Peopleware, a leading provider of workforce management (WFM) solutions, today released its 2025 WFM Benchmark Report, a global study of WFM professionals across 38 countries and 14 industries. The report benchmarks performance in forecasting, scheduling, intraday management, and analysis, uncovering key insights, challenges, and opportunities shaping workforce management in 2025. The findings highlight three emerging key themes: how organizations are navigating operational efficiency, the rising complexity of hybrid working models, and the imperative need to better engage employees.

The strategic importance of WFM is undeniable 
According to the report, 99% of professionals view it as critical to organizational success. Organizations that implement WFM solutions effectively report increased efficiency, reduced planning effort, and lower turnover and hiring costs, all of which contribute directly to profitability. These outcomes present a compelling case for continued investment in workforce management.

Scheduling efficiency lags behind hybrid work trends
While 79% of organizations now manage hybrid teams, optimized scheduling practices remain underutilized. Only 23% of respondents apply it to the majority of their employees. The data also reveals limited employee influence over decisions, as 53% of organizations allow fewer than 25% of employees to influence their own shifts. 

Employee engagement and empowerment - intention to impact
While 87% of organizations believe employee engagement to be very important, nearly half of frontline employees report feeling only "slightly empowered" or not empowered at all. The data reinforces that effort makes a difference. Notably, organizations that invest more than 9 hours per week in engagement initiatives are 3.8x more likely to report highly engaged employees than those investing fewer than 4 hours.

To address these challenges, the report identifies these critical priorities for 2025:

• Reinforcing WFM’s strategic role: Findings suggest that demonstrating ROI through improved efficiency, reduced turnover, and increased profit can strengthen executive support for long-term WFM investment. 
• Reducing the reliance on fixed shifts: The report highlights demand-driven, optimized scheduling models as a way to improve customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. 
• Tracking people-centric KPIs: The data shows a growing emphasis on balancing service-level metrics with employee-focused indicators, such as turnover and engagement scores, to support both performance and retention.

Get the full report: Download Peopleware’s 2025 WFM Benchmark Report at https://www.peopleware.com/report/wfm-benchmark-2025.