15 Latest HR Trends for 2024
The beginning of this decade took the world through struggles and rough weather which came in the form of a pandemic, economic downturn, and social upheavals. People had to make adjustments and adapt rapidly. Technology took center stage and revolutionized life for everyone. This impacted the world of HR as well. New paths and directions have been taken and explored. The question on everyone’s minds is what are the latest HR trends that are taking precedence and dominate the landscape in 2024?
The trade-off between remote and office work
Remote work is something that is not entirely new but the pandemic has brought it into focus. Remote work has become a reality and will continue to be in focus through 2024. Working from home has its own benefits and makes employees more productive, by giving them more time with families, and less time spent on the office commute. Consequently, employees have been taking off less time from work. The problem is that not all roles lend themselves to remote work so employers must get some employees to work on-site. A trade-off has to be made depending on what is beneficial for the business versus what is beneficial for the employees and a choice has to be made. A compromise may be to get employees to work from home at least twice a month. A solution that will satisfy everyone has to be arrived at.
Employee experience is vital
Employees went through a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic where they had to juggle with personal issues to survive a pandemic as well as perform well at work. It took its toll and caused stress, and burnout, and impacted productivity. In the coming year, employers will have to consider the personal lives and issues of employees and how it affects their work. This is because if one is affected, the other one is impacted too. One of the latest HR trends this year will be to include financial, physical, and mental support to employees and enhance their employee experience.
Continuous learning
Quarantine during the global pandemic gave people the opportunity and time to indulge in learning something new or practising old skills. Learning a new language or practising an old skill can lead to both personal and professional improvement through which businesses can benefit. One of the latest HR trends of 2024 will be for companies to invest in and support employees to develop themselves through learning programs and develop their skills. Companies could encourage them to join online courses, and workshops and also set up e-libraries.
Use technology to drive trust
The global pandemic caused employees a lot of fear and anxiety making them look for transparent updates and feedback. The fear of job loss and the stress of whether their work is satisfactory kept people on their toes. Transparent tools that track employee progress are useful for both the employee and the employer. This will be one of the latest HR trends of 2024 and will help employees have access to feedback, information, and tasks using technology.
Employee well-being
Well-being and wellness programs have taken priority in the aftermath of the pandemic. HR will have to find ways to address the mental health of employees remove the stigma and provide them the support that they need. Employers will have to do a lot of research, and workshops, and leverage technology to do this. The well-being programs must ensure that the employees are safe, healthy, and productive.
Increased online communication
Remote work is the order of the day and many teams are working from home. Given this scenario, virtual meetings, recruitment, and onboarding are all being done online. Companies must enable HR with high-quality technology that supports video interviews, and virtual communication. Proper training on using these resources must also be planned.
Reskilling and internal mobility
One of the toughest outcomes of the pandemic was the freeze that companies put on hiring. This put pressure on HR to find talent internally that would fit the bill and be resourceful by using existing talent. Sometimes, these employees would need additional reskilling and training to enable them to fulfill the new roles that they need to take on. This is a key focus of the latest HR trends of 2024.
Flexible recruitment
The pandemic brought in a lot of change and change demands flexibility. HR recruiters brought in that flexibility while filling vacancies. Instead of seeking candidates with higher experience and good educational qualifications, they started opting for candidates with the necessary skills even if they did not have the educational degrees to match.
The use of AI in recruitment
Tedious and repetitive tasks are being taken over by AI and recruitment is no exception. AI enables those in HR more time to focus on meaningful elements of recruitment. AI has taken over the sourcing of candidates, sifting of resumes, and even onboarding of candidates with ease and accuracy.
Focus on company culture
Among the things that candidates look for in a company are attractive employee perks, a good reputation, and a happy work culture. Organizational culture will be a top HR trend in 2024. Showcasing the work culture to potential employees and showcasing the profiles of people who work in the organization will be beneficial, especially considering the millennials and Gen Z.
Understanding younger generations
A large part of the organizational workforce is constituted by the millennials and their younger counterparts, gen Z. One of the latest HR trends of 2024 will be to understand these two generations and what drives them. These generations come with different goals, priorities, and habits than those older than them. Employers will have to learn to address the needs of this generation if they must attract and work with them.
Mobile-friendly recruitment
The COVID-19 pandemic forced jobs to remote working and everyone had to learn to cope. Similarly, job seekers have also started using mobile phones more to seek opportunities. Job postings, and job ad posting requirements will all have to be mobile-friendly in 2024. Recruiters must consider this while working.
Diversity, inclusion, and equity
Companies are implementing diversity and inclusion policies and attracting a multicultural workforce. That is a leading trend in 2024. Recruitment teams are using niche platforms to ensure that they are reaching underrepresented categories and recognize their talent. Employees also feel safer when they know that their workplace supports diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Increased retention efforts
Attrition is an expensive affair as a company spends a lot of time, effort and money trying to recruit new talent. It is important to boost retention efforts. One of the best ways of doing that is to improve the overall employee experience and focus on a positive work culture that will boost employee retention.
Soft skills
It is no longer enough if employees have technical knowledge alone. Post-pandemic, it is becoming important to focus on empathy, emotional intelligence, and soft skills. These are going to become very important. An emerging trend in 2024 is to identify candidates who possess these abilities and fit the job in addition to their technical brilliance.
Summary
We are entering a challenging year and we have to make HR recruitment more human-centric. The latest HR trends for 2024 reflect that. Among other things, employee well-being, leveraging technology, and providing a wholesome employee experience take priority.
