The way we work continues to evolve and every year, new trends emerge that force us to shift how we think about our workplace and our colleagues around us.

The past few years have seen the level of change accelerate, and there’s no signs of things slowing down in 2024.

From generative AI and belonging to more people seeking purpose-led roles and a changing of the guard, we’ve done some digging and have highlighted 7 major trends that will be key 2024 and how they will impact the workplace in the months to come.

1. Increase in AI adoption

As companies turn to AI to support them across their business and boost their productivity, this has resulted in a mixed reaction, with some excited about the opportunities it presents and some more fearful.

These fears about AI are driven not only by the threat of losing one’s job, but also the uncertainty of whether they will have the skills they need to succeed in the AI era.

Employers will need to be aware of the AI tools available and the direction the technology is going to allay these fears and ensure their teams have the necessary skills in place to be able to use them effectively in the future.

2. Employees seeking purpose-led roles

Pay is far from people’s only motivator.

Employees in 2024 are looking to gain more value from their jobs, find deeper connections with a company’s purpose and feel supported and empowered… and it’s important for employers to respond.

The more employers don’t listen to their staff and limit the things that create a sense of purpose within the workplace, the more likely their employees are to seek a move away to a business that meets their needs.

3. Skills based hiring – competence over credentials

Skills-based hiring has taken off, with many employers considering skills more effective when evaluating candidates than the credentials and experience on their CVs.

As the competition for talent hots up and pressures mount on hiring manager, businesses are starting to rethink their approach and are widening their recruitment lens to capture the diverse skills and experiences of a changing workforce.

Through changing to a skills-based approach, businesses can engage candidates from different backgrounds and experiences, which in turn leads to a more rounded and diverse workforce.

4. Plugging skills gaps with upskilling and development opportunities

With many business leaders indicating there’s a growing skills gap across their teams, it’s never been more important to double down on providing staff with upskilling and development opportunities.

It’s what employees are looking for too.

They want personalised training that’s tailored to their individual needs and that has a direct link to their future career aspirations.

Those that place learning and development at the heart of their proposition will see increased employee engagement, better retention levels, and more opportunities to hire great talent.

5. Creating belonging will be a key culture priority

Alongside diversity equity and inclusion policies, there’s a greater emphasis being placed on people’s sense of belonging.

Creating an environment that encourages people to thrive, fulfil their potential, and belong by being their true selves is essential when it comes to building a company that people want to work for.

And companies are doing this effectively by embedding their commitments into their business and highlighting them across multiple touchpoints and throughout the employee lifecycle and the recruitment process.

6. The continuing return-to-office debate

The calls for a return to the office have been getting louder in some sectors, and several big names have issued mandates putting a stop to their teams working remotely full-time.

Yet there is no one-size-fits all solution and every business is different.

With this topic high up on company’s agendas in 2024, the debate will rage on as they try to figure out the best approach in terms of productivity and employee engagement.

It’s important they take a step back, engage with staff and look at the data to determine the correct course of action to take on this hot topic.

7. More GenZers than Baby Boomers in the workplace

It’s been reported that GenZ employees are expected to overtake the number of Baby Boomers in the workplace this year.

While Boomers value things such as job security from their employer, and Gen X workers want work-life balance and career progression, for GenZ employees, company ethics, DEI and having their voices heard are among their priorities.

This represents a pivotal moment of culture change, and employers will need to seriously consider and make changes to their work environments, benefits, culture and more to attract and retain this new generation of talent.

Final thoughts

It’s true that change is the only constant, and 2024 looks set to be a year full of change for businesses and their teams.

It’s therefore important to be aware of these trends and work to understand how they relate to your own working environment so you can be better equipped to navigate any changes as they come.