Discover how businesses use Deputy’s workforce management solutions to stay ahead of new challenges while improving efficiency, compliance, and employee experience.
4 trends you need to know to optimize your workforce
Running a business in 2025 is more complex than ever. With shifts in consumer behavior, workforce expectations, automation, and labor laws, more businesses are being forced to adapt quickly, or risk falling behind.
Whether you operate a small café, a multi-location retail chain, or an enterprise healthcare network, there are four key trends that will reshape how you hire, schedule, and manage your workforce in 2025.
Consumer spending looks different in 2025
Consumer spending habits are evolving. In the U.S., wealthy shoppers are becoming more price-conscious, shifting away from luxury brands.
| Key Workforce Challenge: Erratic demand patterns make labor planning difficult. Businesses must optimize staffing without over or under-scheduling. |
|---|
To mitigate the challenges businesses bump against in face of change, many are choosing to integrate all-in-one work platforms into their operations and it’s easy to see why.
For example, to combat shifts in spending, businesses are using technology like Deputy to:
Predict peak demand and schedule the right number of employees with AI-powered demand forecasting
Adjust labor budgets as sales fluctuate with real-time wage tracking
Fill shifts when demand surges thanks to easy mobile scheduling
Consumer spending impacts not only your business, but your workforce, too; being prepared to handle those changes, and adapt as you go, means for predictability for you and your staff.
Gen Z is changing the workforce
Perhaps not surprisingly, Gen Z now makes up a significant portion of the workforce, and they have different expectations than previous generations.
Three-quarters of Gen Z workers demand flexible schedules, for instance, while 70% would switch jobs for better workplace technology. This demand means more employers are having to shift toward offering modern digital tools to meet the preferences of a younger, more adaptable workforce.
Not only that, but Gen Z employees are also prioritizing their well-being. Things like mental health support, and work-life balance, are key factors in job satisfaction, and can impact where and how they work.
To help businesses adapt to a burgeoning Gen Z workforce, teams are turning to solutions like Deputy for core features like:
Self-service shift swaps: Employees can manage their own schedules, reducing last-minute absenteeism.
Shift Pulse surveys: Employers get real-time feedback on workplace satisfaction.
Centralized team communication: Managers can keep teams engaged with in-app messaging.
| Key Workforce Challenge: Outdated scheduling and rigid shifts make it harder to attract and keep Gen Z employees. |
|---|
