Heading into 2025, strategic CHROs should align their HR priorities with the priorities of CEOs, an expert at Gartner says, since the chief executive's objectives will ultimately influence each function's operations. So, what will the top concerns of CEOs be in the New Year?

According to Gartner's CEO and Senior Business Executive survey, growth tops the list, cited by 56% of CEOs, followed by technology implementation (42%), the strengthening of the organization's operating model or corporate profile (36%), and financial stability (25%).

Of particular note for HR leaders, says Peter Aykens, practice vice president at Gartner, is that the workforce fell to fifth place (21%) on the list of CEOs' concerns about the coming year. This is a deviation from the last few years when it consistently ranked third, says Aykens, who led a session Tuesday on this topic at the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference in Orlando, Fla.