How to keep up with the latest HR trends in 2024 (and beyond)

What are the greatest challenges facing HR right now?

To recognise upcoming key trends, it’s important to first gain an understanding of the prevalent challenges faced by HR leaders and the wider industry. Staying informed is essential to preparing and adapting for the future.

• Talent acquisition and retention
  Retention and acquisition pose challenges in HR due to a scarcity of skilled professionals, changing work expectations emphasising factors like work-life balance, and increasing demands for flexibility. The rapid pace of technological change can also lead to a skills gap, while remote work intensifies competition for talent on a global scale. Collectively, these reasons demand ongoing proactive measures from HR professionals.

• Maintaining employee engagement
  Maintaining high levels of employee engagement is an ongoing challenge. HR managers are needing to focus on creating a positive work culture, addressing burnout, and finding innovative ways to keep employees motivated and committed more than ever before.

• Supporting wellbeing and mental health
  With startling workplace mental health statistics in the UK, supporting employee mental health and wellbeing is becoming more prevalent in organisations’ people strategies. Unfortunately, the wellbeing of employees, both physical and mental, is a growing concern. And it falls to HR managers to grapple with developing and implementing wellbeing programs, managing stress, and creating a supportive environment for their teams.

• Adapting to technological changes
  The rapid pace of technological advancements and introduction of AI in many roles requires HR managers to stay up-to-date of new tools and systems – alongside their already busy schedules. Integrating technology into HR processes, from recruitment to survey software, can be increasingly challenging.

• Budget and resource constraints
  HR managers often face pressure to do more with limited resources. Balancing budget constraints while still meeting the diverse needs of the workforce is undoubtedly a tricky task.

What are the top future trends for HR in 2024?

In a snapshot – in 2024 the HR industry will turn its head massively toward employee engagement. Embracing AI will become more normalised to streamline HR processes – from recruitment to performance management. And adopting a more data-driven decision-making will be the only way forward to optimise culture, performance, and employee satisfaction.

Here’s what else you can expect…

• Prioritise engagement or risk losing top talent
  Employee engagement has become the cornerstone for retaining and attracting top talent.Skilled professionals seek more than just a job with basic healthcare and pension benefits — they want a fulfilling work experience that is balanced with their personal life.In 2024, success in talent retention and acquisition hinges on a proactive commitment to creating an engaging and supportive workplace environment. To achieve this, HR professionals must work towards creating a culture that values open communication, recognises individual contributions, and supports professional development.In addition, organisations will need to step-up in regard to their benefits and rewards. Because things like flexible work arrangements and wellbeing programs aren’t perks anymore – they’re essential components of a successful people strategy.

• Flexible work is no longer a perk – it’s fundamental
  In 2024, remote and hybrid work models aren’t going anywhere – in fact, we may even see more flexible approaches to work emerge, including the 4-day work week.In the upcoming year HR teams will need to optimise remote and dispersed work structures, not only to offer the work-life balance so many employees are seeking, but also address the related challenges that are arise with flexible work – including isolation, collaboration, burnout and mental wellbeing.

• Workplaces are championing wellbeing more than ever before
  Similarly to flexibility, if you aren’t offering your employees ways to support their wellbeing – physically, emotionally, financially, and socially – you will fall behind other organisations who are championing wellness for their people.As organisations become more conscious of the impact of work on employees’ mental and physical health, HR will need to focus on developing and implementing comprehensive wellbeing programs to support employee resilience and work-life balance.

• AI is here to stay – so start upskilling!
  As AI becomes more integral in modern workplaces, upskilling your HR teams and wider workforce is something you won’t want to delay on if you want to stay ahead and future-proof your organisation.HR professionals must proactively embrace AI education initiatives, ensuring both employees (and their own teams) are equipped with the digital skills needed to navigate in the evolving landscape. This will involve pushing for a culture of continuous learning, gaining leadership buy-in, offering accessible training programs, and promoting a growth mindset. Additionally, transparent communication about the benefits of AI, dispelling myths, and emphasising its role in enhancing job roles rather than replacing them will be crucial.

• Data-driven decision making will transform workplaces
  As we enter an era of unprecedented connectivity and technological advancement, leveraging data for decision-making will be strategic necessity in 2024.HR professionals must proactively adopt analytics tools and employee engagement platforms to gather their insights and create more employee-centric workplaces. To fully embrace this trend, HR teams should invest in training to enhance their analytical skills, collaborate with people science experts, and ensure data privacy and ethical considerations such as anonymity are at the forefront of their decision-making processes.

• Performance management is becoming a two-way conversation
  Looking ahead to 2024, it’s important for organisations to recognise that traditional forms of performance management – like annual reviews and rating scales are slowly becoming outdated.To truly nurture employee growth, HR teams will need to advocate to make the shift to agile and continuous performance management approaches that prioritise two-way feedback and regular check-ins between employee and employer. Embracing technology to assist real-time performance tracking and including employee self-assessment tools can help to build to a more collaborative and progressive environment where employees feel valued, recognised and heard – which in turn creates more engaged teams.

• More meaningful sustainability and CSR practices will emerge
  As societal awareness around environmental and social issues deepens, potential employees are increasingly seeking organisations that align with their values.HR teams should champion sustainability initiatives and corporate social responsibility efforts, emphasising an authentic commitment to making a positive impact. This involves transparently communicating sustainability practices, such as eco-friendly policies, as well as employee volunteer programs, community engagement, and initiatives that support diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Stribe’s CSR for schools

How have the latest HR trends developed?

The latest HR trends have developed as a response to the evolving nature of work, social awareness, technological advancements, and a growing awareness of the importance of employee wellbeing and mental health.

The rise of remote work during the pandemic accelerated the need for flexible arrangements, while the integration of AI is – and will continue to be – a natural progression to enhance efficiency in all industries including HR.

Organisations need to recognise quickly that a focus on employee engagement, coupled with data-driven insights, is essential for creating a workplace that not only attracts top talent, but keeps them around.

How to keep up with HR trends in 2024

At the end of the day, there’s one very simple but important thing to understand – and that is that people are at the centre of everything you do in HR.

Without prioritising your people and their happiness and health, an organisation simply won’t thrive. Employee engagement should be your number one priority.

To stay up to date with HR trends and effectively manage engagement, it’s going to be more important than ever to adopt forward-thinking tools and employee engagement software – like ours here at Stribe.

Employee engagement platforms give you a comprehensive solution – providing real-time insights into employee voice, satisfaction, collaboration, and wellbeing via anonymous surveys, feedback channels and advanced analytics and reporting tools.

By adopting a software solution, it enables you to identify key data, proactively address challenges quickly, implement targeted programs and strategies, build a more trusted workplace, and ultimately keep up with trends that will help you develop a happier, healthier, and more engaged workforce.

If you’d like to learn more, we’d love to chat.

Book a chat with our friendly team