The year is halfway over. The way time flies, we’ll be ringing in 2026 before you know it.
From DEI upheaval and new compliance requirements to agentic AI and economic uncertainty, this year has been a whirlwind, and many CHROs are trying to strategize a path forward amid the many changes affecting their workplaces. As a pulse check, HR Brew asked a few people leaders what they’re prioritizing for the rest of 2025.
CHROs lead the charge. “As we move through 2025, one thing is clear. The role of the CHRO is changing. We are moving beyond traditional talent management and stepping fully into business enablement, aligning people strategy directly with growth…AI is also becoming a real partner in this shift, helping automate repetitive tasks so people can focus on higher-impact work. At the same time, we are making a deeper investment in our managers, giving them the tools, clarity, and support they need to lead with confidence and care. In a world where trust and culture matter more than ever, HR is not on the sidelines, we are driving results and shaping what’s next.”—Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, CPO at Dayforce
Focus on well-being. “My focus for the rest of 2025 is leading the workplace through change. With the rise of AI, I want to ensure that we’re building a future-ready organization where people and technology work together, and that means reimagining how we work, how we support our teams, and how we help people grow…While the pace of change is fast, it won’t be sustainable without a foundation of well-being. That means designing work that fosters balance, connection, and purpose. Indeed’s research shows that well-being isn’t just about how people feel. It’s predictive of how they perform. If we want to build a resilient, future-ready workforce, we need to take care of the humans in it.”—LaFawn Davis, Indeed’s chief people and sustainability officer
Tangible AI use-cases. “We’re exploring how AI can lighten the load for our team. Not in a vague future-of-work way, but in real, tangible, day-to-day ways that make an impact. Right now, that means digging in and finding where things feel clunky or repetitive to see if tech can smooth those out…There’s a lot of fear out there about tech replacing people, but that’s not our lens. We see AI as a tool that can cut through some of the noise, so our team can spend more energy on work that feels worth doing.
One example, we just launched an AI forecasting model to help our sourcing team better predict what we’ll need for upcoming menus. It’s already making it easier for them to advocate with suppliers and cut down on food waste. That’s the kind of shift we’re aiming for: More clarity, more confidence, less guesswork.”—Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan, COO and head of people at Feast and Fettle
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HR Brew asked four chief people leaders to share their top concerns.
