What 2025 will mean for your career
The last five years have seen seismic change to our working circumstances, with Covid-induced shockwaves still rippling through our approach to careers and working life. The traditional working patterns of a pre-lockdown world have been thoroughly disrupted, with new ways of work, introduced initially as temporary measures to get us through the pandemic, becoming increasingly commonplace – despite insistence from some bosses that workers should return to the office on a full-time basis.
Now, 2025 could see these once-short-term changes becoming cemented by law, as the government looks to implement more remote options for employees, and to firm up stronger rights to flexible working. Aside from legal changes, rapid advancements in technology may also shift how we’d approach elements of work – with AI becoming more commonplace, and more powerful.
With so much changing, and so quickly, here's what we can expect from the world of work over the next 12 months.
1/ AI will become more widely used
From a somewhat gimmicky toy to a vital work tool, expect artificial intelligence to become a workplace mainstay. Statistics from the UK government found around 15% of businesses in the UK (thought to be around 432,000 companies), are using at least one piece of AI technology – with 10% of businesses planning to adopt AI more widely in the future.
Janine Chamberlin, head of the UK for LinkedIn, tells Harper’s Bazaar that now is the time for employees to master AI and use it to their benefit. Instead of being fretful over AI taking jobs, employees should see the new technology as an opportunity to upskill themselves.
“AI is stepping out of the innovation lab and into the day-to-day of the workplace,” she explains. “Statistics from LinkedIn show that 10% of global executives currently claim to be ‘leading’ in AI adoption; 2025 will see businesses getting serious about scaling AI to boost productivity and creativity.
“For professionals, AI skills are no longer optional – with 66% of business leaders saying they wouldn’t hire someone without them. The message is clear: if you want to future-proof your career, now’s the time to embrace AI.”
2/ The workplace will become multigenerational
They may have graduated in difficult circumstances and be taking up some of the most junior positions in offices, but Gen Z workers have already had a substantial impact on the office. From ‘quiet quitting’ to ‘consciously unbossing’, the younger generation is paving the way for a completely restructured – and potentially more equitable – working environment. Statistics from McKinsey found that 77% of Gen Z prioritise a work-life balance – something that may be at odds with older workers. Traditionally, Boomers and to an extent Millennials tend to equate hard work with success and may value professional achievements over personal time. Employees with such different outlooks on careers could lead to tensions in the workplace – but Chamberlin encourages managers to see disparate teams as an opportunity for people to learn different skills.
“With 30% of professionals saying they find it tricky to ask for help from different generations, there’s an opportunity to turn this diversity into a superpower,” she explains. “Imagine combining a Boomer's experience, a Millennial’s adaptability, and Gen Z’s digital fluency – it’s not just collaboration, it’s the future of innovation. UK leaders are recognising this dynamic, with 45% investing in upskilling to help teams work better together.”
3/ The hybrid-working debate
It’s the quandary that just won’t die for employers: whether or not employees should be brought back into office spaces permanently. Despite having proven benefits (one study found that 84% of workers were more productive in a home environment) and being particularly advantageous for women (89% of women in a report by IWG said that hybrid working has helped them achieve a better balance between work responsibilities and family commitments), many companies are insisting on bringing workers back five days a week. Tech giants such as Amazon, Apple and Google are adamant that the working from home days of the pandemic are over (although refreshingly, Spotify has stated that their employees "aren’t children" and that remote working is here to stay).
Companies that insist on taking a step away from flexibility may find themselves regretting their decision, as a lack of hybrid working may be a resigning issue for some workers; a study by Indeed found that one in three remote workers would quit their job if they were issued a return-to-office policy. It’s not something employers should take with a pinch of salt – the great resignation of 2021 only proved that people aren’t afraid to leave their jobs en masse if the environment no longer suits their needs.
Like with many career trends, it’s younger workers that are spearheading the movement and advocating for more flexible workspaces. A study by Joblift revealed that vacancies for digital nomads (those who can live abroad on a freelance visa) have increased by 8% month-on-month in the UK – four times the rate of the country's job market. Having since eased its working-holiday visa, which allows young people aged up to 35 to explore and work for three years, Australia is proving an increasingly popular destination for young Brits seeking opportunities to work from abroad. Nearly 50,000 UK citizens went to Australia in 2024, from 31,000 in 2023, and 21,000 the year before.
4/ The death of the career ladder
Long gone are the days of climbing up the greasy pole; 2025 will see careers become horizontal as well as vertical.
In addition to 'conscious unbossing' – where middle-management careers no longer appeal to younger workers, who instead seek different roles that encourage self development – Chamberlin argues that more workers will look to jump between entirely different fields. Consider ‘squiggly’ careers – looking to move to roles adjacent to your current industry, as opposed to upwards.
“The roles of tomorrow are as unpredictable as ever – think AI Engineers and Sustainability Managers, jobs that didn’t exist two decades ago,” she explains. “Today’s graduates are expected to hold 20 different roles throughout their working lives – almost double what previous generations experienced.
“The path may be winding, but that’s where the adventure lies. The skill to cultivate in 2025: staying flexible, curious and open to opportunities you never imagined.”
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