5 Areas of Focus for HR in 2025

As we step into 2025, the HR world continues to evolve, bringing new opportunities and challenges. Here’s a look at some of the key focus areas for HR professionals in the coming year. These insights draw on Maxxia’s expertise within employee benefits and aim to help you navigate the changes, support your team, and make a meaningful impact.

Key Takeaways: 5 Areas of Focus for HR in 2025

• Support Financial Wellbeing: Offer programs like financial literacy, budgeting workshops, and benefits such as salary packaging to help ease financial stress and boost engagement.
• Strengthen Culture and EVP: Activate core values, empower managers, and showcase unique benefits to attract and retain talent while fostering alignment and recognition.
• Prioritise Flexibility and Inclusion: Implement flexible policies and expand initiatives that cater to diverse employee needs, ensuring inclusivity and competitiveness in the talent market.

1. Financial wellbeing

Money worries are a major source of stress for employees, and can often spill over into the workplace. Research tells us that 73% of financially stressed employees say they would be attracted to another employer that cares more about their financial wellbeing.¹

Organisations can help by:

• Offering financial literacy programs to empower employees to better manage their money.
• Providing resources like budgeting workshops or debt management support to ease financial stress.
• Highlighting benefits that can promote long-term financial security, such as salary packaging or retirement planning.

Helping your team feel financially secure doesn’t just reduce stress—it also boosts engagement and loyalty.

2. Embedding and activating organisational culture

A strong organisational culture is the backbone of any successful company, yet many leaders struggle to turn values into action. Some steps that could make culture a daily reality include:

• Clearly defining and sharing core values at every level of the organisation.
• Empowering Managers to promote employee wellbeing and utilise benefits.

When culture is more than just words on paper, it aligns teams and strengthens your organisation.

3. Strategic workforce planning

With economic uncertainties and talent shortages, a strategic approach to workforce planning is more important than ever. Gartner research shows that 76% of chief human resource officers surveyed are investing in their EVP to support current employee engagement and to support attraction and retention.²

Consider:

• Identifying the skills your organisation will need in the future and planning to build, buy, or borrow talent as required.
• Using your EVP to attract and retain that top talent.
• Shifting from reactive to proactive planning ensures your team is ready for what’s next.

4. Enhancing Employee Value Proposition

A strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is key to attracting and retaining great talent. Hays recruitment reports that 63% of employees say they would stay with their employer because of the benefits offered.³

Focus on:

• Highlighting the unique benefits of working with your organisation, from innovative wellbeing programs to recognition initiatives.
• Creating a supportive culture that celebrates achievements and encourages growth.
• Offering benefits that cater to a wide range of employee needs, ensuring inclusivity and engagement.

A compelling EVP can make all the difference in today’s competitive talent market.

5. Flexibility and inclusion

The demand for flexible and inclusive work environments isn’t going anywhere. To meet these expectations:

• Work with teams to create flexible policies that balance productivity and personal needs.
• Expand initiatives that support employees with diverse needs, including those with health challenges or caregiving responsibilities.
• Organisations that embrace flexibility and inclusion will stand out as employers of choice.

These focus areas offer a roadmap for HR professionals to navigate the shifting workplace landscape. By addressing financial wellbeing, culture, and your EVP you can support your people while driving organisational success.

At Maxxia, we’re here to help you on this journey. Whether it’s through salary packaging, financial wellbeing programs, or workforce planning tools, we offer tailored solutions to support your goals. Explore more resources and insights at the Maxxia Resources Hub.

1. PwC, Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 2023

2. Gartner: EVP Benchmarks: CHRO and Employee Perspectives- 16 October 2024- ID G00821303

3. Hays FY24/25 Salary Guide Australia

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