The Top 7 Career Trends for 2023
Each year comes with specific trends in different areas of your life. There are technology, fashion, marketing, and employment trends. Some of the trends you can expect to see in the current year are continuations of trends that started last year.
Other trends, like working remotely, were initiated by the pandemic that started in 2020 when employees were forced to work from home for their safety. Regardless of what started the trend, most of them have improved the work-life balance for employees and created a happier, more productive workforce.
1. Working Remotely
There was a time when many employers frowned at the idea of allowing their employees to work outside the office. Employers have learned that employees can actually perform better when they work from home and don’t have to worry about stress-inducing daily commutes to the office.
Even though the world is going back to normal after two and a half years of working from home, many employees are not willing to give up the ability to work outside the office. The pandemic made employers realize that working from home gives their staff a better quality of life and helps them perform their jobs better.
The hybrid model is becoming widely adopted by organizations to measure employee productivity when they’re not in the office. Some companies use time-tracking software to gain insight into how their teams spend their time remotely working, although this can negatively impact trust levels in the organization.
Employers and their staff must collaborate and be transparent with their teams to maintain a sense of trust. You might be interested in learninghow to get ahead in your career while working from home.
2. Improved Employee Benefits
you may expect an increase in job seekers emphasizing employee benefits and worker compensation packages this year when looking for a job. Job seekers are looking at the benefits organizations offer when looking for a job.
Many employers are facing a talent drought and are introducing more attractive and comprehensive benefits packages to retain and attract the best performers. Employers' benefits can range from traditional health benefits to financial wellness programs, fertility treatments, and pet insurance.
Employers are also offering personal development courses, training, gym memberships, mental health counseling, and paid family leave. If your employer provides personal development coverage, you may be interested in learninghow to create an effective personal development plan.
3. Salary Transparency
Employees in several states can expect to see pay transparency laws come into effect this year in New York State, while California and the state of Washington had laws go into effect at the start of the year. The regulations introduced in states require employers to state salary ranges and job descriptions when posting job openings.
Salary transparency is one way to fix wage gaps and eliminate pay discrimination, which is a massive victory for job seekers. Employers can also expect to benefit from these laws since they can increase the quality of job applications.
When job seekers can ensure compensation and qualifications are aligned, they can self-identify as the ideal candidate. Employers giving potential employees a salary range in good faith can be an excellent brand statement and build positive employee sentiment.
4. Flexible Work Schedules
Employees are looking for more flexible work schedules. Employers that have introduced flexible arrangements like a four-day workweek experience an increase in employee engagement, work-life balance, and a reduction in stress levels.
Organizations may look at other workplace trends to explore additional ways to make their work schedules more agreeable. A great way to introduce new work schedules is to do them on a trial basis.
For example, aNew Zealand firmdecided to explore the suitability of a 4-day workweek for two months. After the completion of the trial, the organization found that the flexible schedule allowed employees to improve their work-life balance by 24%, increase productivity by 20% and decrease stress levels by 7%.
Not all employers are convinced about the benefits of a 4-day workweek. If you’re interested in introducing the idea to your employer, you may be interested in learninghow to ask your employer for a four-day workweek.
5. Continued Focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE & I) Efforts
Employers realize that while hard skills can be taught, soft skills can be more intuitive and are becoming more critical in the workforce. In the past five years, organizations, regardless of industry, have introduced people-focused roles such as Change Manager, Chief People Officer, and Employee Experience Manager.
Significant DE&I initiatives are allowing a wider pool of candidates with different genders, backgrounds, and ethnicities that can create a more robust overall culture. If diversity is on your radar, you may ask yourself,are streaming services doing enough for diversity and representation?
6. Employers Investing in Employee Well-Being
Burnouts, stress, and mental health issues have caused employers to take notice and invest in employee well-being. There was a time when employees disregarded their mental health because they were dedicated to getting the job done.
Issues crept into the workplace because employees were disregarding their mental health. Personal well-being has now become a priority for employers and their employees. Employers are increasingly implementing workplace wellness strategies to improve employee well-being and overall health.
Remote workers aren’t being left behind in these initiatives, as employers look for ways to address the isolation of remote workers by investing in team-building events. A growing number of organizations are offering training in the areas of resilience and mental health to support their employees. If you’re looking for ways to improve your mental health, you may be interested in learningcreative activities that can boost your mental health.
7. Continuing Focus on Gender Equality
While gender equality isn’t new, it is a topic gathering steam. You can expect to see an increasing number of organizations hire and promote women to executive positions in the years to come.
States are getting involved in the initiative. For example, California has created a rule that advocates for increased numbers of women on public company boards of directors. Hiring women isn’t just a moral issue; the practice benefits organizations. Astudy done in 2020found that organizations with female representation at high levels are 50% more likely to outperform their peers.
Take Advantage of These Career Trends
Whether you’re currently employed or are looking for a job, it’s possible to find ways to make the trends outlined in this article work to your advantage. All the trends may not apply to your situation, but you can find ways to make those that do work in your best interests.
Some trends have a longer lifespan than others. If there’s a trend that you can use to your advantage, don’t hesitate to create a plan and put it into action. You don’t want to assume you have time because situations constantly change.
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