In 2023, the world of work continued to be disrupted. Whether it was from AI, labor strikes, return to office (RTO) mandates, geopolitical unrest, changes in DEI initiatives—all these elements, and more, continue to disrupt the world of work in 2024. Organizations willing to navigate these trends will give themselves a competitive edge when it comes to recruiting talent.
Here are 5 trends that will impact the world of work in 2024.
- Creative Benefits to Combat the Costs of Work
Employees who work primarily from home have seen a world with fewer costs when it comes to time, energy, and actual money. Going to the office five days a week is expensive! And many believe that the costs outweigh the benefits. Not only is it more effort to go into work now that it’s not part of our everyday routines, it’s also more exhausting and more expensive. After seeing that working from home for some industries did not impact productivity negatively, many employees see RTO mandates as a waste. Plus, the actual prices to get to and from work add up—public transportation costs, gasoline, car prices—or tolls—those costs don’t exist for non-commuters.
For those companies that want employees in the office, some are offering benefits that help to mitigate financial stressors, like housing subsidies to help employees find housing that’s affordable and near the office, student loan repayment, financial planning services, and caregiving benefits.
2. AI Will Provide Opportunities
ChatGPT burst on the scene last year and it has certainly made an impact. But when it comes to stealing jobs, we’d predict that AI isn’t going to alleviate the number of employees you need, at least not just yet, but instead it will create opportunities. Leaders should be prepared to adapt how they believe AI will impact their workforce and understand what roles will be using AI to do their jobs more effectively.
3. Skills Will Overtake Degree Requirements
A college degree will no longer be a barrier to getting hired for some corporate jobs. Instead employers will consider STAR employees who have gained their skills through alternative routes, such as the military, on the job training, or apprenticeships. Organizations are limiting their talent pool by arbitrarily requiring a degree.
4. DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Will Become Rote
With many companies paring back resources, they need to ensure that DEI is still very much part of an organization’s core business processes, not just a siloed part of the company. DEI should be embedded so that their purposes just become a logical thing that happens, not something that’s consciously thought about.
5. Say Goodbye to Traditional Career Paths and Say Hello to Returnships & Cross-Training
Traditional career paths are going away. It is no longer common for employees to climb the corporate ladder and retire at the peak of their career. Now people are working well into retirement age, changing careers, taking breaks, and seeking less stressful opportunities. In addition to internships, we’re going to see returnships, which are short-term engagements for established professionals who want to reenter the workforce after an extended period of time. Also be prepared to lose out on years of industrial knowledge as people do start to retire. Cross-training employees (a great way to transfer some of that valuable industry knowledge) will have long-term benefits and help your organization be successful in the future.
As we embrace these trends and navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, organizations have the opportunity to stay on top of their game in response to these shifts.
Nexxt is a recruitment media company that uses today’s most effective marketing tactics to reach the full spectrum of talent – from active to passive, and everything in between. Learn more about hiring with Nexxt.