RESEARCHREPORT

2025

SHRMSTATEOFTHEWORKPLACE

TABLEOF

CONTENTS

3ExecutiveSummary

5Introduction

6LookingBack

11HRAreasofStrength

NavigatingtheFuture:HRandWorkforceInsightsfor2025

13

17Recommendations

19Conclusion

20Resources

21Methodology

2SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

EXECUTIVESUMMARY

In2024,HRdepartmentsfacedthechallengeofsteeringorganizationsthroughrapidchange,political

andeconomicuncertainty,andtheever-evolvingnatureofworkandtheworkplace.Thisreportdelves

intoHR’sroleduringthistransformativeyear,highlightingkeyachievementsandopportunitiesforfuturegrowth.Drawingoninsightsfrom1,615HRprofessionals,238HRexecutives,and471U.S.workers,thefindingsencapsulatemultipleperspectivestoassessHR’seffectivenessacross16HRpracticeareas.

ThiscomprehensivereviewoffersvaluableinsightsintoHRin2024whileprovidingactionableinsightstoinformstrategiesfor2025andbeyond.

KEYFINDINGS:

1.RecruitingaPersistentbutCommonChallenge—In2024,recruitingwasthetoppriorityforHR,

fueledbytheongoingchallengeofattractingtoptalentinamarketwherejobopeningsoutnumberindividualsactivelyseekingwork.Giventheseconditions,itisunsurprisingthatonlyaportionof

HRprofessionalsandU.S.workersviewedtheirorganization’srecruitingeffortsaseffective.Thesestaffingchallengesresultedinheavierworkloadsforsomeemployees,ultimatelydrivinghigher

burnoutrates.

2.EmployeeExperienceasaStrategicPriority—In2024,employeeexperiencewasatoppriority

forHR.PreviousresearchconductedbySHRMThoughtLeadershipidentifiedastrongconnectionbetweenemployeeexperience,engagement,andturnover;1however,notallHRprofessionalsorU.S.workersfeltthattheirorganizationsexcelledintheseareas.Keydriversofpositiveemployeeexperienceincludeteamwork,purpose,fairness,andrecognition.Thecurrentresearchhighlightsrecognitionandteamcollaborationasareasofopportunitytoenhanceemployeeexperienceanddriveretention,whicharecrucialamidlaborshortages.

3.LeadershipandManagerDevelopmentasaCatalystforGrowthandKeyPriorities—In2024,

leadershipandmanagerdevelopmentwasakeyfocusfororganizations,seenasessentialnot

onlyforindividualgrowthbutalsoforitsbroaderimpactonemployeeexperienceandretention,

twoareascriticaltotheother2024priorities.Despiteitsimportance,however,onlyaportionofHRprofessionalsandU.S.workersfeltthattheirorganizationsexcelledinthisarea,withaboutathirdofworkersreportingpoormanagementandineffectiveseniorleadership.

4.ExcellenceinLaborRelationsandHRFunctionStrategyandManagement—Laborandemployeerelationsemergedasthestrongest-performingHRpracticeareain2024,earningthehighestratingsfromHRprofessionals,HRexecutives,andU.S.workersalike.Similarly,HRfunctionstrategyand

managementwasrecognizedasahighlyeffectivepracticearea,particularlybyHRprofessionals

andHRexecutives.However,neitheroftheseHRpracticeareaswereatoppriorityin2024,

reflectingtheirestablishednatureasfoundationaltotheHRfunction.Thisfoundationalstrengthwillbeparticularlyimportantamidtherapidlyevolvingregulatoryandpoliticallandscapeof2025.

1

TheCaseforEmployeeExperience,SHRM,2024.

3SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

5.ACalltoShiftPrioritiesTowardEmployeeEngagementandDevelopmentin2025—BothHR

professionalsandU.S.workersarealignedinidentifyingleadershipandmanagerdevelopment,

employeeexperience,andlearninganddevelopmentasthemajorprioritiesfor2025,signalinga

shiftfromarecruitingfocusin2024toafocusonemployeedevelopmentandengagementin2025.Workersalsohighlightedtheimportanceoftotalrewardsinlightofinflationandeconomicconcerns,creatingnewchallengesforHRtoaddressinaconstrainedenvironment.

