In today’s rapidly evolving and overly competitive labor market, the importance of prioritizing human capital cannot be overstated. As organizations grapple with the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly clear that employee retention and engagement hinge upon putting human capital first.

While the failure of Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates underscores this reality, it’s crucial to delve deeper into the underlying issues driving this failure—neglecting human capital priorities.

Addressing Human Capital Priorities

Securing employee interest leads to better performance and organizational health because human capital drives company resources toward achieving business goals. Without healthy human capital, the operation loses its potential. For this, it’s essential to understand and protect your workforce’s priorities.

When organizations place human capital at the forefront, it opens greater job fulfillment and a healthier work culture, directly impacting work outcomes. So, valuing human capital is essential to avoid turnover, employee burnout, and job dissatisfaction.

The Downfall of RTO

Owl Labs and Global Workplace Analytics discovered in a survey that 66 percent would immediately look for a remote job if their hybrid work status were taken away from them.¹ Moreover, 39 percent strongly stated that they would quit their jobs if their job became full in-office setup.

RTO mandates inadvertently increase work pressure and diminish flexibility. From the evident repercussions of RTO mandates affecting employee retention and engagement, the need for human capital prioritization becomes glaringly apparent.

If your organization needs to foster stronger relationships with your human capital, then hybrid work might be the solution. Hybrid work models empower employees to manage their time effectively, reduce burnout, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. By focusing more on your employees’ well-being and flexibility needs, they can be more driven and purposeful to drive your business objectives forward.

What Does Healthier & Happier Human Capital Look Like?

Employee health and wellness is directly linked to work pressure, work-life balance, and stress management. In 2012, Gallup conducted a comprehensive analysis across various industries and countries, involving 263 research studies and over 1.4 million employees.² They confirmed a strong link between employee engagement and nine key performance results:

• Customer ratings
• Profitability
• Productivity
• Turnover rates
• Safety incidents
• Shrinkage
• Absenteeism
• Patient safety incidents
• Quality and defects

Teams in the top half of employee engagement nearly doubled their odds of success compared to those in the bottom half. The top 1 percent of engaged employees had four times the success rate of the bottom 1 percent. Engaged workers are not only proactive and productive; they actively contribute to organizational success.

It is essential to understand that while companies can offer extensive job benefits, instill a spirit of well-being, and offer a secure environment for employees, there can still be unhealthy, dissatisfied, and unhappy employees. Encouraging employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance is essential to protect your employees’ mental health. It is a mutually beneficial strategy for your company and human capital.

Making Human Capital A Priority Through a Hybrid Work Model

Offering flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting options, flexible hours, or compressed workweeks, can help employees better manage their personal and professional responsibilities. This flexibility reduces stress, improves work-life balance, and contributes to the overall well-being of your employees. Employers can lead by example through:

• Setting clear expectations around working hours.
• Encouraging employees to take regular breaks and vacations.
• Respecting boundaries between work and personal life.

However, flexibility and communication are not the only ingredients. Making human capital a priority requires a greater focus on resolving employee pinpoints to unlock performance excellence. Here’s how organizations can make the hybrid model work for them without returning to the failed RTO model:

1. Build a Supportive Technical Infrastructure

Invest in technology infrastructure that enables seamless collaboration and communication in a hybrid work environment. Provide employees with the tools and resources to collaborate effectively, ensuring teams are updated with ongoing business movements and status.

Keeping things running in a remote environment will require you to adapt new systems and disciplines to maintain productivity and engagement. This will be the first step in ensuring a hybrid setup will work within your organization.

Related Article: CIO and CTO Roles Redefined: Technology AND Business Prowess Needed

2. Keep Them Engaged

Express genuine appreciation to your employees for their hard work by celebrating milestones for both individual and team accomplishments. You can also publicly acknowledge their efforts and contributions to show appreciation and encourage other employees. This recognition can take various forms, such as verbal praise, awards, bonuses, or opportunities for career advancement.

Encourage Initiative

Empower employees to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Provide autonomy and trust to your employees so they can manage their tasks and projects independently. This will encourage innovation, creativity, and initiative, allowing employees to contribute ideas and solutions to various challenges.

Accountability

You must ensure your employees are accountable to make hybrid models work for your company. Engraining accountability into your workflows and ensuring employees are motivated to meet their targets is critical for successful hybrid systems. Hybrid work models should be predicated on mutual trust and commitment to the organization’s objectives.

