Hays, the job market is evolving greatly. Here are the new priorities for businesses
Staff shortagecompetence preferred to experience, more balance between people and technology and correct use of artificial intelligence, greater attention to issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion and the multigenerational environment, working from home and (obligatory) return to the office: second the company of recruiting HAYSthese are some of the main challenges that managers, company captains and HR will have to face in 2024 to attract or retain talent. The labor market is constantly evolving and who is going through a positive moment: considering the last 20 years, February 2024 has recorded well 23,738,000 employed (almost 1.5 million more than in the same month of 2004) and an employment rate that reached 61.8% (in 2004 it was 57.4%) [1]. Very positive numbers which are also reflected in the forecasts for the coming months: according to the processing of HAYS on the “Unioncamere-ANPAL, Excelsior Information System” data base, from February to April companies plan to hire as many as 1.3 million resources+9.5% compared to the same period in 2023.
At a territorial level, the region with the highest number of new entries expected, again in the quarter, is the Lombardy with 270,850 hires, followed by Veneto (129,740) and from Lazio (128,470), but growing more compared to the same period in 2023 (more than the national average), are the Liguria (+16.9%), Valle d’Aosta (+16.3%) and Campania (+16%). Going into detail about the main labor market trends for 2024, according to the analysis of the recruiting company HAYS, in 2024 there will be a real change of paradigm in talent search: for 75% of selection managers, in fact, skills will have a much greater weight than experience, thus becoming an absolute priority for your company. But precisely the lack of personnel with skills in some areas, such as those related to IT (indicated by 62% of senior decision makers around the world), will be one of the main challenges for 2024.
Another trend to consider for the next few months is the relative one to the balance between people and technology, especially after the development of artificial intelligence. In 2024, AI will take another leap forward, supporting businesses in any type of activity to increase productivity. But companies will need to make sure that this technology is used appropriately and that people see it as a help, not a threat. In recent years it has also grown sensitivity towards issues related to inclusion, but today as many as 44% of employees feel excluded from their company’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. An inclusive corporate culture can reduce employee turnover by 50%.therefore in 2024 we expect to see a greater focus on the integration of DE&I initiatives.