9 trends that will change work in 2024

1. Organizations will need to address the cost of work

According to research from Gartner, 60% of employees say the cost of going to the office outweighs the benefits, while 67% say going to the office requires more effort now than it did before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 73% say it feels more expensive. Meanwhile, 48% of employees say return-to-office mandates prioritize what leaders want rather than what employees need to do good work.

Gartner's research has also found that requiring employees to work in-office does not have a statistically significant impact on employee performance, either positively or negatively.

As organizations look to attract and retain talent, they'll not only need to develop perfect hybrid strategies, but they'll also need to tackle the cost of work, the researchers write.

This can be done through a variety of creative benefits, including:

• Housing subsidies
• Caregiver benefits
• Financial well-being programs
• Student loan repayment

2. AI will create more opportunity in the workforce

A Gartner survey from 2023 found that 22% of employees expect artificial intelligence (AI) to replace their job within the next five years. Despite that anxiety, generative AI (GenAI) won't replace many jobs but will instead lead to jobs being redesigned to include new responsibilities, like interacting with GenAI tools, the researchers write.

Gartner's research predicts that GenAI will play a role in 70% of all text- and data-heavy tasks by 2025, up from less than 10% in 2023.

In 2024, executives need to be prepared to adapt their plans and expectations for GenAI as these tools evolve and employee proficiency with them improves, the researchers write. Leaders should partner with human resources to determine how investments in GenAI should change team roles and workflows and identify potential internal candidates for those new roles.

HR should also determine what impact GenAI will have on hiring strategies, identifying which requirements and assessments are no longer needed for open and upcoming roles.

3. Four-day workweeks will become routine

A 2023 survey from Gartner found that 63% of respondents rated "four-day workweek for the same pay" as the top new and innovative benefit that would attract them to a job. In addition, recent pilots of four-day workweeks have suggested there are benefits for productivity and employee well-being.

As employers need to attract and retain employees, companies will use four-day workweeks in 2024 to not only improve talent outcomes, but also business outcomes, including eliminating inefficiencies and attracting and retaining talent, the researchers write.

4. Employee conflict resolution will be a necessity for managers

In 2024, conflicts between employees are likely to be at an all-time high due to a variety of circumstances, including geopolitical issues, labor strikes, and upcoming elections, the researchers write.

A 2023 Gartner survey found that 57% of managers said they're fully responsible for managing and resolving team conflicts, and any managers that can effectively navigate and manage interpersonal conflict among employees will have a significant positive impact on their organizations.

Companies need to upskill managers and managerial candidates in conflict resolution through trainings and shadowing or coaching opportunities, the researchers write.

5. GenAI won't live up to over-inflated expectations

Gartner's research has found that GenAI has hit the peak of inflated expectations and will next enter a two-to-five-year period where it won't live up to those expectations.

That doesn't mean GenAI won't be worth it for businesses, but it does mean that companies will need to manage their expectations, as well as the risks associated with implementation, the researchers write.

It's important to remember that GenAI isn't infallible, which means there will be a need for quality control and good judgment from employees, the researchers write.

6. Skills requirements will become more important than degrees

A number of major companies, including Google, Delta Airlines, Accenture, and Zoho have removed degree requirements from their job postings in order to attract qualified talent without limiting themselves, the researchers write. Many state and local governments have also adopted this approach.

This shift allows employers to look for new avenues to find or develop the talent they need. Some organizations, like Target, Amazon, and EY are promoting in-house universities and business schools and expanding apprenticeship programs to prepare talent with the specific skills they'll need.

7. Climate change protection will become a new benefit for employees

As climate change events have shifted from localized and episodic to widespread and persistent, companies are starting to make climate change disaster response plans a more significant part of their employee value proposition, the researchers write.

This year and beyond, companies will start to highlight and promote climate change protections as a part of their benefit offerings. Some of these could include:

• Commitments to physical safety, including proactive plans to provide shelter, energy, and provisions when natural disasters arrive
• Compensation to employees impacted by a climate-related event
• Mental health support, including access to grief counselors to help employees cope with the impacts of climate-related events

8. DEI will become more embedded in work

Currently, DEI operates in a silo and lacks accountability and ownership from business leaders as well as limited decision-making power to drive outcomes and ineffective cross-enterprise efforts, the researchers write.

But in 2024, companies will start embedding DEI throughout their organization, changing how leaders interact with DEI. Ultimately, this new model will see DEI change into a shared way of working as companies fully integrate DEI values into their business objectives, operations, and culture, the researchers write.

9. Stereotypical career paths will collapse

The traditional career path where an employee rises up through the ranks and retires at the peak of their career is fading away.

Some employees never retire and others do so after a career shift or a career break. Research from Pew found that 19% of Americans ages 65 and older worked in 2023, almost twice as many as 35 years ago. In addition, a 2022 survey from LinkedIn found that 62% of the 23,000 workers surveyed said they've already taken a career break and 35% said they would potentially take one in the future.

According to the researchers, organizations will need to adapt to these changes in three ways:

1.       Making it easier for talent to stay at or return to the organization

2.       Taking advantage of where expertise exists, regardless of a person's tenure

3.       Preparing for the imminent retirement of experienced workers

Cross-training employees will also provide a long-term benefit, as these employees will be more likely to succeed in roles that evolve in the future.

According to the researchers, these nine trends "will shape the future of work across 2024 and beyond" and organizations will need to determine which trends they will prioritize and pilot.

"While most organizations cannot act on all of these trends, those that don’t prioritize and take action on some will find themselves at a disadvantage — both in terms of talent retention and attraction, as well as their ability to meet strategic goals," the researchers write. (McRae et. al., Harvard Business Review, 1/23)

As the healthcare industry navigates an environment of heightened M&A, workforce constraints, and financial pressure, CEOs need to stay informed of the seismic changes shaping the future. Uncover the essential insights that will empower healthcare executives to make strategic choices for success in 2024 and beyond.