AI Automation & Data Decision-Making

Without a doubt, AI is one of the most fast-paced and revolutionary changes that has occurred in the past few years – and 2023 saw an AI boom that’s expected to continue into the new year. 

“I expect businesses to keep AI top of mind while finding the balance between human employees and AI technology,” says Pope. “It’s vital for employers to achieve this equilibrium, as it will enhance decision-making, efficiency, personalization, predictive analytics and result in cost savings for employers across the nation and worldwide.”

Along with the growing importance of automation and decision-making efficiency, Pope also predicts a larger focus on data-driven decision-making.

“Essential to both everyday tasks and monumental decisions, people analytics and data will continue to allow employers to remove the guesswork from their operations and understand the extent of issues like workplace misconduct, harassment and discrimination within their organization,” says Pope. “As a result, this allows organizations to develop strategies aimed at preventing future occurrences from happening, while also addressing the current misconduct incidents effectively and efficiently.”

Return to Office

2023 has been the year of the employee. As employers scrambled to attract and retain their best people, workers were able to take advantage of the competitive

market to fight for perks like remote work and better benefits. But as the pendulum swings back toward employers amidst “The Big Stay,” is a return-to-office (RTO) surge coming? “Employers will prioritize a return to fundamentals, with organizations encouraging employees to rejoin the office environment, while designing appealing and adaptable workplace settings,” says Pope. “Post-pandemic, employees and employers have recognized the importance of this. As humans need in-person interaction to thrive, bringing employees in-person will lead to a significant increase in collaboration, professionalism and productivity.”

This comes as 90% of companies predict that they’ll be back in the office by 2024, according to a recent ResumeBuilder survey – and the majority of those who have already implemented an RTO report it has improved revenue, productivity, retention and more.

Human Centric Culture

With an added push for an RTO, employers need to motivate employees to come in and do their best work. In other words, they need a stellar, human-centric culture. Pope predicts that an increased effort to create this type of culture will be among the top trends of 2024.

“I anticipate a greater focus on human-centric cultures, employee and employer relationships and the overall employee experience,” says Pope. “Employers will prioritize areas such as creativity, empathy, transparent communication, and collaboration as they address workplace toxicity and once again, create workplaces where employees genuinely want to return to. This is one of the most important trends that organizations should focus on in 2024, as it will set the stage for a safe, healthy workplace for 2024 and the years ahead.” 

Information provided by: HR Morning