11 must-know hybrid work trends in 2025
Explore 11 hybrid work trends that uncover the state of flexible work in 2025 and how to navigate the future of work in the years ahead.
Our executives predict how AI technology will impact 2025 with these 10 trends. See what's ahead in the new year.
Updated on December 16, 2024
Published on December 16, 2024
The year 2025 may still be a few weeks away, but we've been planning for the future for quite some time now. And while we can't predict exactly what the new year will bring, we feel confident that the biggest drivers of success will come from the companies who focus on delivering AI-first solutions that increase employee productivity and deliver personalized customer experiences. The need for a robust suite of AI tools will be necessary to uncover new efficiencies, attract top talent, and elevate customer success in ways we've only just begun to experience.
We asked a few Zoom executives to expand upon these predictions and give their advice for how organizations can stay one step ahead and gain a competitive advantage.
1: An AI-first total experience that focuses on connecting agents with the broader organization will differentiate and elevate CX.
The customer experience will transform into a company-wide responsibility, breaking away from being siloed within the contact center. AI-driven collaboration will empower agents to connect with subject matter experts across departments, from billing to product teams, to help ensure real-time, accurate responses for customers. By embedding shared accountability throughout the organization and fostering a supportive environment for agents, businesses can balance AI-driven efficiency with the human touch, delivering personalized CX that meets rising customer expectations.
Amy Roberge, head of Zoom Contact Center
2: Exceptional, human experiences will drive the best customer service
Companies that focus on delivering an exceptional user experience will be best positioned to come out on top. With this in mind, we will see a new class of companies emerge that use AI to make customer service much more human while also saving costs. Exceptional user experiences will leverage:
the ability to deliver highly personalized experiences
seamless service with quick resolution
incredibly smart and empathetic customer service agents empowered by AI every step of the way
Smita Hashim, Zoom chief product officer
3: Proactive outreach will evolve from a "nice-to-have" to a baseline expectation in CX
Leveraging AI, companies will be able to better anticipate customer needs, provide preemptive solutions, and deliver tailored communications. From guiding customers through onboarding to suggesting relevant upgrades, this proactive approach will cater to the desire for hyper-personalized, anticipatory service —enhancing satisfaction and reducing churn across every touchpoint.
Amy Roberge, head of Zoom Contact Center
Check out some other customer experience trends in 2025 from some leading CX analysts.
4. To deliver best-of-breed experiences, more platforms will move to a federated approach to AI
The performance gap between open- and closed-source LLMs is rapidly decreasing, so we believe more platforms will embrace a federated approach, with the ability to utilize multiple LLMs instead of relying on just one. This will provide engineers and users with more choice and best-of-breed experiences as the LLM competition heats up and first-mover advantages become less significant.
XD Huang, Zoom chief technology officer
5. AI digital assistants will fundamentally change how we work
Over time, AI digital assistants will become fully customized, evolving into a “digital twin,” equipped with your work history and institutional knowledge. This will not only help maximize efficiency but also fundamentally change how we work, allowing us to prioritize the creative and strategic tasks that truly require the human touch and thoughtful focus time.
Eric Yuan, Zoom CEO and founder
As AI assistants get smarter, we can expect them to make a bigger impact on our personal lives, not just at work. As we look to 2025 and beyond, AI assistants will be our first step in starting any new project or brainstorming an idea. They will go beyond automating our tasks and will actually do work for us and help us get more done. AI assistants will also offer more personalized, emotionally intelligent guidance to strengthen our interactions with others.
XD Huang, Zoom chief technology officer
6. Soft skills will become more vital for engineers as AI automation progresses
With AI’s ability to automate programming, problem-solving skills will become even more important in growing the strongest technical teams to ensure they can creatively overcome hurdles in addition to catching AI errors. I expect engineering leaders to spend more time training teams in soft skills that will ultimately strengthen technical skills long term.
XD Huang, Zoom chief technology officer
7. People will expect and want to work with AI-driven solutions
Over the past year, we’ve seen an explosion of AI in the workplace driven by a need to enhance productivity and enable smarter collaboration. The integration of AI into our daily work routines has quickly become less of a novelty, and more of a cultural norm. Soon, it will become a necessity — something people will begin to expect from their tools at work.
Eric Yuan, Zoom CEO and founder
8. AI tools will bridge the gap for better collaboration among hybrid workers
We conducted a global industry survey this past year and learned that people who use AI are more likely than non-AI users to benefit from asynchronous forms of collaboration. As organizations work to strike the right balance with hybrid work, I foresee leaders embracing best-of-breed hybrid solutions, enabling AI widely to foster better collaboration between in-person and virtual employees.
Smita Hashim, Zoom chief product officer
9. Companies that deploy AI tools will attract top talent with younger, AI-savvy employees
Business leaders should be prepared to welcome a new class of AI natives to the workforce— employees who have used generative AI from a young age and naturally incorporate it into their work and personal lives. AI natives will expect AI adoption to be the default rather than a pilot and the best talent will gravitate toward companies that embrace these tools and the people who harness them. This talent should be celebrated and made AI ambassadors for the company.
Smita Hashim, Zoom chief product officer
10. Four-day work-weeks can become the norm and drive innovation
AI innovations will allow us to be much more efficient and, ultimately, free up a whole workday every week. We predict the four-day workweek can become the norm, creating space for meaningful dialogue and stronger connections that could lead to new discoveries.
Eric Yuan, Zoom CEO and founder
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