5 Hiring Trends to Watch for in 2024

The workforce changed during the pandemic, and now that we’re in a (relatively) post-COVID world, it’s changing once again. Despite a potential recession in the not-so-distant future, hiring and labor trends are, for all intents and purposes, looking up.

According to the Future of Work Report for 2022 by Monster Intelligence, 93% of employers are planning to hire throughout the year, which is an 11% increase from 2021. And while that means the working world is getting back on its feet, it also means employers face a lot of competition, making it necessary to sweeten the pot for candidates who may have a lot of options.

From getting on board with the latest scheduling trends to valuing an employee for their skills instead of work history to gifting new hires with luxe presents, here’s how modern companies can adopt hiring trends in 2024.

1. Embracing Tech and Digital Experiences

Baby Boomers are at or reaching retirement age, and Gen Z-ers and Millennials are making up a larger percentage of the labor market. That means that many of today’s employees either grew up with technology or had cell phones and internet access by the time they started college, making them “digital natives.” Job trends in 2024 have to be equally digital-savvy, from embracing online marketing tools when looking for candidates to making it easy to apply to jobs via a mobile device. There are a lot of tech-centric electronic corporate gifting options to choose from, too, if you’re planning to hand out employee welcome gifts.

2. Offering Flexible Work Hours and Hybrid Work Schedules

Flexibility in terms of scheduling and the locations where employees work was a must during the pandemic, but it proved to be a great long-term plan, too. Allowing employees to (somewhat) design their own schedules — as well as work from home, the office or both — gives companies a big edge when recruiting new hires. Plus, that type of flexibility also helps retain employees, as they’ll be more satisfied with their job and likely to stay put. Remember, recruiting trends in 2024 are as much about what the company can get from employees as what employees will get from working for the company.

3. Valuing Skills More Than Experience

The Great Resignation and other workforce upheavals over the past couple of years mean that job candidates no longer have perfect, gap-less resumes with long, impressive work histories. To make sure that companies aren’t missing out on those applicants who are qualified for the job despite a less-than-perfect past, skills are becoming more valued than experience in some cases. Consider focusing on competency and skill set, including those strengths that are transferable from one field to another — you’ll have a bigger pool of candidates to choose from, which also means more opportunities to build a truly diverse and inclusive team.

Employers are Valuing Skills More than Experience

4. Illustrating Strong Social Responsibility

Modern companies showcase how they’re socially responsible, whether that’s by making environmentally-friendly products, volunteering, donating to a cause, etc. When it comes to job recruiting, the benefit is pretty obvious — people prefer to work for companies that share the same ideals. If you can show how your company truly supports socially-impactful initiatives, you’ll attract those job candidates who have the same ethics. On top of being loud and proud about everything your company does for society and the environment, consider this sustainable collection of corporate hiring gifts to welcome new employees to the team.

5. Adopting the Four-Day Workweek

Along with flexibility regarding when and where to work is a new school of thought about how much to work each week. The combination of working from home (part-time or full-time) and caring more about wellness has led some companies to adopt the four-day workweek (and three-day weekend, yay!). And it’s working (pun intended). In addition to enticing more excellent candidates to apply for open roles, this shrunken-down schedule can also be excellent for productivity – as with most things, quality is more important than quantity, after all.

Wrapping Up

Job trends in 2024 have a big focus on making potential and newly hired employees feel supported and welcomed. Nothing says “welcome aboard!” quite like a quality, logo-branded gift, and we have lots to choose from. In addition to our vast assortment of products, we also have thoughtfully curated MerchBoxes and the MerchStore, which is a customized storefront for your brand where employees can shop at their leisure. Want to create your own bundle of corporate products? With direct shipping, you can put together the perfect gift set and have it sent right to the recipient’s door.

Contact Us at Merchology!

Contact a Merchologist today to help you choose the best employee welcome gifts for 2024!