The world of work is changing fast, and as a recruiter it’s important to keep up, so you can advise your clients and train your staff effectively. With that in mind, here are some workplace trends that you need to be aware of as we head into 2023.
Remote working is here to stay
Advancing technology, combined with the aftermath of the national lockdowns, mean it’s now possible for many business tasks to be completed remotely. As a result, workers expect employers to be flexible about where they work. An insistence on office-based work over remote working could make it harder to fill key roles, and your clients may need to be flexible even if their instinct is to resist.
The role of the office is changing
As more working time is spent at home, the role of the office in corporate culture is changing. No-longer the place for every-day “business as usual” tasks, it’s now a hub where hybrid workers catch up with their team members and reinforce relationships with their colleagues.
Given that their role is changing, the way offices are set up and furnished also needs to change, with a greater emphasis on comfortable social spaces rather than utilitarian banks of desks.
Working in outdoor spaces
Natural light, fresh air, peace and quiet, relaxing views … there are a lot of reasons why workers may be drawn outside, particularly as summer approaches and the weather improves. Incorporating outdoor workspaces, like terraces, balconies and courtyards, into office design can improve wellbeing, engagement and productivity and these are great “selling points” for potential candidates.
Emphasis on worker health and wellbeing
Workers are more focused than ever on maintaining their wellbeing and mental health, and this trend is set to continue. An emphasis on healthy policies, including workload management and support systems will be crucial to talent attraction and retention for the foreseeable future.
“Quiet Hiring”
Following on from the headlines about “quiet quitting” from the second half of 2022, “quiet hiring” is where organisations acquire new skills without adding new full-time employees. This could include a focus on internal talent mobility and upskilling opportunities for existing employees, but it could also involve hiring contractors to flexibly bring in talent only as needed.
Credentials and past experience are less important
Possibly because of difficulty meeting their needs through traditional candidate pools, hiring managers are less concerned with industry experience and technical skills than they once were. More candidates are following non-linear career paths, and organisations needs to be more comfortable hiring based on the ability to perform, rather than prior experience or credentials.
Employee support and privacy concerns
Because of the emphasis on employee wellbeing, organisations may use emerging technologies like AI assistants and wearable devices to collect data on their employees’ health, living conditions, mental health and habits so they can better understand their needs.
While coming from a positive place, this creates a risk for the organisation, in the gathering and handling of sensitive, personal data and some commentators have pointed to a “looming privacy crisis”.
Where this technology is used, your clients must prioritise transparency around how data is collected, used and stored, as well as ensuring employees have the option to opt out.
Use of AI in recruitment
The use of AI and machine learning in the hiring processes will also come under scrutiny with privacy and ethical concerns. Organisations must be transparent about how they are using AI, publicise their data audit, and give employees and candidates the choice to opt out from AI-led processes.
As more organizations begin using AI in recruiting, the ethical implications of these practices for fairness, diversity, inclusion and data privacy become ever more important.
Corporate social responsibility
More and more workers list social responsibility as an important factor when applying for jobs. This means “doing good” whatever that means for your particular sector and business, can help you in attracting and retaining high quality talent. Commentators also warn against “greenwashing”, where the effort goes into appearing to be caring and responsible without genuinely committing to it.
If you have questions or if we can help in any way, please call our expert team on 01296 468483 or email info@orangegenie.com.