6.StrongHRTechnologyImportanttoHRSuccess—HRtechnologyemergesasapivotalyet

potentiallyoverlookedpathwaytoachieving2025priorities.ThedatashowedastrongrelationshipbetweentheperceivedeffectivenessofHRtechnologyandoverallHReffectiveness—whenHR

technologyismoreeffective,U.S.workersaremorelikelytoviewtheirHRdepartmentsaseffective.HRtechnology’sstrongrelationshipwithlearninganddevelopmenteffectivenessfurtherreinforcesitsstrategicvalue.

Insum,2024wasdefinedbytalentshortages,technologicaladvancements,andarapidlyevolvinglandscape,drivingorganizationstoprioritizerecruitingeffortswhilealsofocusingonemployee

experienceandleadershipaswellasmanagerdevelopmenttodevelopandretainscarcetoptalent.

HRexcelledinlaborandemployeerelationsaswellasHRfunctionstrategyandmanagement,areasthat,whilenottoppriorities,areessentialtoHR’srole.

Lookingaheadin2025,HRprofessionalsandU.S.workersarecallingforashifttowardemployee

developmentandengagement,withHRtechnologypotentiallyplayingakeyroleinachievingthesepriorities.ThestrongfoundationinlaborrelationsandHRstrategyandmanagementwillbecrucialasorganizationsnavigatetheevolvingregulatoryandpoliticallandscape.

4SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

INTRODUCTION

Theyear2024wasmarkedbyrapidchange,economicandpoliticaluncertainty,andtheongoing

evolutionofwork,workers,andtheworkplace.ForHRdepartments,itwasapivotalyear—

demonstratingboththeirabilitytoadapttoshiftingdemandsandtheimmensechallengestheyfaceinmanagingincreasinglycomplexorganizationaldynamics.Navigatingthesecomplexitiesrequiredinnovativestrategies,strategicforesight,andacommitmenttosustainingprogressinaworkforce

landscapethatcontinuestoundergoprofoundtransformation.

UnderstandingthestateofHRduringthisdefiningmomentiscrucialnotonlyforaddressingcurrentchallengesbutalsoforpreparingforafuturethatdemandsevengreaterresilience,adaptability,andinnovation.ThisreportoffersacomprehensiveevaluationofHR’sprioritiesfor2024andtheirimpact.

Ithighlightskeystrengths,identifiesareasforimprovement,andprovidesalooktowardthefuture.

Thereportseekstoanswercriticalquestionssuchas:

》WhatwerethetopHRprioritiesin2024?

》TowhatextentdidHRmeetits2024priorities?

》InwhichareasdidHRsucceedin2024?

》WhichareasdoHRprofessionalsandU.S.workersbelieveorganizationsshouldprioritizein2025?

Toexplorethesequestions,SHRMgathereddatafrom1,615HRprofessionals,238HRexecutives,and

471U.S.workersemployedoutsideofHRinDecember2024.Thefindingspresentedhereserveboth

asamirror,offeringanhonestreflectionofHR’sperformancein2024,andasamap,offeringastrategicguidetodriveimprovementsin2025.

?

WORKPLACES

BETTER

BETTER

U.S.workerswhoviewHRas

efectivearemorelikelyto

demonstratepositiveworkplacebehaviorsandattitudes.

WORKER

Recruitingremainsacommon challengein2024,leadingtoheavierworkloadsandincreasedburnoutamongsomeworkers.

WORK

U.S.workersandHRprofessionalsurgeashift towardemployee engagementanddevelopmentin2025.

WORKPLACE

2025SHRMSTATEOFTHEWORKPLACE

5SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

6SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

LOOKINGBACK

ItisbothtimelyandessentialtoreflectontheevolvinglandscapeofworkandHRoverthepreviousyear.SuchreflectionenablesHRtoevaluateaccomplishments,addresschallenges,anduncoverkeyinsightsthatcaninformstrategicdirectionsmovingforward.

Acomprehensivereviewisbestconductedthroughtheframeworkofthe16HRpracticeareas

identifiedbySHRM.TheseareasrepresentthefoundationalelementsofHR’srole.Whilethesepracticeareasremainconsistentlyimportant,theirprioritizationevolvesannuallyinresponsetotheunique

demandsoftheworkenvironment.Athoroughassessmentofhowtheseinterconnectedareaswere

managedthroughout2024offersavaluableperspectiveonHR’scontributionsandprovidesastrategicroadmapforfuturegrowthandprogress.

