Now that 2024 is underway, we’ve started to see some interesting trends emerging in the world of work. These trends are more than just an idle curiosity for us: at Igloo, we’ve made it our business to understand trends like these so that we can more effectively support our users as they tackle new challenges across their organizations.
Let’s dive in:
Artificial intelligence
While AI first made a splash in the mainstream in 2023, the true impact was largely the speculation and forecasting around its potential uses. In the past 12 months, though, generative AI has matured more than most people would have expected, and its impacts are becoming clear.
As it stands, AI isn’t the job-replacing behemoth many thought it to be. Instead, AI-powered tools have carved out a foothold as productivity accelerators, offering a faster way to get to the same goal with the same number of contributors. Like many digital technologies before it, AI hasn’t replaced humans; it has just offered human workers a faster way to accomplish their existing goals.
This power has been integrated into many places you wouldn’t have expected it, like some of the top intranet platforms. By leveraging generative AI, your next intranet platform has the ability to expedite internal communications and content, making it easier than ever to maintain an informed and engaged workforce.
High frontline turnover
The great resignation is now two years behind us, but its effects have yet to subside—especially on the frontlines. Workers in frontline industries are still in short supply, and are harder to retain than ever. Hospitality tops the turnover charts with a staggering attrition rate of 73.8 percent, with retail not far behind.
The challenging and varied working conditions of many frontline industries leaves lots of room for employees to disengage silently, feeling as though their work isn’t valued. This presents a major opportunity for forward-thinking organizations to pull out ahead by implementing modern retention strategies.
Frontline workers are often overlooked by the exact kind of digital tools that could solve many of their problems. Igloo offers the first and only intranet platform that was built from the ground-up to offer equally powerful digital employee experiences to both mobile and desked users. With a single platform that offers every employee a personalized way to engage with corporate news, policies, and colleagues, frontline organizations can challenge the turnover stats.
Job market growth
Downturns in the job market had many people and organizations worried, but 2024 has started off stronger than expected. S&P Global Ratings now expects twice the GDP growth that they forecasted in November, with job market growth playing a big role.
This doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods yet, though. The last year saw a cycle of layoffs, burnout, and less favorable working conditions for office and frontline workers alike; frustrated employees entering an expanding job market creates the perfect conditions for a new wave of turnover.
There’s still time to be proactive. Just like the issue of frontline turnover, most attrition anywhere else in the organization can usually come down to the support and voice that employees have (or lack).
Modern intranet platforms fight this head on, providing a central place for employees to connect with each other, voice their concerns or commendations, and gain a clearer understanding of their important roles in the company. Essentially, the modern intranet is the perfect tool for turning your workforce into a digital community.
Frontline technology
Even beyond intranets, which are slowly making their way to the frontlines after a long delay, frontline industries are more dependent than ever on digital technology. Waiters carry tablets with proprietary hospitality software; even farmers now contend with the digitization of even the most basic equipment and machinery.
While these technologies are designed to streamline frontline work, they can only do that if workers understand how to use the tech effectively. Given the busy, hectic nature of most frontline work, this training is often something that falls through the cracks. The best way to jumpstart effective training? Leverage the tool your employees already use to find answers everywhere else in life.
Your employees already turn to their phones to find quick answers elsewhere, so why not use that to your advantage? A powerful mobile intranet app can be the central resource that answers any question employees have about new workplace technology, SOPs, and anything else that would usually slow them down.
Are you ready for 2024?
There are lots of new challenges on the rise this year, but we like to see those as new chances to help our customers excel. Work never stops changing, which is why we never stop investing in innovative new ways to help people work faster, with less stress and a greater sense of purpose. Get in touch to learn how we can help your organization thrive this year.
