagement – and that cultural connection is an experience, not an app. For HR leaders looking ahead to 2025, new strategies for support and performance are concentrating on connection.
Connection and Engagement in 2025
Emily Field, a partner at McKinsey, notes that managers in 2024 were being asked to “do more with less”, while feeling limited by a lack of autonomy. Gartner says that 75% HR leaders surveyed in July 2024 reported their managers are overwhelmed by the expansion of their responsibilities, and nearly as many (69%) agreed leaders and managers are not equipped to lead change in 2025. Connection to a high-performance culture can help, as Forbes point out that culture drives performance. Indeed, 76% of U.S. employees agree that there is a clear link between culture and personal productivity, according to a Workplace Culture Survey. In 2025, how can HR leaders (and employees) find connection – and greater productivity – inside a performance-focused culture?
A dichotomy exists within the workforce in 2025: as the number of management roles shrinks, the workload for mid-level managers is increasing. As a result, the need for self-leadership and autonomy has never been greater. AI can enhance productivity, but self-leadership is an internal game. Offloading tasks and workflows for managers is important (via AI) but the people inside the process is where HR leaders need to focus. When it comes to culture, there’s not an app for that. Sure, Slack and other tools can facilitate communication – but does that mean that employees experience a feeling of connection, value and purpose? Engagement is a personal issue, not just a technical challenge or number on a spreadsheet. The experience of work is what matters, and that experience is shifting in 2025. Self-leadership, culture and connection are top topics for HR leaders, challenged to do more with less in 2025.
Focusing on Gen Z: Connection for HR Leaders in 2025
Right now, Gen Z now represents a fifth of the U.S. Labor Force, outnumbering Baby Boomers. In 2025, it’s predicted that 1 in 10 managers will be Gen Z. Unless those jobs get eliminated. Or the new Gen Z managers can’t cut it due to lack of training (or interest). McKinsey partner Field says an “experimentation mindset” will serve companies well here. “Let’s test and learn,” she says, “and then let’s refine based on what serves [HR leaders and employees].” The burden falls on teams (and team leaders) to find exactly which tools would be most helpful in alleviating their managers’ specific pressures in 2025. Hot take: maybe those tools don’t involve tech.
Training is the solution, according to every HR expert since god was a boy. Perhaps that approach is in need of a refresh, if engagement is really the goal.
For 2025, leaders must consider where training falls short. Mark Whittle, Vice President of Advisory in the Gartner HR practice, says, “Although 75% of organizations have made significant updates to their leadership development programs, and more than half are increasing spending on leader development, they are not seeing results.”
Does training for a skill or task consider shifting worker expectations, state of mind or receptivity? How do you “train” for culture, engagement, motivation and resiliency? Can you train on tribal knowledge and savoir-faire, or do we rely on instinct or AI to give us those things?
Connection or Disengagement? A Question of Focus
Perhaps organizations are looking in the wrong direction. While AI can facilitate workflows and accelerate processes, it can also alienate workforces and foster isolation. Training provides instruction on a process, but what about the people inside the process? Coaching, particularly for new managers, can help – meeting people where they are, and introducing new perspectives on the future of work. By understanding the people inside the process, coaching connects performance to the person, driving greater self-leadership (and savoir-faire). Daniel Zhao is an economist at Glassdoor, and he says that the discussion around the human aspects of work is where HR leaders need to focus.
“There’s much more emphasis in the last five years on emotional intelligence for leaders and managers. [Plus] much more discussion around employee well-being, setting boundaries, providing clarity.” With those factors at play, “Gen Z is being asked to raise the bar on good leadership,” Zhao adds, without mentioning that the leadership bar is being raised across all generations. Human resources pros are seeking new ways to adapt, in 2025.
Training programs instruct on process, and AI is a part of that picture. But state of mind is what shapes performance – and connection is what drives engagement. For HR leaders, how does coaching factor into your blueprint? The experience of connection is the key to an engaged and effective culture in 2025.