Achievement and Recognition

Employees who continue to fulfill their targets and perform beyond expectations should be rewarded. This will further solidify a culture of hard work and deliver better organizational output.

3. Operate in Good Faith and Autonomy

A positive work culture fosters high levels of employee engagement. Employees who feel valued, supported, and motivated are more likely to be emotionally invested in their work and committed to the organization’s goals.

The positivity will come from giving autonomy to employees, not through employee monitoring and handholding. Giving employees space to work on their projects at their own pace will empower them. This will motivate them to take initiative, collaborate with colleagues, and innovate. They can achieve greater results and contribute more to the organization’s success.

Imagine a workforce that delivers on its own. You can achieve this by providing employees with opportunities to prove their worth in the organization. It helps them to bring out their best qualities and makes them more attuned to their work.

Read more: 5 Ways Leaders Can Foster a Purpose-Driven Company Culture

4. Improve Psychological Safety at Work Through Communication

The foundation of a successful hybrid work model lies in nurturing a psychologically safe environment that focuses on the workforce’s well-being. You can achieve this by aligning your communication methods to support a nurturing workplace. Communication plays a vital role in achieving outstanding results in a remote setup.

While communication is a vital factor to success, there comes a time when it can be mismanaged. With fewer opportunities to meet face-to-face, relationships are more challenging to nurture. This creates more issues when leaders don’t communicate well.

Instead, look for the right avenues and position yourself in a supporting tone. Avoid overly criticizing work and look for ways to improve rather than focus on the issue. It’s important to remember that mistakes are made, and no one is perfect.

To truly empower human capital, the work environment must foster open, respectful communication where employees feel safe to share solutions, ideas, and feedback. The primary objective is to create a culture that prioritizes respectful communication and employee well-being.

Planning Your Next Move

With people stating they’d rather leave their jobs than work in an office full-time, it’s risky to implement strict return-to-office mandates. It would only cause resentment, decrease productivity, or spread low employee morale. Instead, you can deploy a hybrid approach. Employees already prefer remote work options, so getting the best of both worlds would be a strategic advantage.

Also, you must realize a gradual transition is necessary. Make sure to get their feedback and make reasonable changes. Implementing a hybrid environment should benefit both employer and employee. With this setup, employees can benefit from having enough time with their loved ones, personal responsibilities, and interests as organizations strive to achieve better performance.

References

“State of Remote Work 2022.” 2022, owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work/2022.

Sorenson, Susan. “How Employee Engagement Drives Growth” 20 Jun. 2013, https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/163130/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx

Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, the world’s largest consumer electronics and information technology exhibition, unveils modern technology.  

Here are some outstanding tech breakthroughs that showcase how innovation should really be.  

1. The World’s First Transparent MicroLED Television Screen 

Product engineers and specialists will drown you in terminology when explaining the transparent MicroLED screen.¹ We are here for something else; this product forces market players to rethink the status quo. Like some of Samsung’s other innovations in the past, this MicroLED Screen also pushes the boundaries on what an existing concept can be shaped into. It is a masterclass in reimagining existing products and redefining their aesthetic. 

However, the screen was more than just about its aesthetics. Compared to some of the finest screens by the manufacturer, the MicroLED panel was significantly brighter. The humble glass panel did not look like a television screen at all. The astonishing looks may or may not pick up in the market, but it did challenge all competitors to try and do something bold and remarkable. 

2. New AI Smart Home Agents 

LG launched its smart home platform ThinQ. This platform connects to the company’s home appliances like laundry machines, cooking stoves, ovens, and refrigerators. The platform then uses agents to customize user settings based on their needs, much like home assistants by its competitors, but this home robot has face and user recognition. 

It is equipped with machine learning, making it more responsive to context and preferences. The agent tailors itself to suit the needs of multiple household members at once. Furthermore, it brings generative AI to help you with domestic chores.  

What’s more interesting is that you’re not just asking an AI assistant to search for answers on a search engine, but sending voice prompts to build guidelines and narratives for you as you go through the day.  

3. AI-Powered Hologram 

Holobox launched its AI-powered Hologram at the event as well. It works to bring new meaning to interconnectedness and engage employees and customers. Do you need a board meeting without the featured member? Try a hologram. The company believes not every flight is worth the fossil fuel it burns. If a hologram can handle it, then why not? 

