We already know the last few years have seen unprecedented changes in how, when (and even why) we work. As we look ahead to 2023, talent experts from Korn Ferry offer their insights on what acquisition trends will bring to the job market, and ultimately, to your organization. To save you time, we’ve sifted through their research and pulled out a few key takeaways:
Trend: The importance of internal mobility
According to Korn Ferry, the Great Reshuffle has subsided, and professionals are thinking of career growth on their own terms. Instead, they’re “ditching the ladder for the lattice, making moves to other areas within their current organization and signaling a growing internal mobility trend.” In many cases, they’ve seen organizations use talent analytics and strategic planning to determine new roles needed to futureproof the business, and which current employees might be a good fit for those roles.
Going forward, employers should boost their internal talent mobility efforts by focusing more on the talent development of their current workforce – offering regular trainings and certification programs to reskill or upskill internal candidates. Experts say that investing in internal mobility will not only help organizations to attract top talent and develop more diverse pipelines, but also to fill open roles and critical skill gaps amid stalled hiring.
Trend: Acquisition and management: They're a couple
At Kantola, we believe inclusive management is perhaps the most critical component of creating a more inclusive work environment. That’s because, for workers, managers are universally known as the face of the organization. They lead teams, serve as a conduit to leadership—and have a pivotal role that can make or break the relationship between employees and their organization.
That’s why Korn Ferry believes talent acquisition and talent management teams should work together more closely, from the beginning of the hiring process throughout an employee’s development within the company. By partnering the two, you’re likely to create a more positive employee lifecycle—and increase retention as a result.
Trend: Culture and flexibility: It's still important
Korn Ferry believes come 2023, more candidates will look for companies that value work-life integration: being able to put in hours when it’s most convenient while still being able to take care of personal responsibilities. Watching the clock will become less needed as managers assess productivity by the output of employees and not the timeframe of their day.
The past three years have proven that workers can be just as, if not more, productive working from home. The problem is, how can organizations maintain—or even improve—their culture if everyone is still working at their kitchen table?
While working from home continues to empower employee flexibility, we also know it can provide obstacles when it comes to company culture. At Kantola, we know the relationship between employee and employer has changed. Progressive organizations are shifting from an employee-centered value proposition to a human-centered value proposition that treats employees as people, not workers.
Our suggestion? Be sure to invest in your managers and equip them with the tools they need to maintain an inclusive culture—wherever they’re working from. By paying attention to the needs of your managers, you can avoid a major pitfall that makes many DEI programs fail over time. Managers yield influence in three directions—their team, senior leaders, and peers. And that influence matters
