The year 2025 will present several challenges for companies, which will need to adjust their HR strategies to an uncertain economic environment.
Here are the 4 key HR challenges to anticipate according to MichaelPage:
1. Transparency and Equal Pay
The European directive on pay transparency, which must be transposed into Belgian law by 2026, requires companies with more than 250 employees to publicly disclose information on salaries, particularly regarding gender pay gaps.
This directive includes three main components:
Access to Information:
Transparency of job offers: Job seekers must be informed of starting salaries or salary ranges in job ads or before the first interview.
Prohibition on asking about past salaries: Recruiters cannot ask candidates about their previous wages.
Right to salary information: Workers can request information on average salaries for people in the same position and the non-gender-based criteria used to determine salaries.
Obligation to Communicate:
Reports on salary policies: Companies must provide detailed reports on their salary policies, with frequency and submission dates depending on the company’s size.
Action in case of unjustified pay gaps: If a report shows an unjustified pay gap greater than 5%, corrective actions must be taken, including a joint assessment with employee representatives.
Compensation and Sanctions:
Remuneration for victims of discrimination: Employers will be required to compensate individuals who are victims of salary discrimination, including payment of back wages, bonuses, and other financial compensation.

2. Skills Shortage and Recruitment
Companies will need to strengthen their continuous training policies (upskilling and reskilling) and focus on soft skills to attract and retain talent amidst the technical skills shortage. Identifying key skills now is essential to stay competitive.

3. Rebalancing the Work Relationship
In 2025, companies will need to adjust their strategies to meet employees’ expectations regarding remote work, flexibility, and the sense of purpose in their work, while also considering economic realities. The challenge will be finding the right balance between in-person and remote work to maintain team cohesion and engagement.

4. Inclusion of Seniors and People with Disabilities
Inclusion of seniors and people with disabilities will become a strategic focus for companies in 2025. Employers will need to dismantle stereotypes, adapt workstations, and provide specific training to value the experience of these profiles and stimulate innovation within teams.

In 2025, companies will not only need to adapt to these new challenges but also see them as opportunities to strengthen their competitiveness and social impact.
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