A new year means a new beginning, so unsurprisingly new developments and trends will emerge in the workplace. Employers are increasingly focussing on increasing the employee experience in their organisation. The top five predictions for the 2020 workplace trends are:
Prediction 1:
Remote work will no longer be treated as a perk, but rather a necessity for employee retention.
In 2020, organisations will place emphasis on the full employee experience of remote employees. Employers are expected to take steps to ensure that their remote employees truly feel that they are an integral part of the organisation and its culture and that they are not siloed from employees who physically work together. Organisations can ensure that these efforts are successful by focusing on events, training and redefining expectations.
Prediction 2:
Leading through rapid change will be a critical skill to master.
The speed of advancements in technology has created a marketplace that demands continuous workplace evolution in order to succeed. According to the International Data Corp., organisations will spend $1.7 trillion on digital transformation over the next two years. If leaders want their organisations to keep up with industry trends they must fully understand and excel at change management. In the coming year it is expected that leaders will focus on training their employees of all levels to embrace the benefits of change.
Prediction 3:
Inclusion will be at the forefront of Diversity and Inclusion efforts.
While a diverse workforce will remain a priority, however diversity in itself is not enough to remain competitive in the marketplace. Rather, inclusion interventions will be recognised as a separate initiative from diversifying an organisation. Creating an inclusive organisational culture that empowers employees to feel that they are able to show up to work and be themselves, will become more important as the line between work and life continues to blend together. Encouraging inclusion in your organisation will create a strong and healthy culture that reduces hostility.
Prediction 4:
Predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) will be used to improve HR outcomes.
While each employee is vital to an organisation, many HR leaders might struggle to see the bigger picture and identify trends when focused on individuals. The ability to use data and artificial intelligence to better understand employees and historical precedent will be an incredibly powerful tool used by leaders.
Prediction 5:
Virtual Reality (VR) technology will become more prevalent in leadership training programs.
Majority of leadership and development trainings will fail because they are unable to effectively tap into emotions and personal experience for employees to successfully absorb what they learn. VR simulation will start to transform training into experiences that can control what an individual sees, hears and feels throughout their learning. This behaviour can also be collected for data to maximize the benefits of the training.
Organisations should align their new year’s resolutions with these predictions in order to ensure that they are able to be competitive in their markets.
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