5 Work Trends in 2024 That Are Shaping Your Career Right Now
The workplace landscape has significantly changed over the past few years. For instance, remote or hybrid work has become more prevalent and the rise of artificial intelligence is impacting the day-to-day job duties in many industries. But what else is going on?
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Here are some trends that are shaping your career right now.
Four-day workweeks might become standard
We might soon find that the five-day workweek is a thing of the past.
“Employee workload, stress, and burnout continue to register as key employer concerns,” said Alix McCabe, Chief Human Resources and Communications Officer – Americas Region at Allianz Trade. “To combat this, companies will become increasingly proactive in 2024, offering solutions like meeting-free Fridays, dedicated wellness days, and additional PTO and flexible working hours surrounding high volume work periods.”
Companies will offer creative benefits
Attracting and retaining talent requires some creativity in perks and benefits. Rather than mandating a one-size-fits-all solution, companies will focus more on employee preference, according to McCabe.
“By enabling employees to share their preferred ways of engaging with colleagues, employers will more effectively provide the support that they desire. In short, in 2024 companies will broaden their approach from forced pizza parties to an array of structured and unstructured offerings designed together with employees.”
Skills requirements will supersede degrees
Another workplace shift is that academic qualifications and credentials will continue to decline in importance for hiring managers. McCabe argued that companies will continue the shift toward skill-based hiring, prioritizing experience, behavioral attributes and cultural fit when evaluating candidates.
“In many cases, this is an intentional shift on behalf of employers to increase speed-to-hire and remove barriers to entry for a more diverse talent pool,” she added. “At Allianz Trade, we’ve completed a deliberate review of our job descriptions to remove education requirements where they are not absolutely required. This has helped us to broaden our talent pool.”
The integration of AI
One transformative trend making waves globally is the integration of AI. “As we move forward, AI is set to reshape the future of work, becoming a key tool rather than a replacement,” said Luck Dookchitra, VP, People & Culture at Leapsome.
According to Dookchitra, HR must lead by example when it comes to rethinking how they work to become more agile and create leaner processes that enhance productivity and engagement. “Embracing this technological evolution is crucial, as AI can enhance productivity and efficiency in ways that will redefine how we approach our professional careers,” she said, adding that this is particularly true in the chronically under-resourced and overworked HR function.
Hustle culture out, work-life balance in
While the ‘hustle’ mentality persists among U.S. employers, a recent study from job search engine Adzuna found that work-life balance is becoming the new power player, according to James Neave, Adzuna’s head of data science.
“Many employers are waking up to the fact that today’s workforce, especially Gen Z, can see right through the once-glorified hustle culture façade,” said Neave. “They are no longer falling for the productivity trap. Viral TikTok trends such as ‘5-9 before the 9-5’ highlight that even if workers are embracing the ‘rise and grind’ mentality, they are hustling for their wellbeing, not for work.”
In addition, Neave noted that Adzuna’s data showed that sectors that are desperate for talent such as healthcare and nursing, hospitality and catering, IT, and retail are now featuring keywords associated with better work-life balance in their job ads to attract talent.
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