C-Suite executives believe AI is key to increased productivity, yet most workforces are not ready to transform, according to Mercer’s 2024 Global Talent Trends Study - Seite 2

Nearly half of employees say they want to work for an organization they can be proud of, and some companies are responding by prioritizing sustainability efforts and “Good Work” principles. Given that fair pay (34%) and development opportunities (28%) are key drivers of workers’ intent to stay this year, employers are incentivized to make faster progress on pay equity, transparency and equitable access to career opportunities in the year ahead.

Globally, employees are clear that a sense of belonging helps them thrive, but only 39% of HR leaders say women and minorities are well represented on their organization’s leadership team and just 18% say that recent diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts have increased retention of key diversity groups. Three in four employees (76%) have witnessed age discrimination. As these challenges compound with ongoing skills shortages, greater attention around inclusion and meeting employees’ needs will help all employees thrive.

Resilience will be vital in the coming years

Recent investments in risk mitigation have paid off, with 64% of executives saying their business can withstand unforeseen challenges, up from 40% two years ago. Near-term concerns, such as inflation, heavily influence executives’ three-year plans, however longer-term risks, such as cyber and climate, may not be getting the necessary attention they deserve.

Building individual resilience is just as vital as enterprise resilience, with four out of five (82%) employees concerned that they will burn out this year. Redesigning work for employee well-being is critical to mitigating this risk, with 51% of high-growth companies (with revenue growth of 10% or more in 2023) having already done so, compared to just 39% of their lower-growth peers.

Employee experience is a top priority

Over half of executives (58%) worry that their company is not doing enough to inspire workers to adopt new technologies, and two-thirds (67%) of HR leaders shared concerns that they implemented new technology solutions without transforming work. Employee experience is HR’s top priority this year; a worthy focus given thriving employees are 2.6 times more likely to say that their employer designs work experiences that bring out their best.

HR plays a critical role in making work better for all, but there is an increased imperative for HR to work in tandem with risk and digital leaders to usher in the necessary change at the pace required. To meet organizational and employee expectations, 96% of companies are planning some HR functional redesign this year, focused on delivering across silos and leading digital ways of working.