More on thought leaders: 7 Essential Traits for the Next AI Tech Leaders 

4. AI Robot Companion Called ‘Ballie’ 

Another AI-centric robot companion, named Ballie, was launched.² But it takes the game two notches up with autonomous driving abilities to move around the house for tasks that require movement—designed to work as an addition to the family. 

It can connect devices within the house to coordinate chores and routine work. Plus, Ballie can learn from users’ daily routines, adjust to their needs, and deliver personalized services. It can project videos on the wall or floor, adjust the music volume to accommodate calls, and give out instructions across family members. 

5. GeForce Super GPUs 

The transformation of consumer electronics is incomplete without the transformation of GPUs. With advancements in computing abilities, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, it surpasses our previous decade’s lineup of GPUs. NVIDIA is making it possible through its new models in the series, the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4070 Super GPUs; this will be a game changer for adopting on-device AI tasks. 

Businesses that want inspiration to innovate can take a lesson from NVIDIA. They grab what’s hot in the market, build something that is going to be cheaper than its alternative yet better performing, and then launch it as the tech event of the year—That sounds like a winning recipe! 

6. An AI Mirror for Mental Health 

Speaking of what’s hot in the market, Baracoda launched its BMind smart mirror to support mental health—and it’s also powered by generative AI.³ 

Talking mirrors have the reputation of disturbing individuals, as children’s storybooks would have you believe. This one is meant to be different. It is equipped with the functionality to understand your mood and then offer affirmations, visuals, and stimuli to improve it. 

Read more about how tech leaders inspire their organizations: 7 Must-Join Tech Organizations for Ongoing Learning and Growth 

7. An All-In-One Gravity-defying Robot Window Cleaner 

OMNI showcased how it revolutionized every aspect of commercial and domestic cleaning, from grass, carpets, floors, air, ceilings, and windows. Following their ‘Robotics for All’ mission, the newest product in the DEEBOT lineup, X2 COMBO, is the first intuitive cleaner with robotic arms to support hand-free operation and detail work like drapery or furniture.  

Their concept is to reimagine what robot cleaners can do and make them as close to the finesse offered by human cleaning as possible. This market hit a dead end when maximum upgrades on the new robot cleaners were battery time improvements or speed-related. X2 COMBO competes in detail, becoming a lesson on competitive strategy: build a strength that no other competitor is thinking about. 

8. Alpha 11 AI processor 

LG also launched its Alpha 11 processor chip for its OLED televisions and works to reinstate and improve the image quality through an AI processor at run time. According to the brand, Alpha 11 will have four times the processing power and speed of the Alpha 9. LG focused on consistent improvement, making existing products outdated today.  

9. Palm Recognition Smart Lock for Your Door 

Another improvement that deserves its spot in CES 2024 is Philips’ keyless, codeless smart lock. It recognizes your palm and unlocks the door for you. It works with a Wi-Fi connection and has a deadbolt that uses its built-in palm scanner. It can store up to 50 palm vein prints at a time and identify the hands of people of all ages—even if they are dirty. 

It works with their mobile application for home appliances and blends in with the rest of the technology. This shows not all transformation must be radical. Sometimes, a few essential upgrades can make up for a monumental difference in the eyes of the public. 

PROPELLING THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY  

The CES 2024 revealed a lot of new products coming onto the market. Each one of these products is backed by years of research, months of planning, and dedicated teams of specialists. These efforts help their businesses cement their reputation, position them as thought leaders, and keep competitors on their toes. 

Your businesses do not need to operate in the consumer market to understand the rapid transformations leading brands undertake. Whether digital transformation and technological revamp serve as stepping stones for something even greater, such as a large project, a complete overhaul, or a minor update in the grand scheme of things, technology trends demonstrate that every business will require them in some shape or form. 

So, which areas of your business are you reimagining? 

Read more: 2024 Sneak Peek: Exciting IT Trends to Look Forward To 

References 

1. “The Best of CES 2024.” Wired, 18 Jan. 2024, www.wired.com/gallery/best-of-ces-2024. 
2. “Samsung Ballie AI Companion Robot Home Video CES 2024.” Samsung, 8 Jan. 2024, samsung.com/samsung-ballie-ai-companion-robot-home-video-ces-2024. 
3. Murray, Allison. “CES 2024 Day 1 The 10 Product Reveals That Impressed Us Most.” ZDNET, 8 Jan. 2024, www.zdnet.com/ces-2024-day-1-the-10-product-reveals-that-impressed-us-most. 

