Remote Work: A Growing Privilege for the Wealthy
As we prepare to close the chapter on 2024 and step into 2025, the conversation around productivity and leadership is evolving in fascinating ways.
Whether it's reevaluating how we set goals, leveraging AI to lighten workloads, or taking deliberate steps to hit the ground running in January, one thing is clear: intentionality is key.
From Stefanie Fernández’s insights on achieving meaningful resolutions to Annie Dean’s tips for starting the year strong, there’s a growing focus on planning with purpose.
And in the spirit of working smarter, not harder, AI is transforming how leaders like me and my Lead With AI Community reclaim time, streamline operations, and focus on what truly matters.
In this edition, we’ll dive into insights that will help you balance strategic planning, tech innovation, and human-centric leadership to make 2025 a year of growth and fulfillment.
Let’s set the tone for a productive and purposeful year ahead! 😎
What about you? What's your number 1 goal for 2025?Reply, and I'll ensure we address it in one of the upcoming editions!
Your Weekly Must-Read Insights about the Role of HR in the Future of Work
The world of work is changing faster than the time we have to understand it.
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FEATURED PODCAST
AI is transforming workplace productivity, offering immense potential while posing challenges like training gaps, employee resistance, and the risk of overwhelming teams. Industry leaders stress the importance of balancing rapid adoption with thoughtful strategies—such as data-driven decisions, targeted reskilling, and flexible policies—to empower teams without losing the human touch.
In today’s episode of the Future Work Podcast, we’re excited to welcome Paul Falcone, a renowned HR leader, bestselling author of 17 books, and experienced executive with a career spanning Paramount Pictures, NBCUniversal, and more. With his works translated into six languages and over 750,000 copies sold, Paul has shaped leadership practices globally.
He’ll share actionable insights on navigating AI’s evolving landscape while championing human-centric leadership, helping organizations tackle the challenges and opportunities of 2025.
Our host, Tim, and Paul dive into:
- Prioritize Talent Development: Address talent scarcity by focusing on career ladders, certifications, and upskilling, ensuring long-term workforce readiness in a competitive market.
- Strengthen Emotional Intelligence (EI): Train leaders to build trust and inspire employees, fostering employee experience (EX) and driving discretionary effort, which is critical for retention and engagement.
- Leverage AI in HR: Use tools like Josh Bersin’s Galileo to enhance HR processes, from data analytics to personalized learning, while staying informed about AI’s limitations and opportunities.
- Adapt to Hybrid Work: Support hybrid work as an essential model for retaining talent, avoiding rigid in-office mandates that risk trust and employee satisfaction.
- Align with Gen Z’s Expectations: Prepare for the Zoomer workforce (60% by 2030) by emphasizing professional growth, diversity, inclusion, and work-life balance, training managers to act as mentors and coaches.
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HOW HYBRID WORKS
Brought to you by Tactic
Welcome to this week’s How Hybrid Works, your go-to section for the latest updates in hybrid work, sponsored by Tactic.
Stay ahead of the trends with expert insights, case studies, and industry news designed to help HR, workplace, and people leaders thrive in the evolving work environment.
Upcoming Event: The Great Debate on Hybrid Work—Executives vs Employees.
Executives and employees often see hybrid work differently—can we find common ground? Join Tim Oldman (Aéto, Leesman Index) and Molly Sands (Atlassian Teamwork Lab) as they share insights on aligning leadership priorities with employee needs.
Discover strategies to enhance collaboration, engagement, and productivity in this thought-provoking roundtable.
Be part of the conversation and request your invitation here! (Curated access, requests not guaranteed.)
Remote Work: Privilege of the Wealthy
Remote work is increasingly a privilege of the wealthy, as Stanford economist Nick Bloom's research shows work-from-home days dropped 16% for middle-income workers but only 5% for high earners.
While CEOs enjoy remote flexibility, employees face strict RTO mandates, deepening economic divides. Bloom highlights remote work’s benefits, including increased gender diversity and a 22% rise in employment for workers with disabilities during the pandemic—gains now at risk.
As our Future Work Alumnus Phil Kirschner noted:
"The lifestyles of the rich and remote highlight stark contrasts, as those with means live near desirable spots—not the office—while workers shoulder the burden of inflexible policies."
Amazon's RTO: Trust Lost, Talent Leaves
Amazon’s five-day RTO mandate is pushing employees away, with 48% actively job hunting and 68% considering leaving within a year, according to a survey. Caregivers (93%) and disabled workers (45% denied exemptions) are disproportionately affected, eroding trust as 84% of employees say Amazon doesn’t honor its commitments.
Research shows RTO mandates often drive away top talent while disengaging those who stay.
As our Future Work Alumnus, Brian Elliott noted:
“Commitment isn’t about showing up; it’s about producing good work. Valuing attendance over flexibility degrades trust and leadership credibility.”
THE FUTURE OF HR ROUNDUP
I follow and summarize the news that future-forward and people-centric leaders care about, so you don't have to.
This week:
HR's Role in 2025: Lead and Innovate
2024 was a year of disruption, marked by 2 major wars, geopolitical tensions, economic shifts, and rapid technological advancements, particularly in AI, which saw adoption surge to 95% of organizations.
Josh Bersin identifies 4 key themes for 2025: addressing workforce stress as 40% of employees fear job instability and low trust in institutions, navigating a polarized labor market with 127,418 white-collar job cuts reported by top U.S. companies, leveraging AI responsibly amidst its rapid evolution, and redefining HR's role as a consultative partner to the business.
The overarching priority for organizations is fostering "citizenship"—ensuring ethical leadership, employee support, and equity to navigate the complexities of a changing world.
As HR takes center stage in addressing these challenges, the focus must be on balancing innovation with humanity.
HR's 2025 Recruiting Reset: Inclusion Over Tradition
Recruiters are rethinking outdated practices in 2025, with HR leaders emphasizing inclusivity, responsiveness, and internal development.
Advocates call for replacing the "culture fit" hiring model, which stifles diversity, with "culture add" strategies to foster innovation.
With 50% of HR leaders and only 23% of employees finding internal mobility programs effective, leveraging AI to identify and develop internal talent is a key focus.
Additionally, ending candidate ghosting and shifting hiring focus from degrees to continuous learning and skill-building are seen as crucial steps to improving the hiring process and employer reputation.
Quick Hits:
- From FOMO to FOMU—Building AI Confidence in HR: Transitioning from fear of missing out (FOMO) to fear of messing up (FOMU), HR leaders are urged to adopt AI cautiously yet confidently by ensuring transparency, robust data practices, and low-risk experimentation.
- Strong EVPs Drive Innovation and Retention: According to McLean and Co, companies with a strong employee value proposition (EVP) are 1.16x more likely to innovate and 1.23x more likely to foster purpose among employees. Crafting an EVP that balances external attraction and internal retention is vital.
Your Weekly Must-Read Insights about the Role of HR in the Future of Work
The world of work is changing faster than the time we have to understand it.
Sign up for my weekly newsletter for an easy-to-digest breakdown of the biggest stories.
Unsubscribe anytime. No spam guaranteed.