7 of the Most Important HR and Recruitment Trends in 2024
If the past few years have taught HR teams anything, it is to expect the unexpected.
The holiday period and New Year is a busy time for HR professionals, with their time spread thinly between strategy planning, budget preparation, leave management, and internal events. HR and recruitment trend predictions can help businesses anticipate how best to manage their talent, meet employee needs, and remain competitive as an employer throughout the year.
Here’s a look at some of the most significant HR and recruitment trends expected by industry pros in 2024.
1. Refining the Concept of Hybrid Work
The pandemic ushered in remote work; 2022 and 2023 saw a return to the office, of sorts. While some companies have used mandates to bring people back to the fold, hybrid and flexible work models are here to stay. This new reality demands a rethink of the office as more of an intentional communal gathering space, rather than the default or sole workspace that an organization occupies. The office now needs to draw people in — which means that HR and people leaders will take on more event planning responsibilities, helping employers to draw workers into the office intentionally.
With 55% of employees continuing to show a preference for working from home, employers anxious to encourage employees back to the office must adopt a proactive stance. For example, social events can bring teams together, while commuter benefits can help offset the cost of transportation to and from the office and make it easier for people to come together.
2. Datacentric Recruiting
Data-driven recruitment has had a game-changing impact on the hiring process, enabling companies to leverage artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, and other advanced tools to make smarter hiring decisions. Metrics such as candidates per hire, time to hire, and offer acceptance rate play a crucial role in datacentric recruiting. Tracking these and other metrics can help companies to find better candidates, align hiring practices with business goals, hire faster, and improve offer acceptance rates.
3. Virtual Reality in Recruitment
Virtual reality (VR) is poised to transform recruitment by providing unique and immersive experiences for candidates and employers alike. In the not-too-distant future, VR could be leveraged to provide prospective candidates with a virtual tour of the workplace from home to help them to decide whether the company would be the right fit for them.
VR goes far beyond pre-recorded videos and static images, presenting a dynamic, interactive experience that enables candidates to explore office spaces, understand the corporate culture, and get an authentic feel for working environments. VR tours can offer a more transparent view into a company, helping candidates to make informed decisions.
From a recruiter’s perspective, immersive tours are one more way companies can establish their brand as an employer, differentiate themselves from competitors, and signal their commitment to transparency and employee satisfaction. In addition, VR offers a novel approach to skills assessment through immersive job simulations. Rather than relying on written tests and interviews, recruiters can test candidates with virtual scenarios that mimic real-world situations.
4. Generative AI
Generative AI is poised to revolutionize various aspects of HR, helping to optimize performance management, recruitment, and the employee experience. According to a report published by IT World Canada News, nearly half of all HR organizations will seek to build a business case and demonstrate the return on investment for the implementation of AI-related technologies. Nearly four out of five respondents (79%) cited increased efficiency and productivity as primary incentives.
5. Managers Playing a Renewed Role in Talent Development
Managers can help HR teams to invest in the workforce, raising morale and reducing turnover in the process. According to Betterwork’s 2023 Global HR Research Report, 64% of workers regard their company’s performance evaluation process as a waste of time. For forward-looking HR teams, it is crucial to reorganize performance evaluation processes and take a new approach to employee career development.
When managers fail to motivate and inspire staff, workers eventually become disenfranchised. During the annual review process, HR teams and managers should work both with each other and employees, creating a progression path for each employee that is tailored to their professional and personal needs and goals.
6. Flexibility for All Employees
For businesses seeking to access diverse talent pools, the concept of global hiring has become a strategic imperative. To cater to the needs of a globally distributed workforce, businesses are coming under increasing pressure to create flexible work environments not only for their U.S. staff, but for all. They must accommodate different cultural nuances, time zones, and legal requirements.
As organizations globalize their workforce, they will need to place an emphasis on creating an inclusive company culture capable of accommodating the diverse needs of employees worldwide. From hybrid work practices to driving cultural awareness among employees, businesses that recruit beyond geographical boundaries must take active steps to create an ethos and environment where all employees can thrive.
7. Employer Empathy
The adoption of AI in workplaces all over the world has placed renewed emphasis on empathy as a critical human skill. With automation and AI playing an increasingly significant role in the economy, the uniquely human capacity for empathy has become more important than ever before.
As AI transforms business structures, operations, and job roles, empathy skills have come to the fore. It is empathy and the “human touch” that will enable HR teams to support employees through challenging transitions, be it adapting to new operational processes or training for completely new roles.
