January 11, 2024
Written by Director of Corporate Business Cat Brown
As we gear up for the year ahead, some interesting shifts are bubbling under in the working world. From the impact of AI to how job propositions are changing, we've dug into the nitty-gritty to give you the scoop on what to expect.
Below are our top five predictions for recruitment in 2024.
The “unretirement” wave
A potential "unretirement" trend is on the horizon. This is where people who had retired previously actively seek reemployment, or individuals opt to postpone their retirement plans.
In the UK, the number of economically inactive 50 to 64-year-olds has fallen by an estimated 129,000 since a peak in 2022.
There are many reasons for this. Inflation is still historically high, many may not have adequate funds in the bank to allow them to step back from the working world and, for others, it may simply be a case of them enjoying their work and changing their mind about giving it up just yet.
This trend will make a positive impact on the available workforce. Research by the Harvard Business Review finds that teams made up of people from different generations have complementary skills which can lead to more productive collaboration and stronger performance overall.
Making invisible disability visible
Research has shown that women are affected by higher rates of chronic illness than men – and 62 per cent believe their pain has been dismissed.
A recent SheSays study revealed 83 per cent of women and non-binary employees, in particular, with an invisible health condition or disability actively hide it at work for fear of prejudice and discrimination.
This is the year when organisation leaders must commit to building trust and empathy with their teams. The best companies will disrupt the norm and create meaningful policies to level the playing field for all employees. This responsibility and care could be seen as mental health first aiders, low sensory workspaces or a specific menopause policy. Colleagues must be made comfortable to be their authentic self and be open about their lives in a nurturing environment that develops talent.
Content creation and influencing become recognised career paths
Universities are now championing the creator economy, offering courses where students will learn about the business side of being an influencer or, more simply put, a modern-day expert in their field using popular media channels to reach a wide and diverse audience.
For example, Southeast Technical University in Carlow, Ireland, opened applications in November 2023 for a Bachelor of Arts in content creation and social media. This trend will spread, bringing a new level of professionalism to this sector.
Academia embracing the creator economy solidifies the industry as a real career option, not just a byproduct of social media growth. This bodes well for the 54 per cent of young adults who have expressed an interest in working in this space. It will, in turn, see a significant growth in the number of job opportunities.
Gen Z and the “great negotiation”
The traditional nine-to-five job is no longer the norm. This is something Gen Z are more than aware of. We are already seeing many Gen Zers working multiple jobs or having a “side hustle”, trying to gain the kind of economic security that came more steadily to previous generations in a more traditional work regime.
Tensions between young workers and older, more experienced, colleagues could come to a head in 2024 – and everyone will lose if the coming “Great Negotiation” doesn’t end with healthy compromise, warns demographics expert Bradley Schurman.
Both employers and employees need to work to bridge this gap. Whether this be addressing unrest over pay or discussing flexible working policies. Creating a more harmonious working environment will save companies and individuals suffering economic consequences.
AI, AI and even more AI
Now we’re more familiar with the ChatGPT revolution, and have asked it to create a poem in seconds or write an essay that doesn’t quite cover what we want it to – has it revolutionised the way you work, or has it simply given you a good starting point to help you work quicker? That’s what we’re seeing. The fear that robots are taking over seems to have subsided, and people are realising it’s not quite there yet and we humans are still needed to ensure it works for us efficiently and effectively.
AI is already being used to create resumes and cover letters so realistic that employers are struggling to tell the difference between the genuine and the augmented ones.
2024 will see employers combating this issue using guess what? More AI. We expect to see techniques similar to reverse image searching to spot those that have been artificially enhanced.
There remains a danger that AI-generated resumes could potentially sway AI models to favourably rank similar applicants, leading to systemic bias and adversely affecting candidates who have not sought online help. That is a challenge that will evolve as the year goes on.
At the end of the day though, we want to hire those who can do the job and who are the right cultural fit for an organisation. That will still be assessed by recruitment professionals, regardless of how a person got their foot in the door.
