Attitudes in the workplace are changing. Years ago, the employer’s needs always came first. Many businesses paid little attention to the employee experience.
Now, workers have the upper hand in the job market. Many companies are struggling to fill positions. Professionals have discovered that they don’t have to accept the bare minimum anymore.
That means that companies have to step up to attract top talent. Hiring the best employees will give an organization an edge. According to a CNBC Personal Finance article, job openings jumped last July with voluntary quits at historically high numbers while layoffs were at record lows.
The article also stated that there were “nearly two job openings for every unemployed worker.”
The shift occurred early in 2021 and continues. While things may shift again in the future, it is in every company’s best interest to offer employment opportunities that will attract hardworking, skilled people.
Figuring out what workers want now and will want next year isn’t difficult. There are several trends that have emerged that will help you determine the best way to invest your hiring and employee retention resources.
· Flexible Schedules That Nurture a Work-Life Balance
When it comes down to it, time is all we have. We use it to calculate the value of the work we do. Many people get paid by the hour. Even salary workers should be mindful of how much time they are investing in their jobs compared to the compensation they receive.
So naturally, when it comes to attracting new hires, flexible schedules are a must.
Requiring long hours and an overwhelming workload will only lead to burnout, which isn’t good for productivity or the employee’s health. Companies need to provide adequate time off for workers to rest and rejuvenate so that they can return reenergized.
That also means leaving room for life events. Younger generations place high value on jobs that allow them to also live well outside of work hours. They should be able to attend to family matters and events and have time for recreation and personal endeavors.
Many businesses are moving away from the 9 to 5 work shift. Instead, they are collaborating with employees to build schedules that are a better fit for everyone.
Some jobs may not be as flexible, like those that require coverage during certain hours of the day. However, not all positions are like this. Refusing to be flexible is a thing of the past.
Remote work is also a necessity these days. Many employees became accustomed to the practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuing to offer this as much as possible will be another big selling point when looking for new hires.
· Focus on Better Employee Benefits Over Company Culture
Have you looked at your benefits package recently? Does it contain the things that your workforce wants? This is a key part of attracting new workers, so it needs to count.
Nearly half of younger generations in the workforce today reported that corporate leaders have created benefits and perks packages that are not exciting or competitive. It shows that there is a clear disconnect between the employer and the employee.
Many stated that they prefer more vacation time over company culture perks. Responses emphasized scheduling flexibility, bonuses, and good pay as essential rather than the old “company culture” view of using team building, get-togethers, and working in an office to entice workers.
Perks need to become a bigger part of corporate culture. The culture part is still important, but these other areas have been neglected and need to be addressed for optimum results in 2023.
· Support for Employee Wellbeing and Mental Health
Two in five employees do not believe that leadership prioritizes or even cares about their wellbeing and mental health.
Many businesses are trying to develop a healthier, more positive work environment with mindfulness and mental health support. Mindfulness focuses on living in the moment. It helps reduce stress and leads to a more adaptable mindset. Management can use it to foster better relationships with their teams by being more understanding rather than taking a judgemental approach.
Another way to promote mindfulness at work is to suggest apps or offer meditation programs. These help your employees destress and encourages a healthier attitude. It also promotes psychological safety, which leads to a high-performance culture.
Make sure you prevent cognitive overload in employee training as well.
· More Career Development Opportunities
Employees want to earn more than a paycheck. They want to gain knowledge and experience that lets them grow professionally. Career development is another big player in the hiring game in 2023.
Newer generations of workers want to find companies that offer training and education. They want to be able to expand their skillset.
Many companies miss the boat by not offering learning and development opportunities. Those that do sometimes don’t put enough effort into it, supplying only the bare minimum.
It’s easier to offer employee training and development now than ever before with eLearning and learning management systems. The right technology can empower your team and give them access to a catalog of course options. Businesses can build learning paths that show employees what they have to do to move to the position they want.
The better trained your team is, the more adaptable your business will be, so it’s a win-win for all involved.
You can create your own eLearning content, or you can use an LMS that connects to a third-party content marketplace. It’s cost-effective and gives your workers access to the training they want.
· An Improved Employee Experience
The term “employee experience” encompasses worker perceptions about their journey through key parts of your company. That begins when they become job candidates and continues until they eventually leave.
A better employee experience makes workers happy and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. That means you spend less on hiring and onboarding. It also lowers absenteeism because happy workers are less likely to be frequently absent.
An improved employee experience increases the quality of work your team provides. That, in turn, will also improve customer relations.
A good way to begin is to ensure that your management team is focusing on employee goals and values. They should give workers a sense of purpose. They should also look for ways to allow employees to unleash their passion in their work.
Encouraging continuous learning will also help in this area. Workers gain new skills, become more confident, and are overall happier and more satisfied with their jobs.
· Diverse Leadership and Workplace Equality
Every company should foster diversity in the workplace. Many employees view their company’s culture as outdated because the leadership team is not diverse. Around 34% even reported culture that was toxic due to a lack of inclusion and diversity.
Companies benefit when they have a diverse team of people leading them. While race and ethnicity are included in that, those aren’t the only factors to consider. Diversity of thought is also important. Having differing ideas and viewpoints will help companies make better decisions or allow them to discover new markets and opportunities.
Around 60% of workers claimed that management only promotes people that share the same opinions as they do while 76% reported favoritism was present.
And over half believe that remote and virtual environments will help bring more inclusion and diversity into their workplace.
Start 2023 with the Right LMS
With a big emphasis on career development, now is the time to make sure you have the right LMS. Visit LMS.org to read LMS reviews or to learn more about how eLearning can help you build your team.