HRPRACTICE

DEFINITION

Leadershipandmanagerdevelopment

Enhancingskillsforguidingteamsandmanagingorganizationseffectively

Learninganddevelopment

Trainingandresourcestofosteremployeegrowthanddevelopment

Recruiting

Attractingandselectingtalenttomeetorganizationalneeds

Totalrewards

Comprehensivecompensationandbene?tsstrategiestoattract,retain,andengagetalent

Performancemanagement

Processofaligningindividualobjectiveswithorganizationalgoalstooptimizeemployeeandorganizationalsuccess

Employeeexperience

Holisticapproachtoenhancingemployeeengagement,productivity,andsatisfaction

Inclusionanddiversity(I&D)

Fosteringaninclusiveenvironmentthatleveragesdiverseperspectivestoenhanceorganizationalsuccess

Talentanalytics

Data-driveninsightstoinformworkforceplanningandoptimize

performance

Talentmanagement

ComprehensiveintegrationofHRprocessesforrecruiting,developing,andretainingtalenttosupportorganizationalgoals

HRfunctionstrategyandmanagement

AligningHRpracticeswithbusinessgoalstodriveorganizationalsuccess

HRtechnology

StrategicuseofdigitaltoolsandplatformsdesignedtoenhanceHR

processes,streamlineoperations,andimproveemployeeexperiences

C-suite/boardrelations

Fosteringefectivecommunicationandstrategicalignmentbetween

executivesandboardmemberstoenhancegovernanceanddecision-making

Environmental,social,andgovernance(ESG);ethics;andcompliance

Strategicintegrationofethicalpracticesandcompliancemeasurestoadvancesustainabilityandgovernanceobjectives

Futureofwork

Adaptingworkmodelsandtransformingworkplacedynamicstoenhanceorganizationalagilityandinnovation

Laborandemployeerelations

Managingworkplacedynamicsandensuringcompliancewithlaborlawstofosteraharmoniousandlegallysoundworkenvironment

Organizationaldesignandchangemanagement

Aligningorganizationalstructuresandprocesseswithstrategicgoalstoenhanceadaptabilityandperformance

7SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

2024PRIORITIES

Theprioritiesfor2024serveasareflectionoftheanticipatedchallengesfortheyearandhighlighttheareasHRdeemedmostcriticaltoaddresstodriveorganizationalsuccess.

HRprofessionalsidentifiedrecruiting(43%),employeeexperience(31%),andleadershipandmanagerdevelopment(27%)astopprioritiesin2024.Thesearethemostfrequentlycitedpriorities,butthe

relativelylowpercentagessuggestalackofstrongconsensusaboutprioritiesacrossorganizations.

ThesevariationsunderscorethecomplexanddynamicnatureofHR’srole,requiringtailored

approachestoaddresstheuniquechallengesandopportunitiesofeachindustryandorganization.Itreaffirmsthataone-size-fits-allstrategyisneitherpracticalnoreffectiveintoday’sevolvingworkplace.

TopHRPrioritiesin2024

Respondentscouldselectuptothreeoptionsacross16HRpracticeareas

Recruiting

EmployeeexperienceLeadershipandmanagerdevelopment

PerformancemanagementLaborandemployeerelationsLearninganddevelopment

TalentmanagementOrg.designandchangemanagementHRfunctionstrategyandmanagement

TotalrewardsHRtechnologyFutureofwork

Inclusionanddiversity(I&D)Talentanalytics

C-suite/boardrelationsESG,ethics,andcompliance

43%

31%

27%

26%

22%

21%

20%

19%

19%

19%

18%

8%

8%

4%

3%

3%

Resultsbasedonresponsesfrom1,615HRprofessionals.

Percentageshavebeenroundedtothenearestwholenumber.

8SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

KEYPRIORITIESANDPERFORMANCE

Tounderstandthestateoftheworkplacein2024,it’simportanttoevaluateHR’seffectivenessacross

the16HRpracticeareas.Acomprehensiveassessmentrequiresinsightsfrommultipleperspectives,

includingthoseofU.S.workers,HRprofessionals,andHRexecutives.Byexaminingthesediverse

viewpoints,wegainaclearerpictureofHR’ssuccessesandopportunitiesforimprovement,settingthestagefor2025.ThefollowingsectionwillassesstheeffectivenessofHRagainstthethreekeyprioritiesfor2024.

