If your office is anything like ours, the way you work in 2024 probably looks a lot different from how it did even just a few years ago. Industries worldwide have experienced dramatic changes in the way they work in the wake of the pandemic and these new working realities have altered employee priorities, which in turn calls for new approaches to employee engagement.
This Gartner survey reports that 82% of company leaders intend to provide opportunities for remote work, and 47% of respondents consider allowing employees to work remotely full time. This research indicates a massive paradigm shift in regards to employment styles and shows a majority transition to a hybrid workplace.
Why is Employee Engagement Important?
Engaged employees are more satisfied, productive, and are less likely to leave the company - that's a fact.
Gallup reports that only 15% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, and the cost of this lack of connection globally is approximately $7 trillion in lost productivity.
With interpersonal and physical interactions limited in the hybrid work era, how will companies manage to keep their employees engaged and ensure their workforce productivity?
Let’s take a closer look at the trends we’re most likely to see in 2024
1. There is a Higher Demand for Efficiency 📈
With the ever-increasing popularity of flexible workplace arrangements, businesses are recognizing the need to enhance performance management and efficiency. However, HR experts are not making the grade, with 35% of them assessing their performance management effectiveness as a grade “C” or lower, according to this SHRM survey.
Businesses are now changing their performance management systems and processes in response to the increasing demand for efficiency. They’re focusing on improving employee engagement communication, transparency, and setting team goals instead of individual ones.
Implementing a workplace sign in solution can help you address these issues towards a productive environment that benefits your employees, customers, and visitors. Boosting the efficiency of operations and establishing favorable conditions to effectively manage the workplace helps to increase employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
2. Privacy Must be Taken Seriously 🔐
Privacy at work will always be a central concern. Now, more than ever, employees want to be in control of the personal information they provide to the company, and employers expect the necessary detailed information about employees.
When discussing privacy, it's important to look at:
- Informational privacy: related to control over the process of acquiring, storing, using, and dispersing employees’ data.
- Work environment privacy: entailing control over visual, space, and acoustic factors of employees’ work environment.
The perception of privacy is an essential element of employee engagement and well-being. SwipedOn’s digital sign in solution can help you easily manage employee data while ensuring regulatory compliance, and improving data security.
3. The Great Resignation Happened. Now What? 🤫
In September 2021 alone, an estimated 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in various sectors. As many businesses reopened physical locations to welcome in-person work and customers, more employees resigned from their jobs in favor of companies that could offer flexible work arrangements.
This new trend was known as the “Great Resignation,” and spurred a change in HR trends, with more businesses having to rely on freelancers to supplement the decreased in-house staff or examine their policies around hybrid working.
Now, the HR trend to look out for amongst your workforce is quiet quitting which refers to employees who are disengaged and never go above and beyond their duties. As a recent Gallup study shows, employees quiet quitting is becoming much more common. It found that at least 50% of U.S. workers are quiet quitters.
4. It’s Not Just About Salary 💸
Although compensation is a major component of employee engagement and retention, more employees are willing to take a pay cut for a better work-life balance.
Recent research indicates that, since the pandemic, employees crave a sense of purpose at work. They want to be seen as a whole person as opposed to just another cog in the business' wheel. They are evaluating how they live their lives - work is a subset of life, no longer separate from it.
Autonomy and flexibility play a huge role for this new employee who embraces the hybrid workplace and the work life balance it has to offer. It's become more important than ever to ensure your workplace operations are in sync with this rapidly evolving mindset to retain top talent and be at the forefront of workplace efficiencies. Now, it's your job to empower, listen and motivate... and often.
Employees also want their employers to invest and be interested in their career development. An empathic work environment also contributes to keeping employees motivated, as well as being recognized for their achievements.
5. We're in Our Ultra-Flexible Era 💅
The past few years have taught many companies that flexible working arrangements still yield desired results in terms of profitability.
Even as things begin to stabilize, more businesses are looking to adopt a hybrid working arrangement to accommodate employee preferences. Hybrid and remote work has established a solid foundation in businesses across the globe. Equipping your team with the right system and processes to sign in, book desks, accommodate visitors or book out other resources like lockers and company vehicles, will enable a smooth transition, increase productivity, and retain employees.
6. Candidates Want Company Culture 🧡
Company culture is becoming increasingly important for attracting and retaining talent. This Deloitte survey concluded that 88% of employees and 94% of company leaders consider establishing a distinct workplace culture as a key factor for success.
Company culture has also been cited as a driving element for making an employment decision by almost 50% of active job seekers.
A clearly defined and articulated culture and values that include recognizing employees’ progress and prioritizing workplace wellbeing will help engage and motivate employees. Implementing and communicating your company culture means being more transparent.
Technology like a dedicated employee sign in sign out app can promote a positive work environment by focusing on staff health and comfort. It empowers your employees with an easy-to-use tool for touch-free sign in and the convenience of setting custom status messages. Building a culture of workplace equity, wellness, and empathy boosts employee engagement and productivity.
7. Career Changes are Becoming More Commonplace 🤝
For people considering a job change, searching for greater work flexibility, better pay, and financial incentives are identified as the major reasons for wanting to leave their current employment.
Career advancement, less stress, and better work-life balance can also make workers jump into new jobs.
Many employees see job-hopping as an effective career strategy, particularly in the long run. Keeping your workforce engaged in such dynamic conditions requires developing an employee-first company culture providing career growth, challenging opportunities, flexibility, and a fair work-life balance.
8. Emphasis on Security lock 🔏
With the ever-evolving threat landscape, workplace security is becoming an important consideration for making employment choices. Candidates expect organizations to account for their safety while they are in the office.
To respond to this employee engagement trend and make your company attractive for current and potential workers, consider ways to improve office security. Implementing a digital check in system can help you address potential security issues and attract and retain talent. A full-fledged platform comes with secure contactless check in and screening tools, which enables you to create a safer environment for employees.
Being aware of these emerging trends in 2024 means you can develop effective approaches to maintaining the engagement and productivity of your team. With the right tools in hand, you are most likely to maximize the benefits workplace flexibility offers while retaining your best talent.
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