Top Workplace Trends Of 2023 

This recent survey from Robert Half highlights some of the major trends that we’ve seen develop and evolve in the workplace over the past year, which are primed to continue shaping the landscape as we transition into 2024.

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• Bonuses Are Back: Survey responses indicate that nearly all employers will be awarding end-of-year bonuses this year (96%). More than half (54%) claim that the bonuses they distribute this year will be bigger than the bonuses they distributed at the end of 2022, while 37% will distribute bonuses of approximately the same amount as last year. 

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• Work Flexibility Is A Growing Priority: More than 6 out of 10 workers (62%) claimed they would be willing to forgo leaving their current job for a higher paying one at another company if their current job offered greater flexibility. While salary has long been the dominant factor driving job-related decision-making, the survey authors expect work flexibility to become a close second in the coming year. 

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• Workers Are Optimistic About Generative AI: 2023 will likely be looked upon in retrospect as the year that generative AI hit its first popular tipping point, and while there is great uncertainty about how AI will continue to change over time as well as how we will adapt to and incorporate those changes, more than 4 out of 10 workers (41%) believe that generative AI will have a net positive benefit on their work output and career.

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• Burnout Is High and Requires Targeted Support: Nearly half of all tech professionals (48%) and almost one third of accounting and finance professionals (30%) report feeling burned out and in need of additional help - whether via contract workers or additional hires - in order to meet the demands of the workload. 

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• The Taboo Against Discussing Salaries Amongst Workers Is Dead: While 42% of workers in total reported discussing their salary with coworkers at some point over the previous 12 months, that number nearly doubled (82%) among Gen-Z, indicating the trend is not likely to reverse course at any point in the near future, which furthers the imperative of maximizing both pay transparency and pay equity in 2024.

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Much of 2023 was defined by a surprisingly resilient economy and job market in the face of relatively high interest rates, which certainly influenced the trends outlined above, and while there remains considerable uncertainty about how the economic and technological climates will continue shifting in the year ahead, bigger bonuses, greater worker flexibility, additional generative AI utilization, targeted burnout response, and the end of salary secrecy are trends that all seem poised to continue shaping the workplace environment in 2024, as well. 

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You can read more about this topic here.