9 Employee Expectations in 2023
Publié le 23 February 2023
Addressing 9 employee expectations in 2023 will enable businesses to hire the most qualified recruits, retain their best employees, and stay on a path to growth and success.
This year is poised to be one of serious change and adjustment. The pandemic has receded in the minds of industry leaders, but people are still living with the effects of tumultuous period. The nature of work itself has changed dramatically in a short few years, and some have argued that there is a tug-of-war for power between employers and employees. Combined with economic uncertainty and its ramifications at a national level, there are many challenges facing people in all industries.
What is certain is that what employees expect from employers has changed dramatically. With recruitment and retention challenges in multiple industries, companies who refuse to address these changed employee expectations will likely lose highly skilled workers. Without the best people for the job, it will be much harder for a company to continue to grow, satisfy its customers and reach its goals.
9 Employee Expectations in 2023
- Salary increase
- Career growth
- More flexibility
- Hybrid working options
- Strong employer brand
- Improved team culture
- Global hiring
- The right benefits
- Addressing automation
Salary Increase
It would be disingenuous to say the relationship between employer and employee is not primarily economic. People agree to provide their labor to a company, which in turn grows and becomes more successful passed on their efforts. It makes sense that people expect to be fairly compensated for their labour, and for this salary to reflect economic realities. There was an increase to the average annual salary and minimum wage levels in almost every part of the country. However, the inflation rate was so high that in actual fact people earned less spending power than in the previous year. Combined with increased costs of living, the result is serious economic challenges even for people with full-time jobs.
With many industries earning record profits, an increase in salary is at the top of the list of employee expectations in 2023. Of course, not all companies are reaching new financial heights. The fact remains that 63% of employees who left their jobs in the past year did so for a higher salary, so employers must be prepared to address the financial expectations of their workers.
Career Growth
When people think about their career, most don’t think about doing the exact same job for decades. Employes expect to grow and evolve in their roles and within the organization. When they put work and effort into projects that move the company forward, they want this work to be acknowledged and reward with promotions and other advancement opportunities.
Professional development is a key expectation for employees at all stages of their career. Even those seeking entry-level positions can bring skills and qualities into the role that will make for a long-lasting career. Employees who feel that they are stuck in a dead-end job are unlikely to feel motivated to put their best effort forward. Companies should emphasize opportunites for learning and growth, as it will result in more knowledgeable employees who will put their skills to work improving the organization.
More Flexibility
One of the strongest employee expectations in 2023 is more control and a greater degree of flexibility in their professional lives. The traditional in-office structure was one of the first things that was altered to address the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions of people changed to remote work almost overnight. While there are some downsides to remote work, one of the undeniable advantages is that it allows employees to have a greater degree of control over their time.
The vast majority of employees have demonstrated that they can remain productive team members and collaborators in the organization while working remotely. This calls into question a lot assumptions about traditional work structure, and even the 5-day workweek itself. The additional flexibility has helped employees with children and families fulfill their responsibilities without necessary stress. Given the obvious benefits for their professional and personal lives, employees expect this flexibility to continue.
Hybrid Working Arrangements
Directly connected to the expectation for increased flexibility is the need to move away from rigid working arrangements that characterized the traditional office. Despite the clear popularity of remote work, there has been pushback from companies and business owners who desire a return to the office.
Polling suggests that there is a lot of support from workers for hybrid working arrangements, where time is split between the office and remote work. There is the potential that these arrangements can help people maintain a better balance while still forming strong working relationships with colleagues.
Open Work Culture
Employees want to work in a work environment where they feel support, where they know their work matters, and where they are free to speak their minds. There was a great deal of fear that remote and hybrid work would harm team culture, and there has been a great deal of adaptation. There is an employee expectation that workplace culture will continue to grow and evolve to meet their needs.
This open work culture should result in a workplace that supports discussion and feedback, where employee opinions lead to actionable changes. Leaders should reach out to employees to ensure they know they can always bring up their concerns and ideas that would move the company in a positive direction.
Global Hiring
Recruitment has changed dramatically over the past few years. The transition to remote work has dramatically reduced the need for employees to all live in the same geographic area. HR managers can do look around the entire world to find and recruit the right person for the job. This will hopefully result in a diverse workplace team that will be able to work together bring fresh perspectives to industry challenges.
Additionally, employees expect to find global hiring opportunities should they choose to leave their jobs. They have developed valuable skills and abilities in their fields, and if employees feel undervalued and unappreciated they are likely to look for new career opportunities. Given the positive impact global hiring can have on the recruitment process, it also reduces the chance of quiet hiring as result of prolonged hiring period.
The Right Benefits
The benefits and perks that are offered by a company have always been important to employees. Often, however, company leaders have treated these as a fun bonus on top of employee salary of a job. The truth, as found in employee surveys, is that the right benefits can actually be more important to prospective employees than the salary being offered. Given how dramatically the daily nature of work has changed in the past few years, benefits packages must be adjusted to reflect this reality.
One of the major employee expectations from their benefit package are resources to help address mental health and overall well-being. The pandemic has had serious consequences on the mental and emotional well-being of people. There were increases in employee stress and burnout rising in every job sector. All businesses need to step up to help their employees address these needs if they want to have a healthy and successful workforce. Additional benefits should include support for physiotherapy, financial support for remote employees buying work-related equipment and PTO options that go beyond the legally mandated stat holidays, vacation days and sick leave. An updated benefits package is one of the key 9 employee expectations in 2023.
Reasonable Automation
Artificial intelligence has already been the most talked about HR trend of the year. With the recent launch of ChatGPT and the rush of similar programs seeking to regulate its success, it’s clear the AI has the potential to revolutionize many different types of jobs, and at a faster rate than previously anticipated. Looking ahead to a future dominated by AI does not have to be scary, and in fact as many as half of workers think that AI tech can help them be better at their jobs.
As long as automation is used correctly, it has the potential to assist workers rather than replace them. For instance, different parts of the recruitment process are already automated, and can result in HR managers having an easier time finding the right person for in-demand jobs. Company leaders and employees need to look at AI and automation as an opportunity to improve workflows and processes, and not one to replace employees with untested programs and unfairly get rid of the human element.
The workplace has experienced a lot of change in a short period of time, and it only makes sense that the needs of workers have changed as well. Businesses need to understand the 9 employee expectations in 2023 and have a plan to address them. This is the best way to maintain a successful work environment where the best employees wish to work.
