IT leaders need to constantly workforce trends, along with keeping up with the latest technologies. After all, a positive employee experience is vital to providing excellent service to internal clients, as well as external customers. A productive and engaged contact center agent or help desk representative is essential for delivering a great customer experience (CX), regardless of your technology platform.
To help human resource managers understand the changing workforce landscape, Gartner published a report on “9 Future of Work Trends for 2024.” Here are some of the key themes likely to impact IAUG members and other technology professionals in the months ahead.
A changing workplace
While many employers are mandating remote employees return to the office, many are saying no because they have a greater awareness of the costs in both time and money. Organizations need to look at how to handle those costs, such as transportation or child care, in order to promote a return to the office.
In keeping with that theme, Gartner projects that four-day workweeks will go from radical to routine. “A talent shortage is making it more difficult to attract and retain employees, and organizations are evaluating whether shifting toward a condensed workweek will meet growing employee expectations for flexibility as well as the organization’s objectives,” said the report. “In fact, 63% of candidates rated “four-day workweek” as the top future of work offering that would attract them to a job.
Another theme is the continuing growth of the gig economy. Today’s tech-based work models and increased talent competition have increased contingent work in IT as in many other industries. Again, outsourcing can be a cost-effective alternative to hiring more people for a major IT project.
The growth of AI
Companies are leveraging AI to attract, develop and retain talent at a time when many employees are exhausted by stress. Gartner says AI will create rather than diminish workforce opportunities. By handling routine tasks, AI can open the door to more responsible career opportunities in IT, as well as other fields.
However, GenAI experiments will likely yield hard lessons and painful costs — at least without sufficient risk management. GenAI outputs are hardly error-free, creating a strong need for data governance, quality control and good employee judgment. To avoid reputational, regulatory and legal issues, ensure your IT teams have access to training about how and when to use GenAI.
Management trends
In 2024, employee conflict resolution will be a must-have skill for managers, according to Gardner. With upcoming elections, geopolitical crises, labor strikes, and other issues, the workplace environment will be filled with employees who have differing opinion. Managers who manage, rather than silence, interpersonal conflict among employees will have an outsize positive impact on their organizations.
Gartner also predicts that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts will not disappear, despite a flood of political attention. “Given the leadership commitment to these programs and initiatives, companies will begin to pivot from DEI existing solely in a silo to embedding it throughout the organization,” Gartner said.
Climate change protection is likely to become a new employee benefit. As severe climate change-related events become more widespread and persistent, organizations will seize the opportunity to make their employee support plans more explicit and transparent, Gartner said.
Changing career patterns
Atypical career paths are going mainstream with rising retirement ages, midcareer breaks, shifts across industries, and embracing contingent work and other nontraditional employment models. “In light of this, the assumptions and heuristics that underpin many organizations’ talent management strategies will prove a growing barrier to acquisition and retention,” the report said.
Within IT departments, an employee’s skills will be more important than degrees as the “paper ceiling” crumbles. In response to the tight labor market and declining undergraduate graduation rates, organizations are shredding the “paper ceiling” and welcoming workers with alternative credentials, Gartner said.
By adjusting recruiting, hiring and retention strategies to accommodate these trends, IT leaders can gain a competitive edge in today’s global talent marketplace.
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