SelectOne Blog

5 Workplace Trends Getting Attention in 2017

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I am by no means a psychic, however I do spend a considerable portion of my day trying to understand and navigate how employers attract and retain top talent, more specifically what exactly motivates that top talent to entertain and accept new job opportunities.

This insight and unique perspective, coupled with some particularly exhaustive web surfing, has enabled me to aggregate what I, (and several HR professionals far more intelligent than myself) deem to be just a few of the work place trends to keep an eye out for in 2017. In no particular order:

Adaptability:

Not only will there be a greater emphasis on more collaborative culture and an employee’s ability to work within a team, but we will likely see the workplace becoming more adaptable. As employers continue to grow their remote-work policies and institute flexible work hours, there will be a shift toward making office spaces more multifunctional with open common areas for people to work from throughout the day, with furniture that is more mobile- enabling employees to take a break from working exclusively in their office. Millennials and Gen Zers grew up playing team sports and they expect that same team oriented environment in the workplace.

Not to toot our own horn, but the new SelectOne office was designed as a highly adaptive space that enables employees to work from a variety of different work stations within various settings throughout the office.  

Departure from traditional yearly reviews to the continuous feedback loop:

It has been said that one of the biggest differences between older generations and millennials is that they value and crave continuous performance feedback. There seems to be a direct correlation between consistent feedback and a feeling of positive career and job satisfaction. According to a Forbes survey, 65% of employees felt they weren’t getting enough feedback.  Yes, feedback and reviews can be uncomfortable and time consuming, but a movement to a feedback-oriented culture will lead to higher employee satisfaction and ultimately better retention.

Shift back to traditional benefits:

The Googles, Netflixs and Facebooks of the world created the impression that flashy, excessive and glamourous job perks would help attract top talent. While I’m sure the idea of an on-site massage therapist and free meals did and continues to appeal to candidates, 2017 will bring an emphasis on strengthening of traditional benefits such as health insurance and generous 401K matches according to a recent Glassdoor survey.  Ample vacation time, quality of employer provided health insurance and strong 401k plans will what matter most in 2017. 

It’s kind of crazy we’re still talking about this… BUT companies will make more of an effort to close the gender pay gap.

 According to Glassdoors’ Chief Economist Andrew Chamberlin, companies will make an effort to be more transparent with their employees and therefore will have to be more mindful of eliminating any pay gaps between men and women. In a Glassdoor survey 67% percent of employees said they would not likely apply for a position within a company that pays men and women differently- Amen!

You can’t run and you can’t hide- technology is changing the way you work-no matter what you do.

It was long thought that technology, specifically automation would have the greatest most palpable effect on the manufacturing sector. Reality is, technology has not only effected industries such as the travel industry, (when was the last time you called a travel agent?), the retail industry (thank you Amazon) and in 2017 will continue to effect more traditional sectors like finance and HR industries. Recruiters will have greater access and enhanced connectivity to candidates and finance professionals will rely more heavily on analytic tools and data dashboards to make decisions. The key to success will be continued professional development and training to optimize how employees can leverage these tools to stay competitive and efficient.

Bring it 2017! Happy New Year.

 

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