A new year brings a sense of anticipation, hope, and renewal, which can be beneficial as you focus on your career in the coming year. If you aim to progress in your current job or consider a new career path, setting new goals for the year can help jumpstart your motivation. But what career goals should you set, and how do you stay committed to achieving them?

In this article, we will provide career goals that you can incorporate into your daily life, paving the way for a successful and fulfilling 2024.

How do you set realistic goals? 

When setting goals for the new year, try to make them realistic and achievable. While it’s important to push yourself, setting simple and attainable goals can make it easier to stay committed and succeed in reaching your ambitions. Determine what matters most and set goals to help you achieve those things. Keep these things in mind:

• Simplify your goals. Rather than establishing dozens of goals, concentrate on identifying the ones that hold the highest significance for you and prioritize them. This approach can enhance your ability to concentrate on each of these and increase your chances of success.
• Consider your personal life. Career objectives are not always isolated from your personal life. Your career aspirations can impact your personal life, and the reverse is also true.
• Choose goals that bring you joy. While setting goals that directly contribute to your career is valuable, don’t forget to include goals that impact your overall happiness. This approach can lead to success in various aspects of your life.
• Monitor your goals. Keeping tabs on your goals enables you to visually assess your progress and identify areas that may require improvement. This practice can help you stay motivated in your pursuit of your goals.
• Write your goals down. Commit to your goals by writing them down and keeping them visible to you. This can help you remember your goals and motivate you to work toward them.
• Break your goals down. If a goal feels overwhelming, consider breaking it into smaller, more attainable steps. This can simplify the path to achieving your goal.

Career Goals for a Successful 2024 

1. Get a clear vision of what you want to achieve in your career.

Self-awareness is the initial step in defining your goals for a successful 2024. Consider the following questions:

• What skills and interests do I possess, and what am I passionate about that I can carry forward into the next phase of my career?
• What major achievements and challenges have I experienced in the past year, and which challenges can provide insights into areas requiring additional growth and improvement?

• Do I experience a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in my current role? If not, what are the reasons? Can I achieve satisfaction within my current workplace, or should I explore other options?

Getting specific about the importance of your goal and how it will affect your life can fuel your motivation to persevere through challenges and bounce back from failures.

2. Create your short and long-term goals.

Once you’ve assessed your current career situation, it’s time to establish your career goals. Separate your goals into short-term (1 year or less) and long-term (3-5 years) categories. Short-term goals should act as building blocks toward your long-term aspirations. Make sure your short-term goals are clear and specific.

For instance, a short-term goal could be completing a certification or training program such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect by the end of 2024, to potentially open up new career prospects or promotion opportunities. This, in turn, aligns with your longer-term goal of securing a leadership position like a Director of Architecture or IT Director.

3. Position yourself for success.

Establishing a solid foundation for your career goals matters greatly. This includes things like keeping your resume up-to-date and maintaining an active LinkedIn profile.  This way, when an opportunity arises, you can quickly submit your application without stressing about last-minute revisions.

If you’re actively seeking a new job, consider setting a target number of job applications to send monthly. But if you’re not currently job hunting, staying mindful of your accomplishments, skills, and professional image can boost your confidence.

4. Expand your professional connections.

Your professional network significantly impacts your career prospects. Regardless of your career goals, commit to participating in events and make time for people. You don’t need to attend every gathering; select a few occasions to reconnect with former colleagues or meet new professionals.

Consider setting a specific goal, such as adding a certain amount of strategic new connections on LinkedIn every month. This targeted approach lets you create a trusted roster of professional connections which can be a valuable resource for sharing industry insights, collaborating on projects, or even exploring job opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Related Reading: Unlocking the Power of Connection: Strategies to Build Strong Workplace Relationships 

5. Commit to learning.

No matter what field you’re in, you can learn many valuable skills to help your career. This could involve acquiring a new programming language, mastering a specific software tool, or delving into emerging technologies like artificial intelligence or cybersecurity. Making time for continuous education can boost your career goals, and if it involves a cost, think of it as an investment in your future.

Even if your job doesn’t require ongoing professional education, exposure to new ideas is what will help you excel in it. Try to explore topics of personal interest or those that can benefit your career. You can attend lectures and webinars, read articles, or engage in conversations to broaden your knowledge and stay informed on the latest trends and advancements in the tech landscape.

