Workplace trends and building workplaces for a new people landscape
Building on the success of our inaugural Employer of the Future report, we’ve delved deeper into the ever-evolving landscape of employment trends, challenges, and innovations as we explore what’s changed and how organisations can thrive in the workplace of tomorrow.
In the two years since the first report, what has changed? Recruitment and retention are now the biggest challenges facing employers. The rise of AI in that recruitment process is helping to cut costs and drive efficiency, but does reliance on new tech pose a threat to data security and interview bias? Flexible and agile working were core themes in 2022 and thanks to the pandemic legacy, today they are considered non-negotiable for many prospective employees.
Key Themes
- Recruitment and retention challenges - in today’s competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent remains a priority. Our report examines strategies to address these challenges head-on.
- AI in hiring - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising recruitment processes. We discuss its impact on cost reduction, efficiency, and potential risks related to data security and interview bias.
- Flexible and agile working - the pandemic legacy has made flexible and agile working arrangements non-negotiable for prospective employees. Learn how organisations are adapting to this paradigm shift.
- Culture and ESG commitments - Organisations must embed their culture and uphold Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments. Our report explores HR’s role in achieving this alignment.
- Effective management - how can businesses ensure their management teams are truly effective? We share insights and best practices to empower leadership.
Recruitment and retention challenges
The pandemic may be over, but the rapid and, for some, surprisingly successful adoption of flexible working practices has continued to shine a spotlight on how employees value their work/life balance. In addition, in the midst of what Trowers partner Danielle Ingham describes as “a hot war for talent”, organisations are having to examine their culture in order to recruit and retain Gen Z values-driven employees. With increased access to and sharing of company data online, organisations are under intense scrutiny from candidates on everything from their transparency on flexible working to their leadership on ESG policies.
Impact of AI on the recruitment process
While openness and clarity at the advertising stage gets a positive response from candidates, the reality is that automation is increasingly used as a way of streamlining the application process, with the ability to screen thousands of resumés and produce automated tests based on a CV. The cost and time savings for HR teams are evident, but many fear AI could stifle the recruitment process with discrimination and bias.
Flexible and agile working
Does working from home mean working hard or hardly working? For anyone whose job cannot be done remotely, it is tempting to think the latter, yet studies on efficiency and productivity suggest that how people work can matter more than where they work. And as expectations around agile working remain at the forefront of the recruitment process, this longterm work trend, cemented as a necessity during covid, is one that employers have to negotiate to remain viable.
Culture and ESG commitments
Bringing HR into board level decision making, especially where that can ensure the ESG agenda is fully embedded among the leadership, will be an important shift in the importance given to people teams. The vital importance of effective management also needs to be acknowledged and invested in.
Effective management
Keeping employees engaged with an organisation’s core values on a day to day basis relies on leadership direction being disseminated and acted on at management level. Managers are the leadership’s proxy for most employees, with a huge responsibility to help retain staff through the clear communication of culture and values and the sense of inclusion they offer an individual.
Thought Leadership
Our Employment & Pensions legal team has been at the forefront of these discussions. Join us as we dissect the nuances of workplace transformation through our regular Trowers Tuesday webinars. Our team collaborates with industry experts, analyses poll data, and distils actionable insights for employers.
Get Involved
We invite you to engage in a dialogue about your organisation’s journey toward becoming an Employer of the Future. Let’s explore tailored solutions and strategies together. To arrange a free virtual meeting with our employment and pensions team, please contact us.
