2025: STOCKED, STAFFED & SUSTAINABLE: WORKFORCE TRENDS IN FOOD PRODUCTION
May, 2025 - by Trish Harty
The world of work has been upended in the years since the pandemic disruption. From new acronyms WFH, DEI and AI, to changing expectations of employees around flexible work, job sharing and online meetings, it can be hard to navigate the new frontiers of business operations.
The FSAA is here to help, with a regular update by foodservice industry specialist Trish Harty, who will dissect the current issues and outline ways the changing times can benefit your business.
Looking ahead: What’s in store for 2025
What a year it has been – share market volatility, global trade upheaval, floods and cyclones, more supply chain disruptions… and it’s only March!
And as we know, management teams in all sectors are facing continuing workforce hurdles, with ongoing talent shortages coupled with fast-paced tech advances leading to change fatigue in many employees. Meanwhile stakeholders are pushing leaders to keep cutting costs and increasing productivity.
Gartner research in USA has identified three key challenges executives must tackle this year, according to the Harvard Business Review*. The situation may be more extreme in American boardrooms, but Australia is also facing the same issues when it comes to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI).
New demands for a future-ready workforce: To take advantage of advances in AI, the trend this year will be flatter, less-hierarchical organisational charts, reducing duplicated work and investing in agile learning practices for cross-functional teams.
The evolving roles of managers: Is it time for bots to decide remuneration? Gartner surveys have found that employees believe algorithms make fairer compensation decisions and more useful performance feedback than their managers.
Emerging talent risks: An emphasis on adopting AI can alienate employees, so forward-thinking companies will put people at the centre of any change and technology features second. This might involve retraining opportunities, new role design and workflows, new performance measurement tools and addressing high workloads.
What is your business doing to future-proof your team? Let us know by emailing marketing@fsaa.org.au.
*Trends That Will Shape Work in 2025 and Beyond by Emily Rose McRae, Peter Aykens, Kaelyn Lowmaster and Jonah Shepp