2020 isn’t far off. The workplace continues to evolve each year in hopes of providing a more fulfilling workspace for employees. The bottom line remains to make money and achieving success, but employers are learning that there are more efficient ways to do that. Workplace trends once considered emerging, are transitioning to commonplace.
Employees who are satisfied with their job are more likely to deliver positive results. It might seem like an obvious conclusion, but wasn’t always accepted as the norm. After all, work ethic and motivation are extremely important, but finding ways to identify and extract them is crucial. Consider the following workplace trends for 2020.
1) Artificial Intelligence
Many are stressing about robots taking their jobs, but what if AI could enhance the employee experience? That’s precisely the trend we expect to see in 2020. Collaboration with AI is going to be huge going forward. It is critical that the human experience dictates the function of artificial intelligence and uses it to maximize workflow and increase efficiency for businesses.
2) Environmental Consciousness
When reducing the carbon footprint companies have historically looked at the issue as someone else’s problem. The truth is coming to light that businesses of all kinds can make an impact. When managing large groups of people, or even small groups, thought leaders can dictate human behavior, to some degree. Encouraging recycling, limiting commutes, and other eco-friendly legislation can make a difference.
3) Schedule Flexibility
The traditional workplace was very controlled. After all, people became accustomed to routines. The newest generation of employees values flexibility in their scheduling. As the saying goes; adapt or die. Getting the best out of workers requires some understanding of what motivates them, and what puts them in the best positions to succeed. Accountability remains a critical element to management, but unconventional methods can achieve it.
4) Mental Health Awareness
Satisfied employees typically perform better. What companies have learned is that mental health is a big part of the performance. There is not much satisfaction in feeling miserable in your job position. Once again, balancing accountability and understanding can be a challenge for some employers, but making mental health resources available is an excellent way to start. Making the workplace feel like an asset rather than a liability can improve performance.
5) Human Resource Allocation
Redistribution of resources into HR is going to facilitate many things in 2020. In 2019, human resource trends spiked considerably, and the workplace benefited as a whole. When people feel safer at work, and feel comfortable enough to approach HR management, everyone succeeds. Many of the trends coming in 2020 will be reliant on a strong HR department, which makes investing in it crucial to businesses.
6) Hiring Efficiency
Most people understand that the hiring process continues to change. Employers once relied on print resumes and an old-fashioned method of reviewing them. Today, tools can cut through most of the leg work. AI is quite good at narrowing down candidates to the best few. The tools in question are even more valuable because they eliminate biases that employers may not understand. Interviewing the right people expedites decisions.
7) Training Resources
The best way to get everyone on the same page is quality training. There have never been more training resources available to the employer who can now personalize them for the employee. As we know, not everyone learns the same way, which makes personalized training resources an intriguing trend in 2020. If businesses can maximize the performance of once marginalized learning styles, they can tap into a market inefficiency.