6 WORKPLACE TRENDS SET TO IMPACT 2024
With so much ‘noise’, it can be difficult to separate the ‘hype’ from the highly important. To help you focus your efforts where it matters most, we’ve identified six key areas need to be on your radar in the year ahead.
STRENGTHENING TALENT NETWORKS WITH SKILLS-FIRST HIRING
In 2024, talent shortages will remain a serious challenge and digital, green and healthcare roles will continue to surge in demand. Indeed, 62% of senior decision-makers globally view a shortage of personnel with IT skills as one of the main threats to their business, and in the current climate this means significant change in hiring strategies is needed.
Continuing to hire exclusively using traditional criteria (such as formal education, degree qualifications and relevant experience) will see organisations at the mercy of highly competitive labour markets - and failing to meet their ambitions.
In the year ahead, it’s skills that will triumph over experience, with 75% of recruiting professionals predicting that skills-first hiring will become a key priority for their company. And with it will come much-needed access to a broader, more diverse pool of workers. In practise, implementing a skills-first approach means:
- Defining and mapping skills by identifying the core technical skills needed across your organisation;
- Creating defined career paths and learning journeys based on skills gaps, not roles;
- Curating targeted learning interventions including formal training, experiential and mentoring/peer learning;
- Enabling internal talent mobility by posting key roles internally.
OFFICE OR WFH? A GROWING TENSION...
There’s no doubt that the lockdown-enforced WFH experiment was a success. Workers globally proved they could be just as productive and effective as they were in the office – if not more.
And they’re happier too. A Gartner study of more than 4,000 employees found that 39% said they would be likely to quit if their employer tried to enforce a full-scale return to office mandate5.
But with global productivity growth set to slow for the third consecutive year6, employers are itching to get their teams back in the office, with nearly a quarter of employers anticipating that their hybrid working policies will change to require more in-office attendance over the next 12 months7.
But Elly Boggis, our People and Culture Director for Enterprise Solutions, notes that a return to office can’t be a forced ask, with consultation a key aspect of achieving a successful hybrid policy. The debate is more about asking where the best place is for your workers to be successful, rather than just home vs office.
And remember, for your employees it’s not about the office, it’s about belonging. Make space for socialisation and collaboration, as well as focus and concentration. And as workers are increasingly concerned about whether their employers are taking sufficient action on environmental issues, enhancing the sustainability of your workplace could also have a positive impact on getting people to return to the office on a regular basis.
MANAGING A MULTI-GENERATIONAL WORKFORCE
- Doubling down on efforts to hire more people early in their careers;
- Exploring opportunities to reengage the ‘unretiring’ populations;
- Training and reskilling those with experience across the organisation;
- Exploring the opportunities of Hire-Train-Deploy models, whereby candidates are trained for specific skills requirements and armed for deployment at client sites.
Is your value proposition working across generations? Discover how you can leverage the benefits of age diversity with our ‘3 top tips for leaders’.
STRIKING THE BALANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY
2023 was the year of breakthrough technology. Generative AI exploded into our offices without standing on ceremony. ChatGPT made history as the fastest growing consumer application, reaching 100 million monthly active users in its first 2 months.
Technologies are advancing so quickly they have the capability to render current ways of working unrecognisable in a matter of months. In 2024 AI will leap forward once more, aiding everything from immersive interviews to writing job descriptions, and organisations are eager to embed its potential across working practices.
“Given its growing capabilities for tackling tasks of all shapes, it’s no surprise that companies are keen to harness AI’s potential”, stated Christiaan Cumine, Chief Product Officer at Hays.
Amidst all the excitement of plugging skills gaps and boosting productivity, organisations must ensure AI (and technology generally) is leveraged appropriately and that people see it as an aid, not a threat. Organisations need to build an ecosystem which carefully balances the promise of technology with a people-first culture – and for Christiaan, this means taking the time to understand what your business goals are, getting your data in shape – and only then can you align your AI strategy with your business goals.
Legislation is still yet to catch up with innovation when it comes to AI, but we’ll be seeing an influx of consumer protection laws rolling in over the next few years. In New York City, for example, the current administration has launched an ‘Artificial Intelligence Action Plan’ which will evaluate the risks associated with AI. Similar programmes are expected globally, so it’s important to keep track of imminent legislation that could change the way your organisation uses this developing technology.
AGILE STAFFING IN RESPONSE TO ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY
See how we can help your organisation compete for and recruit the best contingent workers.
