5 HR Trends HR should embrace in 2025: Vitality in the workplace.
How do you make sure your employees stay fit, engaged and productive? In 2024, vitality policy is no longer just about physical health, but also about mental and even cognitive fitness. This is more important than ever, given the rising costs of absenteeism due to psychological complaints, which, according to Arbo Unie, now amount to 1 billion euros per year (Arbo Unie, 2024). Do you want to make a difference as an employer? Then these five trends are crucial for your organization.
1. Unburden employees with AI as an assistant
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the workplace at lightning speed. Not to replace employees, but to support them. AI can take over repetitive, time-consuming tasks, allowing employees to focus on things that are really important, such as personal development and vitality.
What does this mean for your business?
- Employees experience more job happiness by spending less time on routine tasks.
- AI can help better measure and predict well-being and performance, such as through tools that provide insight into stress or absenteeism risks.
- Smaller companies can benefit from AI simply by taking the first step and training employees in its safe use.
Tip: Start small! Use AI tools to streamline administrative processes and give employees more time for personal development.
2. Vitality for all generations
Today's workplace is made up of multiple generations - from baby boomers to Gen Z. Each generation has unique vitality needs. Where younger employees need mental rest and work-life balance, older employees are often concerned with physical health and retirement.
How do you capitalize on this?
- Offer flexible benefits that fit each stage of life, such as hybrid working, access to a gym or sabbaticals.
- Give employees of all generations as much control over their careers as possible.
- Make sure employees are doing work that they enjoy and that energizes them.
Case study: Gen Z wants fewer tasks on their plate to avoid work pressure, while millennials need growth opportunities above all else. Tune your policies accordingly!
3. Make vitality measurable
A good vitality policy starts with measurement. How else will you know how vital your employees are? Measuring vitality helps you make targeted policies and prevent absenteeism.
Why measuring is important
- Companies that measure vitality find that employees are happier and more productive (Oswald et al., 2015).
- Tools such as the Recharge Vitascan provide insight into employees' mental, physical and financial fitness.
- Data makes it possible to predict absenteeism and take preventive measures.
Action Item: Start with a simple vitality scan to assess the basic fitness of your employees. From there, you can build further.
4. Cognitive development: brain fitness as a new trend
Employees are more sustainably employable if they stay fit not only physically but also mentally. An emerging trend is brain fitness, where employees train their cognitive functions to reduce stress and become more productive.
How does brain fitness work?
- It trains memory, concentration and planning skills.
- It helps employees deal with workplace challenges more resiliently.
- By building cognitive reserves, employees can stay healthy and happy for longer.
Case study: Recharge360 offers a unique Vitality Week, in which teams work together on wellness goals. Through challenges, workshops and physical activities, employees strengthen their mental resilience and learn to recognize stress. After this week, employees stay engaged through monthly themes and challenges in the Recharge app (Recharge360, 2023).
5. Focus on employee retention and attraction
In a tight labor market, it is essential to keep employees on board. Development opportunities and a healthy work culture play a key role in this.
What can you do?
- Offer development opportunities, such as training in new technologies and vitality.
- Create a social, inclusive corporate culture where employees feel heard and valued.
- Show that your organization is socially conscious by supporting sustainable initiatives.
Numerical evidence: Employees who are able to develop are less likely to be sick and stay with their employer longer. Every euro an employer spends on a healthy lifestyle for employees yields three euros in savings on absenteeism costs (GGZ Nederland, 2023).
You know that work happiness is important.
Now is the time to take action. Strengthen your teams work happiness today. Schedule a free demo with Recharge360 right away.