Impactful Workplace Trends For HR In 2024

Hybrid work models, DEI strategies, digital transformation and more

Many years ago, the then Prime Minister of the UK, Harold Macmillan, was asked what the greatest challenge for any statesman was. He replied: “Events, dear boy, events”. The same challenge applies to anyone trying to predict workplace trends for the coming year. For example, in late 2018, who would have predicted the mass move to remote working in early 2020? We are, however, already seeing some general workplace trends emerging for 2024. So, unless another huge disruptor comes along, here are five trends that are likely to have the greatest impact on the workplace in general, and on HR teams in particular.

1. Continuing Debate Around Remote, Hybrid and Non-Remote Working

Back in 2021, many organizations were toying with the idea of going fully remote. Since then, there has been a backlash, with many companies pushing for a return to the office, and some, such as Goldman Sachs, requiring staff to be at their desks 5 days a week. Of course, employees are pushing back, with many, perhaps not unreasonably, asking why they should be forced to commute when they have been carrying out their jobs perfectly well from home for the last few years. We predict that this conversation will continue throughout 2024 and that many organizations will adopt a hybrid model, where they ask employees to return to the office for some, but not all, of the working week. Those companies that insist on a full return are likely to put themselves at a disadvantage; research by The Myers-Briggs Company shows that employees who want to work from home, but who are not allowed to, are significantly more likely to be looking to leave their job than other employees are.

2. The Digital Transformation Continues

In 2024, we will see the digital transformation accelerate further, with technology integrated more and more into HR processes. There will be an increasing emphasis on using data and analytics, typically embedded in HR dashboards, to make decisions around recruitment, training, development and talent management. Software and platforms for collaboration, communication and project management will proliferate and automation of routine tasks and processes may become more common, often involving the need for additional training or upskilling of employees to use these new systems effectively.

The use of AI platforms like ChatGPT to answer questions and to draft content will increase, and HR teams will have a role in checking such content for errors (as is well documented, ChatGPT is not perfect). Organizations will begin to use AI in recruitment, a technique that can pay dividends but which also comes with a health warning. For example, if your existing workforce is white, male, and neurotypical, the decisions made by an unsophisticated AI recruitment system could be biased. It may be that we see more litigation around recruitment practices in 2024. Allied to the increasing importance of technology will be a greater emphasis on data security, cybersecurity, and associated training.

3. An Awareness of the Hidden Workforce

With many organizations and industries facing talent shortages, 2024 will be the year when employers take an interest in the ‘hidden workforce’, people who have often been overlooked or underutilized in employment, including neurodivergent individuals, people with disabilities, historically under-represented groups, and the long-term unemployed. As well as filling talent gaps, utilizing the hidden workforce can have many other benefits, such as bringing in different points of view to the organization, demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and, by offering opportunities to those denied them elsewhere, gaining a talented and loyal workforce. Of course, organizations may need to change training and development programs as well as recruitment processes. If employees do not feel valued and included, they will underperform or leave.

4. More Sophisticated DEI Strategies

For many years, there has been an increasing emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion, and this will continue into 2024 and become more sophisticated. There will be a greater emphasis on the importance of inclusion in keeping employees, rather than only being concerned with the recruitment of a diverse workforce. As well as race and gender, more attention will be paid to other aspects of diversity such as sexual orientation, disability, and neurodiversity, and to how these different facets of the individual interact with each other. There will be a continued focus on promoting well-being and mental health, and a growth in the resources available, especially for remote workers. Continuous training and development on diversity, equity and inclusion will continue, with a focus on developing an inclusive culture.

5. Coping with the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Many workers are feeling the effects of the ‘cost of living crisis’ as energy bills and food prices rise faster than their salary. The added stress means that many employees are underperforming. For businesses, operating costs are going up, creating pressure to improve productivity, and leaving little room to increase wages, especially for SMEs when compared to larger companies. This may leave them with a retention problem where previously loyal employees begin to feel undervalued or feel that they simply must leave to achieve a higher salary, a ‘living wage’, elsewhere. HR teams will have a major role to play in maintaining and enhancing employee well-being and engagement to improve retention. This may include fostering a sense of belonging and community, having programs in place to address any issues with physical, mental, or emotional health, and allowing employees to improve their work-life balance (for example by supporting hybrid working and avoiding an ‘always-on’ culture), and maintaining personal development programs.

Author Bio

John Hackston is a chartered psychologist and Head of Thought Leadership at The Myers-Briggs Company, where he leads the company’s Oxford-based research team. He is a frequent commentator on the effects of personality type on work and life and has authored numerous studies, published papers in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences for organizations such as The British Association for Psychological Type, and has written on various type-related subjects in top outlets such as Harvard Business Review.