Employee expectations constantly evolve as companies adjust to new technologies and shifting office dynamics. Understanding how company expectations from employees will likely change in 2025 should make it easier for executives to attract top talent.
Below, you’ll learn more about some 2025 trends that will influence what a “good job” looks like in the near future. From there, you can make informed choices that help you attract and retain high-performing employees.
Key Attributes of a “Good Job” in 2025
Company expectations from employees will shift as they adapt to 2025 trends and evolving office dynamics. More likely than not, you can expect the following key attributes to influence what counts as a “good job.”
Adaptability
When the pandemic forced most employees to work remotely, a lot of workers found that they enjoyed the experience. Despite that, the majority of CEOs (83%, according to one survey) say they want staff to return to office. The backlash from employees often leads to a compromise that involves hybrid work. They’ll work remotely for part of the work and on-site on other days.
For many employers, workers who do a good job in 2025 will know how to adapt to these changes. They’ll understand the importance of coming into the office on some days so they can collaborate with colleagues face-to-face. They’ll also understand that remote days give them opportunities to focus on “deep work” without distractions.
Collaboration
Regardless of where employees work, executives expect them to collaborate with their colleagues so they can engage with each other and build strong teams.
Collaboration is critical to business success because it breaks down silos and creates opportunities for workers to share insights. Plus, it’s unlikely that a single person has the expertise to fulfill complex tasks. Grouping talented employees into teams makes it more likely that your organization will reach its goals. Although team members need some solitary time to concentrate on deep work, they also need to interact with each other to discover novel solutions.
Productivity
Showing up to work matters much less than contributing to measurable outcomes. In fact, presenteeism can actively hurt an organization and its employees. Executives prioritize productivity because they see the negative effects of presenteeism:
- Spreading illness when workers should stay home to recover from sickness
- Showing up to collect a check when they’re too burned out by long hours to contribute meaningfully
- Sowing discontent among coworkers instead of encouraging a collaborative, positive workplace culture
Alignment
Organizations have central missions that they work toward. You can only fulfill that mission when employees understand and align with organizational goals and culture.
Several strategies can help executives keep employees pointed in the right direction. For example, you should:
- State your mission clearly
- Demonstrate values so workers have an example to follow
- Establish KPIs that hold projects — and the overall company — accountable
Still, employees need to align as closely as possible with the company mission. Those who don’t will only cause distractions that make progress more difficult.
The Role of Remote and In-Office Work
While most CEOs want employees to return to the office, research from McKinsey & Company shows that hybrid work will endure for the foreseeable future. Therefore, CEOs need to balance in-office and remote work to foster team cohesion.
Interestingly, employees who work remotely are often more just as — if not more — productive than their in-office colleagues. Of course, productivity is important, but it doesn’t measure the usefulness of in-person interactions that lead to greater innovations. Studies show that scientists working remotely instead of interacting with their peers produce fewer breakthroughs. That likely applies to other types of teams, too.
Since many employees prefer the flexibility of hybrid work, executives need to strike a balance that encourages in-person interactions while respecting the benefits of working remotely.
Takeaways for Employees and Leaders
Company expectations from employees will shift to keep up with 2025 trends. What makes a “good job,” though, will depend on contributions from employers and employees. Key takeaways to keep in mind include:
- Companies need flexible employees who can conform to evolving technologies and expectations.
- An employee’s output measures their success much more accurately than how many hours they spend at work.
- Companies need clear mission statements, and executives need to embody the values inherent in those statements.
- Workplaces are still adapting to remote work strategies, so companies need to consider how they can encourage in-person meetings that encourage innovative thinking.
- Regardless of where employees work, companies need to prioritize collaboration to reach goals.
Keep Up With Employment Trends
The expectations of employers and employees will always shift over time as people adopt new technologies and find more efficient ways to fulfill tasks. Although it’s often difficult to keep up with these trends, you can follow MRINetork to learn about how various industries are overcoming obstacles.