Economic uncertainty puts immense pressure on the workforce, with legislative and political shifts adding complexities to supporting employee wellbeing and, by extension, overall organizational performance. These are some of the findings of a new study from McLean & Co.
Trends Report 2025 Review indicates that it’s increasingly important to have a well-aligned HR strategy in place to enhance departmental performance and adaptability to future changes, such as sociopolitical, economic, technological, and environmental shifts.
The pace and volume of change in today’s business environment puts immense pressure on HR organizations, according to McLean & Co.’s findings. “In strategic HR organizations, priorities are driven not just by HR’s own agenda, but by the objectives of the entire organization,” says Amani Gharib, PhD and director of HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Co. “This alignment ensures that HR initiatives support and enhance the broader organizational strategy, enabling HR to contribute meaningfully and adapt to evolving business needs in an unpredictable and ever-evolving future.”
When HR’s priorities are well-aligned with the broader organizational strategy, says the report, HR is 2.8 times more likely to be highly effective at providing a great employee experience, and 3.3 times more likely to be highly effective at shaping a strong organizational culture.
Additionally, when HR teams are highly effective, their organizations are more than two times as likely to be high performing in workforce productivity and innovation.
