Family Office Insights 2025: People First, AI Next, Success Follows 

In today’s fast-changing world, even the wealthiest families are facing the same challenges every modern business does: how to hire the right people, adapt to technology, and create sustainable organizations for the future. The UBS Global Family Office Report 2025, which surveyed 317 of the world’s wealthiest families, offers surprising insights; not just about investment strategies, but about people, culture, and the future of work. 

Trust Over Titles: How the Ultra-Wealthy Hire 

When it comes to hiring, the world’s largest family offices agree on one thing: personality and trust matter more than degrees. 

  • 73% of family offices say the most important hiring factor is whether the candidate has the right personality for the role. 
  • 72% prioritize trustworthiness, ensuring the family feels confident in the person. 
  • Surprisingly, only 52% rank education or professional qualifications as a top priority. 

In other words, soft skills are hard currency in this world. This hiring philosophy highlights something every business should take seriously: technical skills can be taught; trust and cultural fit cannot. 

Lean, Professional, and Growing 

Despite managing an average of $1.1 billion each, most family offices run lean operations with small, highly skilled teams. As their assets grow, they’re not simply adding more people, they’re looking for smarter, more efficient ways to work. This mirrors a trend we see across industries: companies of all sizes are moving towards smaller teams with specialized, highly trustworthy talent, often supported by automation and technology. 

AI Is Not the Future, It’s the Present 

Family offices are embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI), not as a buzzword, but as an operational tool. 

  • 69% plan to use AI for financial reporting and data visualization. 
  • 64% will apply AI for document summarization and text analysis. 
  • 62% expect to use AI for quantitative investment analysis. 

Sustainability Starts With People 

This shift shows that AI is reahsping jobs, rather than replacing them. Employees who can combine technical literacy with human skills like critical thinking, ethics, and communication will become increasingly valuable. Family offices are also reframing sustainability. It’s not just about green investments, but also about building organizations that are resilient, responsible, and aligned with family values.

This includes: 

  • Prioritizing philanthropy and purpose-driven work. 
  • Focusing on long-term succession planning (even though many are behind on this!). 
  • Investing in sectors like healthcare, clean energy, and AI, which align with global future needs. 
     

What HR Professionals Can Learn 

Whether you’re hiring for a startup, a corporation, or a family-run business, the lessons are universal: 

  1. Hire for trust and fit, not just credentials. 
  1. Invest in continuous learning, especially around AI and emerging technologies. 
  1. Build lean, skilled teams focused on long-term success. 
  1. Make sustainability part of your workplace culture, not just an external goal. 
  1. Don’t delay succession planning, it’s as critical in companies as it is in families. 

At its core, the UBS report reminds us that even in a world driven by billions, people are still the most important asset. The future belongs to organizations that invest as much in their people as they do in their profits.