An HR Outlook for 2024: Four Predictions as We Get Back to Work
2020 was the year that saw a new virus turn what we all thought was the not-particularly-noteworthy beginning of a new decade into the largest pandemic of a generation. 2021 followed as the year of continued lockdowns and adaptation to that environment, while 2022 saw the completion of vaccination requirement consultations (and indeed their reversal), the great resignation and the increased fuel of quiet quitting. After 2023 was the year of the return to the office, economic uncertainty and what my colleagues correctly predicted to be the year of the great restructure, business leaders and HR professionals are cautious with our optimism in the new year. What unpredictabilities will swoop into 2024 from out of left field and cause groundbreaking, never-before-seen changes in the HR landscape? I guess that’s the thing about unpredictable things: you never know.
The last few years have certainly created this expectation in all of us that massive, globally significant surprises could always be around the corner. We’ve had: the great pandemic, the great resignation, and the great restructure to deal with as professionals – what a handful! As I say this, though, perhaps these times have also made us more adaptable and resilient, both as employers and employees and as we return to the office this week, after a long-awaited break, I am actually seeing signs of excitement, positivity and optimism.
In an HR sense, there is no “great” label attached to this year just yet (to risk a jinx, maybe it will be relatively smooth sailing). For now, here are some of the HR trends I think we’ll be talking about a lot in 2024:
1. Realignment
Many businesses have restructured and ‘right-sized’ already, having made these challenging decisions in light of circumstances that demanded them in 2023. That isn’t to say the job is over. We are seeing businesses enter the new year essentially wearing in their new shoes. They are getting a feel for what their refreshed teams look like, and how to achieve their goals and manage workflow with what is, in many cases, a slimmed-down headcount.
2. You’re rested, right?
It’s easy to hit the ground running after a summer break (for those who got it – and for those who didn’t we thank you for holding fort on your important work while the rest of us recharged). Making sure to have a break planned and scheduled down the track is important for mitigating burnout and keeping motivated. I talk to a lot of people who say “thinking about taking time off in June” but come July life got away from them and 6 months have gone. Remember, it takes longer to recover from being burnt out than it does to avoid it in the first instance.
3. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Sounds like something Grandma used to say? It does to me, but it’s not wrong. Think about what you are wanting to achieve this year and make a plan to get there. This is so important when it comes to development, training and learning. Is there a capability gap in your team that you keep thinking about working on? Book that training in now! Don’t wait for a mistake to be made that prompts ‘remedial’ training, anticipate shortcomings instead (where you can). This is particularly important when it comes to team leadership and people management. Whilst some people get better at leading people with practice on the job, the absence of foundational training is the biggest barrier to people leaders being set up for success.
4. Personal Goals / Business Goals
Are your personal goals aligned with the business strategy – and indeed the business cycle? Believe it or not, I’ve seen so many examples where employees have felt siloed from the wider purpose of the organisation and unable to see the role they play in the bigger picture. What felt even crazier was seeing personal goals that were out of sync with the business goals. It was little surprise the employees we spoke to felt separated from the success of the business. Establishing a meaningful goal-setting and appraisal cycle is one of our favourite projects to help clients with!
I’m looking forward to reading this in December 2024! As mentioned earlier, who knows what the year will bring. What you know for sure is that If you need some extra support to kickstart your 2024, your Core HR Business Partners will be with you every step of the way! Get in touch with us to see how we can help.