6. Commit to deep work.

If you have a goal you’ve been thinking about but haven’t progressed on, implementing the concept of “deep work” can significantly propel your progress toward important career goals. This means dedicating a specific, uninterrupted timeframe each day or week solely to this task. This approach allows for substantial advancements compared to short spurts.

Here’s a quick test to determine if you have spare time: If you watch TV shows or use social media, you do have the time to work on your goal; you’re just choosing leisure over progress. Hold yourself to a higher standard regarding time, as it’s your most limited resource.

You could try tracking your activities for a few days. Keeping a time diary for two to three days effectively eliminates time-wasting habits and identifies moments that can be used more productively. Most smartphones can help you track phone usage to help you become more aware of how you are spending your time.

7. Take control of your mental game.

Many career goals require a significant amount of time and effort to achieve. Think of yourself as a corporate athlete running a marathon, recognizing that long-term success comes from continuous effort and smart strategies.

It’s essential to be mindful of your stress levels and not overlook the importance of nutrition, exercise, and enough rest, as they influence your physical health and brain chemistry. You might try to practice activities such as meditation or journaling, where you dedicate just a few minutes to focus on what would make your day great.

8. Find and get support from others.

No one accomplishes great things entirely on their own. While your personal effort and determination are essential, don’t forget your support system, including family, friends, mentors, and even public figures who serve as your source of inspiration and motivation.

Don’t hesitate to contact your mentors and colleagues for career advice and feedback on your professional goals. They can offer valuable perspectives, share their own experiences, and help you refine your goals. Guidance and feedback from experienced professionals can help you identify blind spots, validate your strategies, and move you closer to your goals.

Having someone in your personal or professional network who can check on your progress, offer encouragement, and help you find solutions when facing challenges can motivate you to take action.

Related Reading: 7 Must-Join Tech Organizations for Ongoing Learning and Growth 

365 New Days, 365 New Chances

Planning is crucial in our professional lives. While you can’t predict every event, a well-crafted plan empowers you to establish clear goals, stay focused, and adapt to unforeseen circumstances. In the 365 days in 2024, there are 365 chances to strive, grow, and make significant progress toward a successful and fulfilling career journey. Start the new year with a positive

ACHIEVE YOUR CAREER GOALS FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR WITH ON-DEMAND GROUP

Let’s make this the year you turn your career goals into reality. With On-Demand Group, your path to success is clear to us. Whether you aim for that dream job, a promotion, or a shift in your career, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today and take the first step toward your amazing 2024 career journey!

It’s a fitting moment to reflect on the transformations that have defined the workplace throughout the year. From a growing preference for remote work to a heightened focus on employee well-being, these changes have left their mark on the workplace.

Now, we discuss whether the 2023 workplace trends brought improvements or challenges for employees and candidates.

The Current State of the Workplace 

Employee engagement reached a record high in 2022.

According to Gallup, employee engagement has bounced back fully after being greatly affected by the pandemic and has now reached a record high of 23 percent. This shows that people are feeling happier at work and getting along better with their coworkers, managers, and the company. This good news is great for global productivity and economic growth.¹

Employee stress remains high.

44 percent of employees said they felt a lot of stress the previous day, marking the second year of record-high employee stress.

The increase in stress started in 2020, largely due to the pandemic. However, stress among employees has been rising for over a decade. Many things can make people feel stressed, but according to Gallup, managers have a big influence on how stressed employees feel at their jobs, which affects their overall daily stress levels.

Over half of employees are actively or passively job-seeking.

51 percent of employees with jobs are either looking for or actively trying to find a new one. Getting better pay is the central factor employees want in their next job. But they also value improved well-being and opportunities for personal growth and development.

Year in Review: What We’ve Discovered 

In the last few years, things have changed faster than most people expected, mainly because of the global pandemic. Now, as the world returns to normal, business leaders and workplaces adapted to their changing environment. We’ve highlighted key trends shaping the workplace.

1. More Remote Work

Remote and hybrid work are now prevalent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent Buffer report indicates that 98% of employees prefer remote work for their entire careers, up slightly from 97% in 2022. And on LinkedIn, 11% of the job postings are for remote opportunities and they are receiving 47% of the applications from candidates. About 5% of employers require employees to be 100% onsite, 55% hybrid and 45% remote. We expect to see this continue to fluctuate over the next 12-24 months.²

2. Greater Emphasis on Employee Health and Welfare

Employers have been giving more attention to work and personal life, as well as their employees’ mental health.

