As we step into 2024, several critical questions and challenges demand the attention of HR leaders. In this blog post, I give HR advice on six key areas that will likely be our most significant challenges to get right this year, and I offer actionable insights to tackle them.
Want to find out how to take your HR strategies to the next level? Check out Episode 7 of The Strategic Leader Podcast, where we emphasise the importance of moving beyond routine tasks to strategic thinking using the concept of HR maturity levels.
1. Making Hybrid Working Work
In my humble opinion, employers who don’t crack this nut in 2024 will fall behind. We simply can’t bimble along with a vague approach to this any longer and hope for the best.
Adapting to the new normal of hybrid work is not just about flexible schedules; it’s about reimagining your workplace culture, getting the best out of your talent, and protecting the well-being of your workforce. Above all, the in-office experience needs to be commute-worthy.
My Suggestion
Pick a lane and make it yours. Don’t be vague. Whether it’s office first, remote first, 4 days, the ubiquitous 3/2 mix or something else, establish a transparent approach to hybrid working for YOUR organisation and get full buy-in from the executive team.
Of course, they probably won’t all agree, but they do need to reach a shared compromise they can get behind and pull in the same direction. Then, get to work on the work practices, comms, training, and tech to support your chosen work arrangement.
2. Attracting and Retaining Top Talent in a Competitive Market
The competition for talent is relentless, and despite a rocky economic climate, we remain steadfast in an employee’s market. This means talented employees call the shots and can pick and choose who to work for.
My Suggestion
Get clear on your organisation’s Employment USP – the cultural heartbeat of your organisation. Identify the reasons your employees choose to join, stay, or leave. And then leverage these like hell.
In the words of Dolly Parton, and incidentally my chosen personal mantra for 2024, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
3. Leveraging AI in HR Processes for Innovation and Efficiency
To get strategic, we must have the transactional stuff sorted and working well. Technology and AI will help us do that.
The integration of AI into HR processes is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a present-day necessity. We need to look at how we can strategically incorporate AI to drive innovation, enhance productivity, and improve overall efficiency.
My Suggestion
We need to get our heads around AI this year. Whether it’s optimising recruitment processes, reimagining learning and development, or automating routine tasks, embracing technological advancements will free up time to add more strategic value to the business. This will help position your organisation as an industry leader and an employer of choice in 2024.
4. Continuous Upskilling and Reskilling are Essential
The pace of change is relentless. From technology evolving rapidly to political leaders lasting as long as the average football manager, the imperative to keep employees upskilled and reskilled is more important than ever.
We need to ensure our approach to learning and skills development is agile, fit for purpose and engaging to hold the attention of busy, distracted employees, with a culture of continuous learning and adaptability.
And by future-proofing your workforce, you not only ensure that your employees stay relevant but also cultivate an environment that attracts forward-thinking talent.
My Suggestion
Establish robust learning and development programmes to upskill and reskill employees regularly. Gone are the days of a 2-day training course in a country hotel and job done. My HR advice? Take a more progressive, holistic approach to Learning & Development – combine longer off-site training with regular shorter ‘espresso’ learning, e-learning, coaching, and on-the-job support.
5. Addressing Mental Health and Burnout in the Workplace
As the lines between personal and professional life blur in a hybrid work setting, and our ‘always on’ culture continues apace, supporting employee mental health continues to be critical.
Employee well-being extends beyond physical health. By fostering a workplace culture that prioritises mental health, organisations can expect improved employee performance and satisfaction. Don’t limit your approach to reactive, post-intervention services. Think about preventative measures, too.
My Suggestion
Take an honest look at all you do to support employee wellbeing. Think beyond the Employee Assistance Programme (assuming you already have that), and ensure you have an active, holistic, integrated support system in place – a flexible arrangement that can meet different needs.
Build a regular and active comms plan to keep employees aware of these support systems (they won’t remember the fire hydrant of info given to them in induction). Ensure your workplace culture is aligned with this stance – are managers ‘walking the talk’ when it comes to supporting employees?
6. Robust pay and rewards are crucial
There’s a lot happening that is putting pressure on fragile pay and reward frameworks, and I predict reward weaknesses will be exposed this year.
Inflation continues to track higher than usual, with the inevitable employee expectation for pay to keep up (and it’s unlikely businesses will have the budget to do that). Minimum wages continue to increase ahead of wider pay awards, now squeezing pay at the neighbouring levels.
Legislation for greater pay transparency is fast approaching in many countries, which will have a knock-on effect here in the UK. And as we’ve mentioned, in an employee market, talent is happy to jump ship. Employees will leave for better prospects elsewhere if the pay doesn’t keep up with a hot talent market.
My suggestion?
It’s time to get your pay and reward as resilient as possible. Yeah – I know lots of people find reward dull (call me if you do!).
Don’t be tempted to paper the cracks if you don’t have robust foundations – the robust reward is a systematic process based on strong architecture (job levelling and pay to benchmark) to hold the more innovative and exciting reward practices – bonuses that engage, benefits that flex to suit employees, pay structures and pay progression that aligns to career pathways and inspire employees to build the skills they need to progress.
And only once you have a strong architecture do you have the luxury to choose your approach to pay transparency. Without it, your options are limited. When pay practices are opaque, trust and engagement are eroded, and the door is wide open to pay equity risk.
Need Professional HR Advice?
As HR professionals, we always have an eye-wateringly long list of things to do. Getting laser-focused on the main priorities of your organisation will make all the difference.
If you want any help with that laser focus or specialised HR advice, from creating your strategic roadmap to sorting out your reward, don’t hesitate to contact me.
