We’ve seen multiple reports regarding the HR trends of 2024 and there is concern across the board regarding job security and whether specific jobs will become redundant in the next few years. Whether you work in a broad HR role that covers multiple tasks and responsibilities or your role gets more streamlined into one area such as recruitment or talent retention, you should find some comfort in knowing that HR roles will never become entirely obsolete. Yes, the shifting markets, large-scale layoffs, and rise of AI tech are enough to bring fear into the bravest of hearts, but the role of the HR team can never be understated. From ensuring DEI initiatives in the workplace to helping the rest of the workforce with change management to keep up with the changing times, the presence of a Human Resources team is essential for the entire organization to thrive.
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What Are Some of the HR Trends in 2024 That Guarantee The Need For HR?
Every website and online source has a different perspective on some of the HR trends of 2024 that professionals must focus on for the best results this year. Among the varied insights, there are some common elements that we can see emerge, which reflect the trends of the markets overall—increased automation and tech, AI innovation, demand for flexibility, and the need for reskilling. These elements are affecting employees and industries globally and it has a role to play with the HR 2024 trends as well. If your initial reaction is to feel overwhelmed by these updates, then consider the role of an average employee who is more likely to be replaced more permanently through job cuts and organizational restructuring efforts. You might be able to help both the employees and yourself find some balance by fully understanding the role of HR.
While the company goes through these tumultuous times, it does fall to the HR team to help bring stability back to the workforce.
HR and Automation: Embracing Technology and the Hijinks of the Digital Era
One of the biggest HR trends of 2024 as well as the next five years is the increasing reliance on technology. As we become more and more entrenched in the digital era, it’s no surprise that technology is set to redefine the future of work. This applies to HR automation as well. There are various types of HR management tech available on the market so far and a uniting aspect to all of them is the automation of many basic tasks. HR responsibilities like sending out generic company reminders or marking leaves and PTOs are quite essential to an organization’s management processes but they’re admittedly tasks that are very mechanical and take up time when done manually. If freed from filling out forms and doing repetitive tasks, the HR team is then available to take on other challenges that are impairing the organization.
HR automation tools are additionally efficient at providing more analytical information and numbers that can be used to improve employee productivity levels at the organization. HR tech often includes feedback processes and mechanics for employee reviews that allow professionals to gather data and create very specific strategies to aid every individual in the organization. This benefits each employee and it benefits the company at large. Learning to maximize the potential of these digital tools does require some amount of learning and practice but HR professionals who take this seriously have a surefire career of success in front of them.
HR and AI: Most Important HR Trend of 2024
In an extension of HR automation, we have the buzzword of the future: HR and AI. The arrival of artificial intelligence was slow at first but 2021 was an unexpected turning point. Ever since, you can’t go anywhere without hearing about AI, and among the security fears and concerns about misuse is the problem of it soon replacing employees. Many companies have already begun reducing the size of their workforce in favor of the more efficient AI tool—Duolingo recently laid off contract workers who were no longer needed at the company due to AI providing a more efficient alternative to their translation services. It is undeniable that AI does have the potential to really cut down the workforce, but we may see this cease to make as many changes considering how we might have plateaued on the extent of AI advances we are capable of for now.
For the link between HR and AI, the association becomes a little more complex considering the fact that HR roles are harder to do entirely through a bot. Statistics consolidated by the PeopleHum page indicated that 71 percent of HR professionals strongly opposed the use of AI for hiring tasks but in comparison, 53 percent believed it could reduce racial or other social biases. AI tools are efficient but they’re also harder to train and cannot consider exceptions and nuances in hiring. They may be able to treat CVs the same regardless of gender or race but they may not be able to consider the cultural aspects and experiences that are essential to understand their different perspectives. Similarly, they cannot see how a candidate with a job profile that is different but still adjacent to the current role, may be a good hiring choice. These elements of applying judgment and reasoning are somewhat lost by AI.
In its list of HR trends for 2024, Garter stated that “AI creates, not diminishes, workforce opportunity,” and we agree that there is great potential for HR to work in tandem with AI instead of against it. Combining the two elements of HR and AI can shift how we approach work at an organization so instead of being afraid of it, it could be a good learning experience to find ways to incorporate it better and bolster the relevance of the HR.
Role of HR In Change Management
Unrest, uneasiness, fear, apprehension—these are only some of the words to describe the mental state of employees today. The job market is full of workers who have been affected by layoffs and those who haven’t lost their jobs are still left wondering when it will affect them next. With so many changes around the workplace, employees now have to work without colleagues who made the workplace more welcoming or simplified their job roles. Many of them have to take on new tasks to fill in the gaps in the workforce or manage responsibilities they are entirely unfamiliar with. Under these circumstances, the HR team has the most power to improve their on-the-job experience.
By ensuring that information is passed on to every employee, managers are trained to handle their subordinates, training progress is planned for upskilling and reskilling efforts, mental health benefits are placed at the forefront of their efforts, and employees receive the reassurance and return to normalcy that they’re searching for, HR professionals can help bring things back into balance. The HR trends in 2024 indicated internal mobility to be a top priority for businesses, and HR managers who can help employees feel like they have a future at the organization can better guarantee employee retention for the rest of this year.
Job cuts and reorganization aren’t the only aspects of the need for change management either. The shift away from online roles to in-person work is also causing some disturbance. Employees do not want to give up on the work-from-home and hybrid models of work but employers seem adamant that it is the only way forward. Bridging the gap between the battling forces and ensuring negotiations and a smooth transition is also going to fall to HR. The shift to a 4-day workweek is one positive trend that employees are not resistant to but businesses appear afraid to commit. Again, whatever decision companies make this year, it will fall to HR to track, facilitate, and maybe even evaluate. Efficient change management is going to be critical to see this year through and it’s the HR professionals who are best placed to make it happen. HR becoming obsolete? Not anytime soon.
DEI In The Workplace Continues as a HR Trend in 2024
A large number of the HR trends in 2024 are carrying forward the work that was done in 2023. This means that DEI in the workplace continues to be relevant. Businesses still need to pursue the building of a diverse workforce and make sure every employee feels welcome there. Addressing workplace culture and devising employee engagement initiatives are HR responsibilities that cannot be disregarded. Employees are already unhappy at work—disappointing them further seems like an ill-planned move. HR tech may even be able to contribute to this area by generating data regarding the current make-up of the workforce, but the action that needs to be taken consequently will be an important HR task.
All things considered, the HR trends in 2024 are a pretty good indication of what changes are reshaping the employment landscape. There are reasons to be worried because the workforce as a whole needs to focus on keeping up with these trends and updating their skills to match the expectations of the job market. Still, there is much to look forward to as well. With HR automation and AI changes, there are many interesting developments to look forward to with how the workforce evolves.