2025 HR Trends in Focus: Talent, Tech, and the Regulatory Road Ahead

Jim Link is the Chief Human Resources Officer for SHRM. With more than 340,000 members around the world, SHRM is the largest HR professional association in the world and the leading voice for matters related to workers and the workplace. Prior to joining SHRM, Link’s career included roles of increasing responsibility across a variety of industries and companies including General Electric, the Pillsbury Company, Porsche Cars, and Randstad. While at Randstad North America, he led a global team of 150 HR professionals who were instrumental in transforming the company into an award-winning, inclusive, and sustainable global leader. Link consistently demonstrates dynamic and visionary thought leadership with a variety of presentations focusing on the interconnection between effective human capital management and business results.  Using a data-driven, story-telling approach with his audiences, Link’s presentations weave together insights gleaned from a variety of sources to address the rapid and necessary changes required for tomorrow’s leaders to succeed. Typical topics Link addresses include the future of HR, global workforce dynamics, workplace evolution, emerging leadership trends, tech readiness, culture, employee and organization wellbeing, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation. Link has graced stages across diverse geographical landscapes, sharing his expertise with audiences in North America, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. As a sought-after speaker on the international stage, his insightful presentations delve into critical aspects of the contemporary workplace, including but not limited to inclusion, employee experience and engagement, organizational culture, benefits strategies, and mental health advocacy. His compelling discussions not only showcase his depth of knowledge but also reflect his commitment to driving positive change in society and business through the lens of empathy and civility. His ability to translate complex ideas into manageable outcomes, coupled with his passion for fostering inclusive and thriving workplace environments, positions him as a thought leader who leaves a lasting impact on audiences across the globe.

Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, is SHRM's  Chief Data & Analytics Officer, leading the organization’s intelligence, insights, and innovation divisions. As leader of SHRM’s Thought Leadership & Business Intelligence operations, his total career portfolio has been based upon practical thought leadership designed to make better workplaces and grow revenue across industry. Alonso’s thought leadership has been featured in numerous media outlets including USA Today, NBC News, BBC, CNN, and more. He has served as a member of several speakers bureaus with more than 400 speaking engagements on human capital topics and driving productivity over the last decade. His works have been acknowledged for their contributions to real-world human capital issues. This includes being recognized with the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP’s) 2007 M. Scott Myers Award for Applied Research in the Workplace for developing the federal standard for learning and development of healthcare providers; a 2009 Presidential Citation for Innovative Practice by the American Psychological Association for designing performance management systems; and the 2013 SIOP Distinguished Early Career Contributions for Practice Award for extensive applied research on the link between human resource management and organizational sustainability. Throughout his career, Alonso has published works in peer-reviewed journals, authored several chapters on community-based change initiatives in workforce readiness, and authored books such as The Price of Pettiness, Talking Taboo: Making the Most of Polarizing Topics, and Defining HR Success: A Guide to the SHRM Competency Model in Practice. He has served on several advisory boards including The Secretary of Defense’s Defense Business Board (DBB) and the Zeal Capital Investor Advisory board. He is a Fellow of SIOP, Division 14, of the American Psychological Association.

Emily M. Dickens is Chief of Staff, Head of Government Affairs, and Corporate Secretary for SHRM. An executive team member, Dickens is responsible for implementing the CEO's vision, corporate communications, corporate governance, global policy, government affairs, and the organization's real property. As a member of the executive team for the world’s largest human resources trade association, and 4th largest trade association in the world, Dickens leads SHRM’s efforts across multiple critical areas of strategic and operational importance. In addition to guiding SHRM’s advocacy and policy initiatives, she oversees government affairs, global policy, legal affairs, and the SHRM Foundation — the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of SHRM. Dickens plays a pivotal role in aligning these functions to advance SHRM’s mission of creating better workplaces for a better world while driving organizational effectiveness and impact. Through her leadership of SHRM’s Advocacy Team — the “A-Team” — comprising nearly 30,000 active HR professionals across the United States, Dickens ensures the HR profession remains at the forefront of advancing workplace policy. A sought-after expert on workplace issues and business leadership, her insights have been featured in CBS News, NBC News, AP News, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg Law, Crain's Business, Marketplace, WTOP, Yahoo Finance, HR Brew, and HR Dive. She has also testified before Congress and the EEOC on AI, gender bias, and paid leave. Dickens represents SHRM on the boards of several influential organizations to amplify SHRM’s voice in global, national, and local business and labor policy discussions. These include the B20 Brazil Women in Business Action Council (Co-Chair); USCIB-United States Council for International Business (Governance Committee); The Bryce Harlow Foundation; Skill-Up; and the National Foundation for Women Legislators. Before joining SHRM, Dickens was a passionate advocate for access to higher education, serving in leadership roles such as General Counsel and Head of Policy for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Vice President of Public Policy for the Association of Governing Boards for Colleges and Universities, and Assistant Vice President for Federal Affairs at the University of North Carolina System. She has also held key administrative and external affairs roles at Duke University and Fayetteville State University. Drawing on her extensive higher education experience, Dickens continues to champion the education-to-employment pipeline as a solution to future workforce challenges. Beyond her professional achievements, Dickens is actively engaged in board service. She is the Chair of the North Carolina Central University Board of Trustees and Co-Chair of the HR Committee for the NCNW Board of Directors. A life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, she has served as Chairman of the International HBCU Task Force and on the sorority’s Education Advancement Foundation Board of Directors (AKAEAF). 

Andy Biladeau is SHRM's Chief Transformation Officer. Biladeau brings 10+ years of experience as a Human Resources leader, practitioner, and consultant. He began his career at PwC, where he led global HR transformation engagements for Fortune 500 clients, founded PwC’s Learning Solutions consulting practice, and served as the Product Owner for PwC’s Change Navigator platform. As Director of Talent Development at Target Corporation, he led a team responsible for Training, Leadership Development, and Change Management for over 100,000 store team members. During his time at Target, he also led the organizational readiness efforts for Target’s enterprise Operating Model Transformation, impacting more than 2,000 retail stores and more than 250,000 employees. As a founding team member at the Josh Bersin Company, Biladeau led the HR Advisory Services practice and delivered consulting engagements across all areas of HR, serving many clients in the Fortune 100. Additionally, he served as the Chief Learning Officer for the Josh Bersin Academy.