Top HR Topics for 2024
Employee retention, the growing role of social media in recruitment, increasing demand for training and development, employer branding, the use of artificial intelligence, and employee wellbeing are all expected to play a key role in HR this year. In our latest blog article, we explore how businesses can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth in the months ahead.
HR professionals today are facing increasingly complex challenges. In addition to employee retention, recruitment, and the rapid rise of AI, employer branding and the continuous development of employees are also becoming increasingly important. HR teams are also more frequently involved in strategic planning alongside management.
As responsibilities continue to expand and new challenges emerge, HR professionals need to work in an increasingly conscious, structured, and coordinated way in order to maintain competitiveness. HR must serve as a bridge between management and employees, helping to create a flexible working environment and a supportive framework that works for everyone.
Opinions within the profession may differ to some extent, but overall, the following challenges are expected to strongly shape the HR landscape this year.
Don’t Let Them Leave! – Employee Retention, But How?
There are two main factors behind successful employee retention.
The first is onboarding. Based on the experience of Rózsa Fülöp, Managing Director of Gemini HR, many employers still do not pay enough attention to properly integrating new employees into the organisation.
“Companies often fail to assign colleagues who are specifically responsible for supporting new employees, or they simply do not have enough time or established processes for onboarding. As a result, employee turnover within the first month after joining can be extremely high,” she explains.
The second key factor is understanding employee needs.
Employees’ expectations have changed significantly in recent years. What may have been considered attractive or motivating in the past does not necessarily have the same effect today. Employers should therefore regularly assess the needs of their workforce. Internal surveys, emails, or meetings can all be effective tools for gathering feedback.
We Live with Our Phones in Our Hands – The Role of Social Media in Recruitment
Demand for both blue-collar and white-collar employees has increased across almost every industry. As a result, HR professionals need to take a much more proactive approach to recruitment.
Alongside traditional job portals, social media is becoming an increasingly important recruitment channel.
“It is worth adapting our recruitment strategy according to the target audience we can reach on each platform. Social media also gives us access to passive candidates who may not actively be looking for a new job but are simply browsing. If they come across an attractive opportunity, there is a good chance they will apply,” says Rózsa Fülöp, sharing her practical experience.
Training and Development as an Employer Advantage
Over the past decade, many new roles and job functions have emerged. In some cases, one position has been divided into several specialised roles, while technological development and changing processes have also created entirely new positions.
As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find candidates who can step directly into a role without any additional training.
Employees are also increasingly looking for employers that offer opportunities for learning and professional development. These expectations are particularly strong among Generation Y and Generation Z.
For older generations, retraining and development opportunities can also play an important role when choosing whether to join or remain with a particular company.
Be Visible! – Employer Branding
Employer branding is no longer something that only large corporations and multinational companies need to consider.
Small and medium-sized businesses also need to build a strong employer brand if they want to remain competitive.
From an HR perspective, one of the most important goals of employer branding is to ensure that both current and potential employees understand the company’s culture and values.
Employer branding can play a significant role in both recruitment and employee retention, particularly among younger generations. Young people are more likely to choose a company they already know and whose values are closer to their own rather than an organisation that is virtually “invisible” to them.
Threat or Opportunity? – The Use of Artificial Intelligence
Experts suggest that artificial intelligence may eventually replace certain tasks and job functions, potentially leading to the disappearance of some roles.
As more and more people become interested in and affected by this topic, the Managing Director of Gemini HR believes it is important for organisations to address the issue.
“If we learn how to integrate AI effectively into our existing processes, I do not believe it will create a long-term problem. It can be applied, for example, during the initial stages of recruitment or to create advertising materials more quickly and efficiently. In the future, AI could save HR teams significant time and energy, leaving more capacity for strategy and other important responsibilities.”
Feel Good at Work – Employee Wellbeing
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have placed increasing emphasis on the physical and mental wellbeing of their employees.
In the long term, taking proper care of employees can contribute to improved performance, greater engagement, and lower employee turnover.
Demand for additional health-related employee benefits has also increased. As a result, companies are increasingly offering health screenings, preventive healthcare programmes, and other wellbeing initiatives as part of their employee benefits packages.
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