What are some, People, Culture and Capability trends you're predicting for 2024?
The change in government has impacted the market considerably but HR will be exceptionally busy over the next year as they will be managing the change process to meet the Government’s expense savings targets. This will put a considerable amount of pressure on already busy HR practitioners. I have noticed that over the past 4 years, there has been a shortage of candidates in the market, so people were having to hire based on potential and this impacted on HR leaders themselves. These capability gaps are also adding to the pressures of leaders, so the focus throughout 2024 will be on capability uplift and change management. We have also noticed that there has been an increased need for ER specialists across all sectors.
How do you see the role of People & Culture evolving in response to changing workplace dynamics and the increasing emphasis on employee well-being and work-life balance?
Over the past few years there has been a shift to flexible working and people are enjoying the balance it brings. This trend will continue and whilst some employers globally have started to bring people back to the office, I don’t believe this trend will be seen in the Wellington market. With the public sector cutting expenditure and their desire to move away from the use of contractors and consultants, public sector employees will have to take on additional workloads. This may impact work-life balance and people’s wellbeing so this will need to be a consideration for HR practitioners and leaders as we navigate our way through 2024 and beyond.
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