What will be shaping the world of work in 2024?

The world of work has been evolving rapidly since the start of the Covid pandemic and the past 12 months have seen an onslaught of mini revolutions in the area, between hybrid working and the arrival of generative artificial intelligence tools. According to LinkedIn, these developments will continue to shape the way we work in 2024.

The social network for professionals, which boasts over 850 million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, has drawn up its projections for changes that will shake up the professional world next year. It believes that AI and automation will continue to be a major preoccupation for many employees, according to American magazine Fortune, which was able to consult the findings of this new report.

This is no surprise in itself: LinkedIn previously noted that job seekers are showing considerable interest in job offers mentioning this booming technology. Over the past two years, the social network has witnessed 17% greater growth in the number of applications for jobs mentioning AI compared to those not mentioning AI.

Generally speaking, working people are aware that they need to master artificial intelligence tools to stand out professionally. While experts the world over are still unable to say precisely what an “AI-ified” job market will look like, there is no doubt that employees will have to respond to the new need for complementarity between human and machine.

For Olivier Sabella, Vice President of LinkedIn Talent Solutions for the Europe, Africa and Latin America regions, companies will need to ensure that their employees’ skills are not obsolete in order to maintain a competitive edge. “[W]e will see business leaders not just implementing the technology to improve productivity and remove some of the drudgery from day-to-day work, but also figuring out how to equip their workforce with the skills they will need to make the most of these advancements,” he told Fortune magazine.

The world of work is going greener

Contrary to the expectations of many executives and managers, LinkedIn estimates that hybrid working will become the norm by 2024. In the UK, for example, almost half of the job offers published on the platform propose a work setup halfway between in-person and remote work, compared with just one-third in August 2022.

This desire for flexibility can be explained by the fact that the prospect of working remotely has become a powerful draw for employees. For the most part, they see it as a way of saving time and gaining greater freedom in how they organise their work hours. But their superiors remain concerned about the repercussions of large-scale remote work on team cohesion, as well as on employee productivity.

However, it’s hard to write off remote working, given the pressure to recruit and retain new talent. In this context, hybrid working seems to be a good compromise to satisfy all in the work environment.

Another trend highlighted by LinkedIn is the rise of “green professions.” Occupations with a direct or indirect link to the environment are increasingly in demand, particularly in the United States, where the position of wind turbine service technician is on the rise, according to Fortune.

That said, companies looking to go green are struggling to recruit skilled workers. LinkedIn claims that only one out of eight members of the world’s workforce have the “green skills” companies are seeking. And the lack of such skills is even more pronounced among women with an estimated 90% lacking the knowledge or experience to work in an environment-related capacity.

It is essential that both public authorities and companies anticipate these new needs by setting up innovative training schemes to ensure that the workforce is equipped with the scientific, energy-related and fiscal skills needed to build a more sustainable future. – AFP Relaxnews