ImpactofHREffectivenessonUSWorkerBehaviorsandAttitudes

U.S.workerswhoregardtheirHRdepartmentsaseffectiveorveryeffectivearesignificantlymore

likelytoexhibitpositiveworkplacebehaviorsandattitudes.

Noteffective/

slightlyeffective

Effective/

veryeffective

Ifeelengagedatwork.

Iamdeeplycommittedtomyorganization.

Iamsatisfiedwithmyjob.

Iplantosearchforanewjobinthenext6months.

46%

62%

71%

42%

4%22%45%

77%

33%

11%

Iamactivelysearchingforanewjob.

20%40%60%

Resultsbasedonresponsesfrom471U.S.workers.

Percentageshavebeenroundedtothenearestwholenumber.

RECRUITING:APERSISTENTBUTCOMMONCHALLENGE

Recruitingwastheleadingpriorityfororganizationsin2024,with43%ofHRprofessionalsidentifyingitasatoppriority,thehighestpercentageacrossall16HRpracticeareas.Thisfocusonrecruitingisunsurprisinggiventheongoingchallengesorganizationsfaceinattractingtoptalent.Althoughthe

jobmarkethascooledrelativetoitspandemic-erapeak,itremainsverytightbyhistoricalstandards.

TheU.S.BureauofLaborStatistics’JobOpeningsandLaborTurnoverSurvey(JOLTS)datacontinuetoindicatethattherearemoretotaljobopeningsthantherearepeoplewithoutajobandactivelylookingforwork.2Notably,over75%oforganizationsreporteddifficultyfillingfull-timeroles.3

Despitethecriticalimportanceofrecruiting,only56%ofHRprofessionalsratedtheirorganization’s

recruitingeffortsaseffectiveorveryeffectivein2024.HRexecutivesviewedthisslightlymore

positively,with63%offeringfavorableassessments.However,theperspectiveamongU.S.workers

wasfarlessoptimistic—only41%reportedthattheirorganizationwaseffectiveorveryeffectiveinthisarea.Theconsequencesoftheserecruitingchallengesareevident—36%ofworkersreportedheavierworkloadsduetounfilledrolesin2024.Employeesexperiencingincreasedworkloadsasaresultof

staffingshortagesweresignificantlymorelikelytoreportfeelingsofburnout(61%)comparedtothosewithoutadditionalworkloadpressures(18%).

2JobOpeningsandLaborTurnoverSurvey.UnemployedPerJobOpeningRatio–SeasonallyAdjusted,BureauofLaborStatistics,November2024.

3TalentTrends,SHRM,2024.

9SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

EffectivenessofRecruitingin2024

HRexecutives

HRprofessionalsU.S.workers

35%63%

42%56%

13%47%41%

Noteffective

Effective/veryeffective

Slightlyeffective/moderatelyeffective

Resultsbasedonresponsesfrom1,615HRprofessionals,238HRexecutives,and471U.S.workers.

Percentageshavebeenroundedtothenearestwholenumber.

Thesepersistentrecruitingdifficultiesunderscoretheimportanceofemployeeengagementandretention.Inresponse,organizationsalsoprioritizedimprovingtheoverallemployeeexperiencein2024,ensuring

thatonceindividualsarehired,theyremainengaged,productive,andcommittedtotheorganization.

EMPLOYEEEXPERIENCEASASTRATEGICPRIORITY

Employeeexperienceemergedasthesecondmostcommonpriorityfororganizationsin2024.This

suggeststhatorganizationsrecognizethatapositiveemployeeexperienceisnotjustanice-to-havebutakeyfactorinattractingandretainingtoptalent.

Notably,previousSHRMThoughtLeadershipdatafoundthatemployeeexperienceandengagement

accountfor42%ofturnoverintent,emphasizingtheirpowerfulinfluenceonretention.?However,

despitetheimportanceofemployeeexperience,effectivelyenhancingitisachallenge.Only49%ofHR

professionalsratedtheirorganizationsaseffectiveorveryeffectiveinthisarea.Again,HRexecutiveshadaslightlymorefavorableassessment,with56%ratingthisareaaseffectiveorveryeffective.However,

only42%ofU.S.workersagreedthattheiremployerswereexcellinginfosteringapositiveemployeeexperience.

