2023 saw many workplace changes affecting employers’ and employees’ budgets. These included the rise of AI, a hybrid work model, and a shift towards skills-based hiring. Looking towards 2024, it’s clear that disruption will continue. Some of these disruptions will be a continuation of what began in 2023. This article will look at the top 7 HR trends we should expect in 2024.

Why do HR Trends matter?

The workplace is an ever-evolving place with market needs, industry practices, and company policies constantly changing. Societal shifts and world trends affect how companies run their daily operations. 

For instance, with the introduction of technology, many employers are now allowing employees to work from home. Therefore, by understanding emerging HR trends, companies can incorporate them to optimize their processes.

Top HR Trends to Watch in 2024

Now, here are the top trends to watch:

1. Companies to use Skills-based hiring

Previously, college papers were the biggest consideration in workplace hiring. However, this is changing as companies embrace skill-based hiring, even for jobs that traditionally require a university degree. According to a report titled The State of Skills-Based Hiring, 76% of employers are now considering skills when hiring. Of these companies,56% suggested they made the decision in the last two years.

 Major companies such as Delta Airlines, Google, Zoho, and Accenture are among those that have removed their degree requirement. Governments and local governments are also embracing this approach, which has helped employers increase their workforce. Some skills employers look for when hiring using this approach include cognitive abilities, personalities, and job-specific skills.

Skills-based hiring comes with various benefits, such as:

• Reduction in the total hiring time.
• Mis-hires that often result in employees leaving earlier.
• Enhanced team morale.
• Employee retention.

2. Upskilling and reskilling of employees

In an era when top skills are in demand, companies try to maintain top employees as much as possible. One way they do that is by providing employees with opportunities for personal and professional growth. Upskilling involves companies equipping their employees with new skills. On the other hand, reskilling teaches employees to do different jobs using new skills. Additionally, businesses looking to enhance their social media presence can benefit from services that help them gain Facebook promotion, boosting their followers and likes efficiently.

Reskilling creates adaptable employees, while upskilling offers better career advancement opportunities for employees. Some  of how companies are upskilling and reskilling employees are through:

• Employees training and development.
•  Rewarding employees who upskill
• Mentorship and job shadowing.

3. Increasing Employee Efficiency Using AI

For a long time, employers have used technology to improve processes and employee efficiency. In 2024, AI is one of the biggest technological inventions. Like in the past, employers will continue using emerging technology in the HR field. This will particularly happen with generative AI to remove mundane tasks and improve data-driven decisions.

Some areas in the  HR space where companies are using AI include recruitment, performance management, and employee records management. Here, professionals can use AI technology to:

• Write job posts and job offers for candidates.
• Employee data tracking to check productivity patterns.
• Analyze applications to point out top candidates without conventional papers.
• Payroll process automation.

4. Managers are acquiring conflict resolution skills.

According to a 2023 Gartner Survey, 57% of managers suggest managing and resolving employee conflicts is their role. In 2024, for managers to have a positive impact in their workspace, they should have the skills to manage interpersonal employee conflicts.

Since conflict resolution isn’t intuitive, companies may start equipping their HR managers with this essential skill. They will try to create dedicated training to upskill their managers. Top employers will also seek ways to reward employees with these crucial skills.

5. Alternative work arrangements.

With many companies looking to cut their costs due to limited budgets and employees looking to work part-time, there will be a change in how companies hire. They will start to hire more freelancers, part-time staff, and contractual employees. Such positions can be attractive to certain classes of employees, such as retirees, caregivers, and disabled persons.

Companies will hire consultants and part-time employees for senior and midlevel positions. These positions will benefit departments such as IT, design, marketing, and more. Businesses may also partner with staffing agencies to expedite the hiring process.

6. Providing a better work-life environment

In a job market with stiff competition for top talents, companies are doing their best to retain their top employees. Others are poaching top talent from their competitors. One way companies retain their top employees is through a good work-life balance.

Again, when employees feel like they are offering more to ther company than they are getting, this often results in quiet quitting, a situation where the employee’s output goes very low. They disengage from their work due to dissatisfaction. That’s why one of the top HR trends in 2024 will be to provide a good work-life balance.

Some of the ways in which companies will do that is by:

• Providing employees with virtual resources such as learning programs and telehealth services.
• Updating employee roles to improve engagement,
• Filling vacant positions internally.
• Providing employees with flexible working schedules.

7. A disruption to the traditional career path.

The traditional career path involved joining a company, moving up the career ladder, and finally retiring. This path is set to be disrupted in 2024 because some employees are no longer retiring but are taking a career shift. According to 2023 Pew Research, 23% of Americans over 65 were still working, almost twice the number of people who worked 35 years ago.

On the other hand, more employees are leaving the workplace in the middle of their careers. Some are changing jobs, while others embrace other nontraditional career paths, such as the gig economy. A 2023 LinkedIn survey of 23,000 employees found that 62% of those employees had already taken a career break.

Companies must also adapt their hiring process to the typical career paths. They must change their talent acquisition and retention strategies. They can do that  by:

• Allowing employees to return to the organizations.
• Hiring retired employees as gig workers.
• Be ready to accept C-suite employees in management positions.

Final Thoughts

In the press conference to announce Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia, Nokia’s CEO ended his speech by saying, “We didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost.” This was about Nokia, a market leader in mobile phone manufacturing, losing its position. This was mainly attributed to the company refusing to adapt to the smartphone era when things changed too fast.

This can also happen to any company that fails to stay ahead of trends in any area, including Human resources. If you are in the HR field, understanding the above trends and pivoting accordingly will enable you to stay ahead of the competition.

Guest writer.