What are the HR priorities for 2024?

Gartner has published its annual survey of HR trends for the year ahead.

After surveying over 500 HR leaders in 40 countries, five priorities have emerged for 2024:  

• Supporting and developing leaders and managers. 
• Developing the company culture. 
• Adopting HR technologies. 
• Managing change. 
• Offering growth opportunities within the company. 

Five trends that will shape the HR world in 2024 and have a significant impact on attracting and retaining talent. 

Priority 1 - Supporting and developing leaders and managers

Leaders and managers play an essential role in any business. They make decisions that are crucial to the company's growth, and guide and inspire their employees on a daily basis. According to the survey, support from managers is increasingly important for more than 75% of employees.

However, work overload has become a reality for many managers, affecting their effectiveness and well-being. 76% of HR respondents say that managers are overwhelmed by their responsibilities. This situation highlights the importance of support for managers and leaders.

As a first step, managers can learn to : 

• Better manage their priorities.. 
• Delegate. 
• Cultivate balance between their professional and personal lives.

Training in time management and leadership may be appropriate.

In addition to traditional training, support solutions such as coaching can help them to:

• Adopt professional practices appropriate to their position. 
•  Review their missions and priorities. 
• Identify new processes to make their day-to-day work easier. 

At the same time, moving other people into managerial positions will relieve the workload of current managers. However, it will be essential to train these managers to enable them to adapt their posture and processes to their new responsibilities.

As well as managing their own workload, leaders and managers must also be able to manage their teams effectively. This includes communication, conflict resolution, motivating staff and setting clear objectives. Training in team management can help to reinforce these essential skills.

Priority 2 - Develop the company culture 

Another major HR trend for 2024 is the development of corporate culture:

• 41% of HR managers explain that hybrid working compromises employee adherence to the corporate culture.
• 47% of HR managers do not know how to move towards the corporate culture they want to put in place.

Yet we know that a strong corporate culture is key to: 

• Attracting and retaining talent. 
• Stimulate employee productivity and engagement.

Employees are more likely to stay with a company if they feel part of its culture. HR must therefore: 

• Creating an environment where employees feel valued and listened to.
• Involve them in the development of the company culture, in order to understand their expectations and needs.
• Optimise the employee experience, ensuring that every interaction reflects the company's culture.

Internal processes and policies should also reflect the corporate culture. For example, if a company promotes innovation and creativity, management policies should encourage these values. Aligning the culture with internal processes is essential to maintain consistency within the organisation.

Priority 3 - Adopting HR technologies 

Digitalising HR tools is crucial to:

• Automate certain administrative tasks. 
• Enable HR professionals to focus on higher value-added activities.  

However, 56% of HR respondents confirm that the technologies they use are not adapted to their current and future needs. 

At the same time, emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence offer new opportunities to improve HR processes. For example, AI can be used to analyse thousands of CVs in an instant, identifying the most promising candidates. However, many companies are wondering how they can integrate these technologies effectively. Companies should consider training their HR staff to use these new technologies. But they also need to evaluate which software solutions best meet their specific needs.

Priority 4 - Change management 

The rapid pace of change in business requires HR and managers to be experts in change management. Yet 82% of HR respondents say that their managers are not equipped to manage change effectively. At the same time, 77% of HR managers say that their employees are tired of the constant changes.

So, as an HR manager, how do you support employees during change?

Open communication and employee involvement are essential to facilitate the change process. HR must work closely with management to ensure that teams understand the reasons for change:

1. Present the economic context for change: macroeconomic trends, consumers and competitors impacting the market.

2. Explain the goal for the organisation so that employees understand the company's vision.

3. Define the business strategy, detailing priorities and the future action plan.

4. Detail the behaviour expected of employees so that they know in concrete terms how they need to adapt.

To achieve this, HR managers need to train the company's leaders to become champions of change. This brings us back to the importance of developing the skills of leaders and managers as seen in priority 1.

Priority 5 - Improving career management and promoting internal mobility

Employee loyalty has been a major issue for HR for several years now. To address this concern, it is essential to offer opportunities for career development and encourage internal mobility. However, 89% of HR managers believe that the opportunities for career development within their organisation are not sufficiently clear. 66% think that development opportunities are not sufficiently attractive to employees.

It is therefore essential to rethink internal career paths. Vertical mobility should not be the only option. Horizontal or cross-functional opportunities, enabling employees to work on related assignments, can be an excellent way of approaching mobility. These opportunities must be carefully aligned with the needs of the business and the expectations of employees.

In summary 

In 2024, the HR trends identified by Gartner offer exciting opportunities, but also unique challenges. HR leaders need to focus on :

• Improving the skills of leaders and managers. 
• Developing the corporate culture. 
• The adoption of HR technologies. 
• Change management. 
• Career management to meet the changing needs of the professional environment.  

 

By responding to these challenges, HR will play a key role in the success of their business and will be able to create a thriving working environment to attract and retain the best talent.