EffectivenessofEmployeeExperiencein2024

HRexecutives

HRprofessionalsU.S.workers

42%56%

4%47%49%

14%45%42%

Noteffective

Effective/veryeffective

Slightlyeffective/moderatelyeffective

Resultsbasedonresponsesfrom1,615HRprofessionals,238HRexecutives,and471U.S.workers.Percentageshavebeenroundedtothenearestwholenumber.

4TheCaseforEmployeeExperience,SHRM,2024.

HRprofessionalsandU.S.workersconsistentlyidentifyfourkeyworkplacefeaturesasessentialtoapositiveemployeeexperience:1)beingpartofacohesiveteam,2)findingpurposeinone’swork,3)

receivingfairtreatment,and4)beingrecognizedforcontributions.?However,in2024,34%ofU.S.

workersreportedalackofrecognitionfortheircontributions,25%citedinsufficientcollaborationor

supportwithintheirteams,and15%notedunfairperformanceevaluations.Thesefindingshighlight

keyopportunitiesforimprovementin2025,particularlyinstrengtheningrecognitionandteamworktoenhancetheemployeeexperienceand,ultimately,driveretention.

Inthecontextofongoinglaborshortages,retainingtoptalentismorecriticalthanever.Strengthening

employeeexperiencemustremainastrategicpriorityfororganizationsaimingtoaddressthischallengeeffectively.

LEADERSHIPANDMANAGERDEVELOPMENT:ACATALYSTFORGROWTHAND

KEYPRIORITIES

In2024,leadershipandmanagerdevelopmentwasacriticalpriorityfororganizations.Thestrongconnectionbetweeneffectiveleadership,employeeretention,andpositiveemployeeexperienceillustrateswhythisareacommandedsignificantattention.AccordingtoSHRMThoughtLeadership,

HRprofessionalsrankedmanagersasthesecondmostinfluentialfactorinshapingoverallemployee

experience,andemployeesthemselvesplacedmanagersasthethirdmostsignificantfactor.?What’s

more,workerswhoreportedhavinghighlyeffectivemanagerswerenearlytwiceaslikelytofeelsatisfiedandfulfilledbytheirjobs.?

However,despitetheimportanceofleadershipandmanagerdevelopment,only42%ofU.S.workersfelttheirorganizationswereeffectiveorveryeffectiveatthispracticeareain2024.Just37%ofHR

professionalsagreed,makingthisoneoftheonlyareasthatfewerHRprofessionalsthanU.S.workersratedaseffective.Withthatsaid,35%ofU.S.workersreportedexperiencingpoororineffective

managementduringtheyear,while34%citedineffectiveorpoorseniorleadership.

EffectivenessofLeadershipandManagerDevelopmentin2024

HRexecutives

HRprofessionals

U.S.workers

5%44%51%

7%56%37%

12%46%42%

Noteffective

Effective/veryeffective

Slightlyeffective/moderatelyeffective

Resultsbasedonresponsesfrom1,615HRprofessionals,238HRexecutives,and471U.S.workers.

Percentageshavebeenroundedtothenearestwholenumber.

In2024,HRnavigatedacomplexlaborlandscapewhileaddressingkeyprioritiessuchasrecruiting,employeeexperience,andleadershipandmanagerdevelopment.Challengeswereevident,but

theseprioritiesexistpreciselybecausetheyaredifficultbutimportanttoaddress.HRwillneedtostay

persistent,innovative,andforward-thinkingtoachieveexcellence.Thatsaid,HR’simpactextendsbeyondthesespecificpriorities.ThenextsectionwillhighlighttheareaswhereHRwasmosteffectivein2024.

?TheCaseforEmployeeExperience,SHRM,2024.

6TheCaseforEmployeeExperience,SHRM,2024.

?EffectivePeopleManagers:TheLinchpinofOrganizationalSuccess,SHRM,2024.

10SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

HRAREASOFSTRENGTH

LABORANDEMPLOYEERELATIONS:THEMOSTEFFECTIVEHRPRACTICEAREAIN2024

Laborandemployeerelations,centeredonmanagingworkplacedynamicsandensuringcompliancewithlaborlaws,receivedthehighestratingsforeffectivenessacrossHRprofessionals,HRexecutives,andU.S.workers.Notably,70%ofHRprofessionalsand74%ofHRexecutivesbelievedtheirorganizationswere

effectiveorveryeffectiveinthisdomain,and48%ofU.S.workersagreed.Despitethisdisparity,allthreegroupsidentifiedlaborandemployeerelationsasthestrongestHRpracticeareaoverall.

