Here are the top career trends you need to know for 2023

It's a new year, and that means there's a new set of rules and guidelines to follow when it comes to our careers or when looking for a job.

2022 has been a tough 12 months for employees and employers. It was the year we got properly acquainted with hybrid working, and for many, the ideal working solution has yet to materialize.

Workers tend to favor hybrid working over their managers, which can lead to friction, but the data is in favor of employees: A recent Gartner study found that employees allowed to decide when they work are 2.3 times more likely to achieve higher performance than employees without this freedom.

In addition, autonomy reduces employee fatigue by 1.9 times, which is essential for maintaining performance and helping to combat burnout, and makes employees 2.3 times more likely to stay in their organization.

But that wasn't the only workplace dilemma American workers faced last year. Cost-of-living cuts have impacted wages, and tech layoffs have hit hard. Now, as we enter the first weeks of a new year, it's a good time to consider how the seismic upheavals of 2022 will shape the workplace of 2023.

Even more flexibility

Hybrid may have been the buzzword of 2022, but this year we'll be looking at even more flexibility at work. A recent six-month, four-day-a-week pilot program coordinated by the nonprofit 4 Day Week Global included more than 30 companies and nearly 1,000 employees in countries including the United States, Ireland and Australia.

And the results were eye-opening. After the trial, participating companies rated their experience nine out of 10, with none returning to a five-day week. Revenue increased by an average of 38% over the same period a year earlier, and employees said the extra day was so valuable to them that 70% said they would need a raise. 10-50% pay to return to a 40-hour work week.

The pandemic has changed the way we work a lot for the better, but one of the things that has been negatively affected has been the lack of access to colleagues, especially for those who now work entirely remotely. In 2023, we can expect to learn more about the importance of social connections in our jobs, and how working in person and socializing in the office can provide this.

In fact, Gallup data shows that having a “best friend” at work is a big factor in employee happiness at work. Having a best friend at work helps with communication and engagement and this has become more important since the start of the pandemic as well, with 49% of employees who don't have a friend at work saying they were currently looking for a new job.

The benefits become more important

Compensation has been a huge driver of employment growth in 2022, thanks to inflation and rising prices. According to the Pew Research Center, from January to March 2022, about nine million workers left their workplace each month, on average. During the period from April 2021 to March 2022, 60% of those who changed jobs saw their real earnings increase compared to the same month of the previous year.

This year, benefits are in the spotlight. According to Indeed & Glassdoor's 2023 Hiring and Workplace Trends Report, among American workers aged 25-54, higher pay was the most common reason for looking for a new job. , but benefits are becoming increasingly crucial as part of an overall package.

The report also found that searches for health insurance increased by 44% for the highest paid workers, searches for paid vacation exceeded 74%, and searches for pension benefits increased by 56%. %.

It's the year of diversity and inclusion (D&I)

Gallup recently asked more than 13,000 employees what was most important to them when deciding whether or not to accept a new job offered by a new employer, and 42% of respondents said that "the organization is diverse and includes all types of people. ."

While interest once focused on gender, much of the recent employee interest in diversity and inclusion measures in the...