HR Trends Forecast for 2024

Article originally published by HR Morning on October 5, 2023. Written by Alison Roller.

Believe it or not, we’re just a few months away from 2024. 

There’s limited time during the end-of-year chaos – from wrapping up documentation and paperwork to managing holiday time off – for HR to prepare for the new year. That’s why the sooner you can begin to plan for 2024, the better. 

To help you stay ahead of the curve, we’ve gathered the top HR trend predictions for 2024.

HR trends in 2024

HR is a constantly changing field – and the past few years have shown that’s more true than ever.

From COVID-19 and the remote work revolution to advancements in technology making AI a reality, there have been a lot of changes to keep HR pros on their toes – and these will continue into 2024.

As you prepare for the end of this year and plan for the next, here’s what should be on your radar according to Jared Pope, former HR attorney and founder and CEO of Work Shield. 

AI automation and 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.”

The data tends to support Pope’s predictions, too: 81% of HR leaders have explored or implemented AI solutions within their organizations, according to Gartner, and 52% said they were exploring potential use cases and opportunities for generative AI in a June 2023 survey.

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.”