Setting the Stage for 2025: December as a Springboard the Future

For some organizations, December is the period when things start slowing down, but it’s a great time to organize and prepare for the year to come. Instead of using the December period to wind down, organizations can use this time to prepare for the next year by looking at upcoming trends, setting goals and planning.

Reflect on the year that has passed

Before looking to the year ahead, it’s important to accurately assess and reflect on the year that has passed. This is a good time to establish what projects and initiatives worked and what didn’t work. This helps set up a good framework for the year ahead.

In terms of what objective data to evaluate and assess, HR should look at engagement scores, retention rates, project progress and certain productivity metrics. In addition to this, it’s also important that HR acknowledges feedback from employees, which is valuable in understanding the reasoning behind engagement scores, productivity metrics and overall employee performance and sentiment.

For example, if an organization struggled with cross-team collaboration due to a hybrid working model in the last year, they could implement tools, like Qualee, to bridge communication gaps in 2025.

Identify trends for the year ahead

Leadership teams should prepare for the year ahead by researching and identifying trends that they would like their organization to contribute to in the new year. It’s worth paying attention to highlighted trends as these will most likely shape the workforce for the coming year. It may be beneficial to use the December period as a time to test and pilot new strategies or tools with small teams, before deploying it to the wider organization in the new year.  

For example, there may be changes to current trends such as hybrid working or AI. Here are a few trends to keep an eye on for 2025:

Hybrid or Remote Working Environments
Remote work has gained much traction in recent years, as a result of COVID-19. However organizations have slowly started to change their approach to more of a hybrid model, encouraging employees to come into the office for a few days a week. 2025 could be a year of determining whether remote and hybrid work is here to stay or if in-office jobs make a return.

AI and Technology
The introduction of AI has brought a new dynamic to the workforce, most often increasing productivity and operational efficiency. With generative AI undergoing continuous advancements, we may see even more automation in the workplace and perhaps the creation of new jobs too.

Employee Engagement
With employees being the driving force behind successful organizations, more companies are realizing the importance of having engaged and satisfied employees in their workplaces. In 2025, we expect to see more importance placed on creating better employee experiences, with a focus on making the employee experience more personalized. In addition to this, there is more data available than ever before and as a result we expect to see more organizations leveraging data to drive decision making. Lastly, whether organizations continue to adopt a remote or hybrid approach or if organizations expand their market reach, we expect to see more prioritization on fostering connection among employees through employee engagement software, like Qualee.

Set Goals for the New Year

Often by the time December rolls around, organizations have ticked off their goals for the year and are now looking forward to the next year. This is a great time for organizations to set intentional and measurable goals for the organization as a whole, but also for teams and individual employees. During this exercise, it’s important to ensure that all the company, team and employee level goals or aims that are set, align with the overarching mission and vision of the organization. A key way to ensure successful execution of the goals that you set is to make use of OKR’s (Objectives and Key Results). As an idea, you could ask employees to state their goals for the year ahead in their end of year performance evaluation sessions and conduct small workshops with teams thereafter.

Plan Training Initiatives

‍When the year comes to a close, it’s a good time for organizations to reflect on employee skills, identify gaps and plan the necessary training initiatives or programs needed to address these areas and enable employees to do well in their roles.

Aside from identifying specific skills gaps, December is a good time to plan general training programs that all employees in the organization can benefit from in the new year. This may be training on the adoption of AI in the organization or courses on how to manage and understand data, both of these will significantly help employees in their roles as the workplace evolves.

In addition, to ensure continuous development for all employees, managers should use the December period to craft individual development plans for each of their team members.

Develop Contingency Plans

December is also a good time to plan and prepare for potential disruptions in the new year. Some examples include developing plans on how to manage economic difficulties, retain talent, potential restructuring or even technology challenges. If for example there may be economic challenges in the year, you could ensure that you have invested in initiatives that enhance employee engagement and satisfaction, ensuring the disruptions don’t have an effect on employee turnover.

Finish the Year off Strong

As much as December can be used to prepare for the coming year, it is equally important to ensure that you still end the year off on a high note and celebrate the company and individual wins for the year that has passed. By hosting an end of year celebration and acknowledging employees for their contributions and hard work, it leaves employees feeling motivated to start the next year off on a good note.

Conclusion

In conclusion, December is usually a period of slowing down after a busy year, however it’s also a great time to plan for the year ahead, identify trends and set new goals. Whether it be ensuring employee and organizational goals are aligned, planning training programs or developing contingency plans, ensuring you are prepared and well-equipped for the year to come will ensure overall organizational success.

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