With the new year comes a new set of emerging trends. For companies that want to plan strategically for the future, understanding what’s on the horizon – and how it’ll impact their business or workplace – can make all of the difference. It creates opportunities to leverage new techniques and technologies and helps organizations avoid potential challenges.
If you want to prepare for 2024, information is power. Here’s a business and workplace forecast covering emerging trends and strategies that could play a big role in the coming year.
Increasing Use of Generative AI
Generative AI came into the spotlight in 2023 and will only continue to make waves in 2024. With generative AI, companies can potentially automate more processes, streamline operations, and revamp the customer experience.
However, there are dangers associated with using some generative AI solutions. For example, entering sensitive company, customer, or client information into publicly accessible generative AI platforms could increase the odds of exposure. Since that’s the case, companies need to develop formal procedures and policies outlining the use of generative AI, ensuring employees have robust guidelines to follow and can avoid missteps.
Prioritizing Soft Skills
Soft skills have long provided employers with value, but they’re becoming critical in an era where technology increasingly handles various tasks with little human oversight. The duties remaining in the hands of employees are increasingly those that genuinely require the human touch. Since that’s the case, soft skills are often a determiner of success. That’ll lead companies to prioritize them during hiring, ensuring new employees have the traits necessary to excel in their positions.
Continuing Workplace Flexibility
While the pandemic is no longer part of the equation, workplace flexibility remains part of the paradigm. Along with allowing companies to hire outside of their immediate area, flexible arrangements position organizations as employers of choice. In turn, they often have far fewer difficulties in areas like recruitment and retention, making maintaining a right-sized and capable workforce easier.
However, one shift in the trend involves moving to hybrid approaches over fully remote positions, at least for local employees. Usually, hybrid roles improve work-life balance (compared to working solely from an official worksite) while increasing visibility into workers’ activities. As a result, it functions as a happy medium.
Hiring for Potential and Upskilling
Two trends that often go hand-in-hand are hiring candidates for their potential and focusing on upskilling internally. With this approach, companies can overcome skill gaps by bringing new hires on board who are well-positioned to learn the needed capabilities and offering suitable training to facilitate their growth. Essentially, it allows employers to mold – instead of find – their ideal employees, and it’s often a far more effective strategy.
With these trends, there’s also the added benefit of improved retention. Many professionals strongly desire to learn and grow on the job. By offering upskilling opportunities, employers meet that need, especially when acquiring new skills coupled with chances to advance.
If you’re looking for enthusiastic candidates with the potential for growth, Premier Staffing Inc. wants to hear from you. Contact us to find your next great new hire day.