Since work-related stress and issues like benefits and flexibility often lead to employees leaving, companies are making efforts to prioritize wellbeing. This includes offering more benefits, greater flexibility, signing bonuses, and creating a positive employee experience and workplace atmosphere.

We can anticipate more employers introducing measures to support mental well-being and employee engagement and establish a positive company culture. This might include things like improving benefits, flexible work arrangements, and making changes to the workplace environment.

3. Skill-Based Hiring

Employers are now focusing on hiring candidates based on their specific skills rather than the work history listed on their resume. Even big companies like Boeing, Walmart, and IBM have joined groups that promote skills-based hiring. These companies have removed degree requirements from some jobs to broaden the applicant field.³

Read more: Is Experience Better Than a Degree? Everything You Need to Know About New Collar Jobs 

You might not have the relevant experience for a data analyst role, but you might have acquired the essential technological skills through different job experiences.

Employers are also helping employees learn new skills by offering courses, seminars, and workshops within the organization. This equips employees with the necessary skills for success in today’s workplace, where you must continuously learn new skills to progress your career.

For remote knowledge, webinars and e-learning courses are also offered to prevent a skills gap from emerging between in-house and remote employees.

4. Growing Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility

For some time, employers have been paying a lot of attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Many companies are taking steps to enhance sustainability and environmentally friendly initiatives, driven by the expectations of both shareholders and consumers.

5. Increased Cybersecurity Risk Awareness

Cloud services, the transition to hybrid and remote work, and the Internet of Things (IoT) have created more cybersecurity issues that require attention.

Companies face various threats; among them is ransomware, a highly malicious software capable of locking a computer system until a specified ransom is paid. An attack of this nature can lead to severe consequences for an organization.

Cybercrime presents more than just a financial risk to companies. Many organizations and their employees are vulnerable to data theft, particularly those handling sensitive or confidential data. Data breaches can harm reputation, operational downtime, the loss of valuable information, and potential legal action in cases where data protection regulations have been violated.

With the increasing threat of cybercrime, we can anticipate higher investments in cybersecurity in the future to address this issue.

6. Employee Empowerment

Employers have realized that to prevent the “Great Resignation” and quiet quitting, they should empower their employees in various ways.

With remote work opportunities providing more freedom in choosing where you work, you can also be given control over available benefits, the structure of your workdays, and opportunities for advancement based on your skills.

This approach values your individual preferences, fosters flexibility, and aims to enhance your job satisfaction, engagement, and retention. It minimizes the likelihood of you leaving your job or disengaging from your role, contributing to a more committed and content workplace.

7. Multigenerational Collaboration

When you work with other companies, they often put together teams that have people from different age groups and backgrounds. This type of collaboration leads to the best and most diverse results in projects and tasks. It’s because your team members bring different perspectives and ways of thinking to the table. This diversity encourages you to think outside the box and consider a wider range of solutions.

These diverse teams share their unique life experiences, work styles, employee expectations, and problem-solving approaches. This diversity can spark innovation by pushing you to challenge traditional methods and explore new ideas.

When different generations collaborate, they often fill gaps in knowledge, technology, and communication, leading to more comprehensive project outcomes. Cross-generational and diverse collaborations bring a wide range of insights and creativity, making the work better and more effective.

What’s Your Take? 

The trends we’ve seen this year have had positive and negative workplace effects. It provided a platform for personal growth, professional development, and self-discovery, but it also posed challenges in various forms.

On the positive side, more remote work, well-being support, and diversity have improved many workplaces. Remote flexibility and focus on mental health have improved the life of employees. However, high stress, cyber risks, and skill instability have also made work more difficult.

As we move into 2024, let’s carry forward the lessons we’ve learned, staying adaptable, resilient, and focused on our well-being. The workplace will continue to transform, and adapting to these changes will be your most valuable asset.

GET A HEAD-START WITH ON-DEMAND GROUP

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References 

1 Gallup. “State of the Global Workplace Report.” Gallup.com, 2023, www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx.

2 Buffer. “Buffer | State of Remote Work 2023.” Buffer: All-You-Need Social Media Toolkit for Small Businesses, 2023, buffer.com/state-of-remote-work/2023.

3 “Taking a Skills-Based Approach to Building the Future Workforce.” McKinsey & Company, 15 Nov. 2022, https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/taking-a-skills-based-approach-to-building-the-future-workforce.