EffectivenessofLaborandEmployeeRelationsin2024

HRexecutives

HRprofessionalsU.S.workers

25%74%

28%70%

10%42%48%

NoteffectiveSlightlyeffective/moderatelyeffectiveEffective/veryeffective

Resultsbasedonresponsesfrom1,615HRprofessionals,238HRexecutives,and471U.S.workers.

Percentageshavebeenroundedtothenearestwholenumber.

ThisareahashistoricallybeenacornerstoneofHR’sresponsibilities,andthedatasuggestsHRcontinuestoperformwellinthisarea,althoughworkersviewHR’seffectivenesslessfavorably.Despitethisstrongperformance,laborandemployeerelationswasnotamongthetopprioritiesforHRdepartmentsin

2024.Thismaybebecausemanyorganizationshavetraditionallyexcelledinthisarea,viewingitasafoundational,well-establishedpracticearea.

Lookingaheadto2025,laborandemployeerelationsismorecriticalthanever.Intoday’srapidlyevolvingregulatoryandpoliticallandscape,HRmustleveragethisfoundationalstrengthtosteerorganizations

throughuncertaintyandchange.

11SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

12SHRMRESEARCHREPORTBETTERWORKPLACES,BETTERWORLD.

HRFUNCTIONSTRATEGYANDMANAGEMENT

HRfunctionstrategyandmanagementwasalsorecognizedasoneofthemosteffectiveHRpracticeareasin2024,accordingtobothHRexecutivesandHRprofessionals.OverhalfofHRprofessionals(57%)ratedthisareaaseffectiveorveryeffective,withHRexecutivesprovidingevenhigherratingsat70%.Given

HRexecutives’broadperspectiveontheentiredepartment,theirassessmentsholdconsiderableweight.WhilethisareadidnotrankamongthetopthreeforU.S.workers—only41%rateditaseffectiveorvery

effective—thisisexpected,giventheirlikelylimitedinsightintotheinternaloperationsoftheHRfunction.

Theimportanceofthispracticeareacannotbeoverstated.HR’scontributionstoemployees,departments,andbusinessoftentakecenterstage,buttheinternalmanagementandstrategicfunctioningoftheHR

departmentarecriticaltoitsoverallsuccess.

AkeyfactorinthisisHRdepartmentstaffing.In2024,62%ofHRprofessionalsreportedthattheir

departmentshavebeenoperatingbeyondtypicalcapacity—anincreasefrom57%in2023.?Similarly,57%statedthattheirdepartmentlackedsufficientstaffforitsworkload,consistentwith2023’sfindings(56%).?

HRDepartmentStaffingandWorkload

Whenconsidering2024,myHRdepartmenthasbeenworkingwithoutenoughstafffor

theworkload.

Whenconsidering2024,myHRdepartmenthasbeenworkingbeyondourtypicalcapacity(e.g.,toohard,toolong).

57%

56%

62%

57%

0%20%40%60%80%100%

%stronglyagreeorsomewhatagree20242023

Resultsbasedonresponsesfrom1,1615HRprofessionalsin2024.

Percentageshavebeenroundedtothenearestwholenumber.

StaffingchallengesaredirectlylinkedtoHRdepartmenteffectiveness.HRprofessionalswhoreportedbeingunderstaffedwerelesslikelytodescribetheirHRdepartmentaseffective(66%)comparedto

thosewhosaidtheirdepartmentwasnotunderstaffed(76%).Thisunderscorestheneedforadequatestaffingwhilealsopresentingapromisingopportunityfor2025:theadoptionofartificialintelligenceandautomation.ManyHRprofessionalspointedtothesetechnologiesaspotentialsolutionsfor

improvingefficiency,saying:

》“Implementnewtechnologytotakesomeoftheburdenoffourmanualpractices.”

》“LeverageAItoautomateprocesses.”

》“LeverageAIformoreworkloadefficiencies—wecoulddomorewithless.”

Byaddressingstaffingconstraintsandembracingtechnologicaladvancements,HRdepartmentscandrivegreaterimpactandeffectivenessintheyearsahead.

82023-24SHRMStateoftheWorkplaceReport,SHRM,2024.

?2023-24SHRMStateoftheWorkplaceReport,SHRM,2024.

13SHRMRESEARCHREPORT