2024 Workplace Trends

1. Manager effectiveness is a top HR priority

2024 will be the year of the manager and for good reason. The current manager pathway is unsustainable. Promotions are often based on an individual’s technical performance and people management skills are not prioritised in the decision-making process. Once in their roles, managers frequently don’t receive the additional people skills training they need and the impact on team culture and engagement is considerable. This ultimately impacts performance and the bottom line.

Untrained managers negatively impact the employee experience. 50% of employees with low-quality managers report poor mental health. 1 in 3 employees have even resigned over bad management.

Organisations need to bridge this skills gap. This means developing human-centric managers who prioritise people while driving results. Managers must be trained to lead through change and support team wellbeing. They must know how to create cultures of feedback and manage team pressure so that peak team performance is the norm.

2. Employee wellbeing and mental health are still high on the agenda

The pandemic put employee wellbeing and mental health firmly in the spotlight. Organisations responded, investing in a range of mental health and wellbeing solutions. But as new challenges arrive, employees continue to need support.

In 2024, employees will be looking for action-driven initiatives. These could include coaching, wellbeing days, resilience training and subsidised healthcare. At the same time, there is a clear expectation that solutions are inclusive and targeted to support a diverse workforce.

3. Change readiness over change management

The pace and volume of change is dizzying. So, it’s no surprise that working people are feeling drained.

Staying competitive means not just managing change as it happens but also cultivating a change-ready culture. To make this happen, organisations can:

• Equip managers to help themselves and their teams prepare for and navigate through change.
• Implement employee resilience training with a focus on change readiness.

Conclusion

2024 will see organisations continue to navigate a complex business landscape. To stay ahead of the curve, they need to invest in their workforce. It’s about building a resilient culture fit to handle whatever comes next.