What Employees Really Want in 2025: Authenticity + Managers Who Care

If you know anything about us here at Workvivo – and you better, because there’ll be a pop quiz at the end of this article – you know we’re all about what employees want. 

We also know that needs change, so asking the question once is never going to be enough. Regular check-ins with your teams are non-negotiable if you truly want to nail the employee experience. 

Here’s where some of our Expert Services team suggest starting.

Authenticity

Our Workvivo Community Manager, Nicole Spinella, sees authenticity as the number-one priority for employees this year. 

“While drivers like flexible work arrangements, career opportunities, work-life [insert your favorite positioning: balance, integration, juggle], and purpose-driven work continue to be of interest to employees, authenticity will be a key driver in 2025,” she explains. 

“And that means authenticity from both employees and leaders.”

Nicole shares just some of the many ways authenticity makes for a better place to work.

“Encouraging and accepting employee authenticity leads to belonging and empowers creativity and meaningful engagement. 

“Authentic leadership sets the example and enables trust throughout an organization. It’s a clear, honest way to communicate with the organization that invokes psychological safety. 

“Employees will want leaders to show up as their true selves; to be real, relatable, and intentional. Authenticity will lead to a sense of community – particularly helpful during challenging times – and, ultimately, retention.” 

Meaningful managers

Margaret Trietsch, who has over 20 years of experience in internal communications, content strategy, and employee experience, is confident that 2025 will see workers seek “a manager that cares”. 

She says, “It sounds simple, maybe even obvious. But according to Gallup's 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, your manager accounts for a staggering 70% of your engagement at work.

“Think about that: the person you report to has more impact on your work experience than your salary, your benefits, or even those carefully crafted workplace perks.

“‘A good job is a job where I have a manager who knows me, sees and values what I do, and cares about where I'm going in the future’,” shared one project manager in the report. This isn't just one person's wishful thinking – it's backed by hard data.

“The numbers tell a compelling story: employees with engaged managers experience dramatically less stress (34% vs 54% for actively disengaged), higher daily enjoyment (88% vs 57%), and better overall wellbeing. Yet globally, only 23% of employees are engaged. That's a lot of untapped human potential sitting in virtual and physical offices around the world.

“As we look toward 2025, yes, flexible work arrangements and transparency will remain important. But what employees crave most are meaningful connections with managers who see them as whole people, not just resources. 

“They want leaders who provide regular, meaningful feedback, set clear goals, and genuinely care about their wellbeing – both inside and outside of work.

“This isn't just feel-good HR speak – it's good business. Organizations with highly engaged teams see 23% higher profitability and 18% higher productivity. The secret sauce? Managers who know how to build genuine connections while driving performance.

“So while the workplace continues to evolve at breakneck speed, some truths remain constant: people don't leave companies – they leave managers. And just as importantly, they stay for the ones who help them thrive. In 2025, the best thing you can do for your employees won’t be to invest in more perks or policies – it’ll be investing in better managers.”

How employee experience platforms help

If you’re relying solely on email or an outdated legacy intranet to talk to your colleagues, authenticity and meaningful interactions with managers are going to be hard to achieve. 

That’s why modern tools that streamline internal comms while keeping human connection at their core can be true game changers – and in our totally unbiased opinion, Workvivo is your best bet. 

Set up a free, no-strings-attached demo at the button below to learn more.