As we begin a new year in the working world, we’re looking back at 2023 for a hint of what this 2024 might hold. That’s right — it’s workplace trend prediction time. We’re drawing from our own experiences running Star, the feedback we’ve received from clients, and careful study of the working world at large. (Keeping a pulse on human resources is what we do!)
Here, we break down the four workplace trends we’re predicting for 2024. From AI, of course, to intergenerational bonding, here’s what we’re likely to see this year.
1. Relational skills are on the rise.
For years now, we’ve seen “excellent communication skills” listed as requirements in job descriptions. But being able to craft a coherent email or sound professional on the phone is just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to relational skills, we’re starting to see a major uptick in requests for high emotional intelligence. If 2023’s trend was a return to the office, 2024 will be about easing the friction that came with that paradigm shift.
In 2024, employers are going to prioritize hiring and promoting people with a full suite of relational skills and high levels of emotional intelligence. Think: the ability to resolve conflict, active listening skills, and self-awareness. There is also a set of relational skills that you might not think land in that category: the ability to prioritize your team’s work, the ability to triage crises, the ability to navigate numerous personality types, and a demonstrated interest in building camaraderie.
2. Generative AI hiring is here to stay — but watch out for this red flag.
You’ve heard about it and for good reason. We’re on the precipice of an AI revolution that will affect nearly every part of the workplace. And if HR professionals ignore the progress, we risk being left behind.
In 2024, HR teams will make extensive use of AI — from candidate screening to performance review analyses to administrative tasks. But we’re also predicting a major stumbling block in AI use: the feeling of over-automation.
HR pros will have to be careful to ensure that any work generated by AI will still have a human touch. Think: recruiting emails, application prompts, job offers, or rejections. Nobody wants to feel like they’re just a number. And it doesn’t serve any of us to make our employees feel like they’re dealing with a machine.
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3. We’ll prioritize real solutions to burnout.
HR pros around the world are reporting that employee burnout is a major, lasting issue from the pandemic — Gallup’s recent State of the Global Workplace report highlighted how employee stress has remained at record highs since 2020. This level of burnout spells big trouble for HR teams, who over and over report that burnout leads to major issues in employee retention. (What’s more: retention is a major stressor for HR professionals, leading them to the very burnout we’re trying to avoid.)
Workplaces will need to address burnout to keep their employees healthy and whole. In 2024, we’re predicting that employers can capitalize on increased employee engagement to help offset burnout: They can help employees stay productive when they’re at their most engaged and encourage them to take rest periods in between. And this shift toward wellness will need to start from the top, with real, enforced policies like no after-hours emails, mandatory vacation time, and more.
4. The generations will have to work together.
2024 is looking to be the fever pitch of a long-brewing shift: Growing numbers of Gen Z are entering the workforce just as millennials are moving into managerial roles and Gen Xers are in senior leadership. Like the discomfort that came from the different needs and expectations of Boomers and millennials, the new clash is building.
But there are plenty of ways around “kids these days” grumbling at the water cooler. HR teams will need to get proactive about understanding the different needs, expectations, and experiences around each generation. Then, HR will synthesize those needs into a workplace culture that’s inclusive of each generation and provide education to its employees. Ultimately, multiple generations need to be able to coexist and foster camaraderie, and that comes from understanding each other.
One last thought…
In 2024, we at Star hope that the working world prioritizes the whole human behind the desk. Humanity is the common theme in each of these trends: At the end of the day, we’re just people trying to do our best.
Here’s to 2024!