It's January, which is the perfect time for 2023 predictions! This week, we've covered predictions around the job market and office & remote work.
Today, talent acquisition and HR leaders share their predictions around company culture. Since the pandemic, a lot has changed as it relates to how a company maintains its culture while working remote or hybrid. However, last year, lots of companies saw a return to gatherings, conferences, and offsite meetings, which was great to see.
So, what does 2023 have in store for the culture at companies? Check out the predictions below.
Please note, the views and predictions expressed in this blog post are representative of the individual's thoughts and opinions. They are not representative of the individual's employer.
Ilenia Herrera Lutz
Director of Talent Acquisition at Duck Creek
To build a strong culture and encourage employee engagement, organizations and their leadership should be aligned to provide employees the opportunity to use their voice, give employees meaningful projects outside of their typical day-to-day roles, recognize small contributions and enable people to work their best in a flexible environment.
Jess Hartmann
Director, Talent Acquisition at Wellframe
We strongly believe post-covid, with the great resignation and these massive layoffs, companies are going to have to re-introduce themselves in 2023. We've been very fortunate to not have been greatly affected as an organization by these large uncertainties but with our new identity under the Healthedge umbrella, it's important for us to expand on our employee branding! We strongly believe that investing in the career growth and development of our current team, will unfold a return that will continue to enrich the culture and that's what the market needs to see.
Kristin Zwickau
VP, Talent Attraction at Veeva Systems
Post-pandemic, top talent is assessing a company on overall fit versus just "culture." Values (and living up to them) is what makes a company, not the word "culture." Candidates are getting smarter about how they evaluate companies, using their networks, researching, reading reviews and asking hard questions. They want to come to a place where they feel they can belong, be valued and contribute.
Loralie Thostenson
SVP, Technology Talent Officer at Liberty Mutual Insurance
A strong workplace culture is grounded in managers that are dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion and cultivate an environment where everyone feels like they belong and can have a long, fulfilling career. An environment that emphasizes communication and collaboration over individual success is another key element. To sustain this type of strong culture, organizations should prioritize policies and programs that support employees’ lives and well-being both inside and outside the office.
Jaclyn Jussif
VP of People at Paperless Parts
I think it will become more important for leadership to clearly communicate how the employee adds value to the business, and how they envision the employee's role developing in the future. With so much uncertainty in the economy, staff members are going to want reassurance in how they add value to the business. This will cure jitters, but more importantly will cement engagement and support a culture of inclusion and belonging. Simply put, tell your employees you value them in times of uncertainty!
Annie Edwards
Chief People Officer at Bamboo Health
The almost daily announcement of layoffs at the world’s most successful tech companies can make these times unsettling for tech employees. When you couple this with a lack of connection and community with a company and a hot job market, the culture of a company will matter more than ever in retaining top talent. Executive teams and management will need to be crystal clear on their vision and strategy, and as transparent as possible on the reasons underlying the decisions they are making. Communication, communication, communication. I also think a commitment to DE&I initiatives, especially around career opportunities and compensation, is one of the most relevant traits in building a strong culture in 2023.
Jeanne Cordisco
Chief People Officer at O'Reilly
Creating a culture of learning starts at the top, and the faster an organization moves to implement this type of culture, the faster they will see their hiring success and retention rates improve. L&D enables organizations to hedge against bleeding talent, which can be catastrophic when the talent pool is as depleted as it is today. Offering continuous learning opportunities to employees allows current employees to prepare for the next generation of technology and ultimately contribute to the success of their businesses, making it within companies’ best interests to prioritize creating a culture of learning.
In addition, 2023 will see an increase in DE&I, with increased hiring of women, BIPOC, LGBTQ and neuro-diverse employees. This allows for a diverse workforce and ensures that they are equally involved, empowered and trusted throughout the organization with an overarching emphasis on belonging.
Robert Zammit
Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Bullhorn
I have yet to meet a Talent Acquisition Leader who has not leveraged the 'story' of their organization's culture to influence a global recruitment strategy. We all have that 'Special Story' to tell about what makes our organizations unique, and "why everyone loves working here!" As we continue to navigate the lingering uncertainty in the economy, this part of the strategy must evolve.
Keeping our employees informed during economic uncertainty is expected, but what about potential candidates or pipelined talent within our external networks? I expect organizations (including my own) to continue their calculated efforts when adding incremental headcount. This reinvestment often takes shape in the evolution of a role, function, or department. Backed by our initial intent, it is more important than ever for Talent Acquisition Leaders to address what changes are occurring internally. Leaders should consider: (1) Will these changes impact the profile or expectations of a role? (2) Do these changes conflict with the 'stories' we've previously told to attract talent?
As TA Professionals, we understand not to take this 'lull' in recruitment as a time to 'kick up your feet.' Instead, be a strategic partner and stay close to your business leaders as they navigate these changes, and use this to begin reshaping your 'story' to inform and align your networks to these changes.
Keith Cline is the Founder of VentureFizz. Follow him on LinkedIn.