Experts Discuss HR & Future Of Work Predictions For 2024
Advancements in generative AI significantly reshaped the way businesses operate in 2023. Many HR teams and departments began experimenting with these tools to streamline tasks and improve efficiencies. As we look ahead to 2024, what can we expect from generative AI when it comes to the future of work? We asked six technology experts to share their predictions.
Effective AI Governance Will Be Integral
AI is already embedded into our daily lives in many ways, and we should expect this trend to not only continue, but flourish, in 2024.
According to Gartner research, more than 80% of businesses are set to use Generative AI by 2026.
However, Ed Challis, Head of AI Strategy and General Manager for Communications Mining, UiPath argues that “the ability to deploy the technology responsibly is still largely immature, with concerns from executives around risk and governance.
“2024 will be the year this perception changes and organizations see AI progress from aspiration to implementation,” said Challis. “Effective AI governance is critical for driving strong AI results. If implemented correctly, it can go further than positively affecting productivity and efficiency – it can also enhance an organization’s risk and governance posture.”
AI’s Increasing Importance In Recruitment & Training
When looking at recruitment and training, Merijn te Booij, GM of Workforce Engagement at Genesys believes that AI will be used by companies to transform how they approach training and employee attrition.
“I predict next year we will see generative AI transform employee training and curriculum building,” said te Booij. “Currently, companies deliver standardized training across their workforce or employee segments in like-roles because it’s not scalable to tailor it to individuals. Often, we see the same training applies to senior, long-tenured people-leaders as it does junior-level staffers who are still early in their careers. Generative AI capabilities will vastly reshape how organizations build training personalized to each employee. It will also help organizations automate coaching, making it more efficient to deliver individualized support based on the precise needs of each employee.
In the future, te Booij believes that “organizations will also be able to tap into generative AI to help them predict attrition, retention, and career possibilities. Through more personalized coaching and training, it can provide insights into understanding which employees may leave or who may have higher potential. This will be discerned from signals within conversations, displayed behaviors, and performance, helping organizations understand where their employees fall on the spectrum so they can personalize plans to re-engage them, assign training, and help them advance their careers.”
Pamela Maynard, CEO, Avanade agrees, highlighting the countless benefits of adopting AI within business to streamline recruitment:
“AI allows recruiters to use the power of data to make better decisions, which can include analyzing CVs and job applications as well as assisting with the sourcing and screening of candidates. As AI begins to develop and has more data behind it, the technology can carry out tasks that usually require human intelligence, such as predicting a candidate’s success ahead of hiring and even how they may fit culturally, in an organization.
“With the help of AI in their role, recruiters can be more creative, and innovative and bring bold ideas to their work. With AI on hand to help with administrative tasks, workers can gain around 20 additional hours per week. The recruiting process becomes more time-efficient for recruiters as time-consuming and repetitive tasks such as screening, candidate sourcing, and initial communications can become automated.”
Humanity Is At The Core Of Our AI Innovation Journey
However, with AI permeating into so many of our lives, businesses will find themselves in need of a balance between new technologies and the essential human element. Companies will ponder how best to upskill the workforce alongside advancing technology, for organizational growth.
In line with maintaining the human element, Aaron Skonnard, CEO and Co-Founder of Pluralsight argues that “if you want to get the most out of AI, and any other technology, you need people with the skills to leverage that technology and who have skills across other domains important to your business.
AI can only take an organization so far. It’s the humans powering the technology that will truly drive innovation.
Skonnard also believes that “the next wave of tech learning requires leaders to bring learning directly to their teams, within the flow of work. Learning should become more of a conversation today, where content is the answer to specific questions that arise in the flow of work. Tech learning solutions need to embrace that conversational modality and experience. By making learning a natural part of technologists’ workflow, organizations will naturally begin to see their skills gaps close.”
The Centerpiece Of Leadership Transformation: Putting Employees At The Core
With employee expectations on the rise, we anticipate seeing a paradigm shift towards employee-centric leadership that fosters transparency, work/life balance, and a transformation in organizational strategies to meet these evolving workforce expectations.
Richa Gupta, CHRO, Globalization Partners (G-P) highlights that the future of work is here, but notes it is time for the leaders of the future to stand up and prioritize promoting a flexible workforce to maintain the UK’s position as a leading global economy for the new year.
“Employees expect more from leadership than ever before – more transparency, more commitment to work/life balance, and more willingness to incorporate their sentiments and preferences into the workplace. The mindset has shifted from ‘my paycheque to my purpose’; ‘my boss to my coach’; ‘my annual performance review to ongoing development conversations’. It is not an employer’s market anymore; it’s an employee’s market and workers aren’t afraid to search elsewhere to find a workplace, or leader, that fits their needs.
Gupta believes that in response “there will continue to be not only a transformation of leadership styles but in the overall organization of leadership strategy. Successful leaders will need to prioritize qualities and strategies that promote a flexible and open-minded workforce where credibility, reliability, and trust are paramount.”
Collaborative Teamwork Set To Shift Towards Greater Intentionality
With the evolving challenges that ensue from responsibly navigating the adoption of AI within business, Bryan Stallings, Chief Evangelist, Lucid Software predicts that “2024 will see teams becoming more confident and intentional about increasing the frequency with which they collaborate asynchronously.
“This shift is being driven by firms realizing that endless follow-up and planning meetings are hindering impactful collaboration and productivity. Effective working will continue to be defined by positive outcomes and the journey of how teams achieve those outcomes will be equally important. Additional gains will be realized as teams continue to embrace agile practices, and leverage techniques that help them to align more quickly on a shared vision and collaborate effectively to deliver great results.
Stallings concludes that as this future of work continues to take shape over the next twelve months, we will soon be saying, “How did we ever work any other way?”
A Glimpse Into 2024
As seen in 2023, it’s clear AI is reshaping the workforce of the future. 2024 will likely continue to bring surprising developments in AI applications, presenting new opportunities for companies to enhance employee support, whilst also streamlining processes.
However, the impact of AI on the world of work in 2024 and beyond is still unfolding. Business leaders must seize the moment here to implement upskilling initiatives, so employees have access to effective and continuous tech training regimes that will boost their familiarity with the integral tools moulding the future of work.
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