Perhaps one of the biggest trends we have faced in the past few years—and will continue to face in 2024—is the evolving workplace. The construction industry is certainly unique, as much work is still required to be done in the field. Still, many evolving workplace trends will impact construction just as it will any other industry.
In fact, Gartner points to nine workplace predictions to watch in 2024. Let’s unpack each one of these general trends—and identify how it might relate to the construction industry specifically.
Consider the cost-of-work crisis. Many companies are coming out of a remote or hybrid work environment where employees experience reduced financial, time, and energy constraints related to commuting into an office daily. For many construction workers, time on the site has always been required, even in the height of the pandemic, but the trend here is an interesting one to consider that could translate into construction. Gartner suggests to properly attract and retain talent, businesses must tackle the cost of work by offering new benefits such as caregiving benefits, housing subsidies, financial well-being programs, and more. Workers need greater enticement to return to an office—or a jobsite.
AI (artificial intelligence) creates new opportunities. This is something we say here at Constructech often. Many jobs have and will be impacted by generative AI—even those in construction. Companies will need to reskill and upskill employees, as workers will have new responsibilities as they interact with these gen AI tools.
AI experiments come with a cost. Even with the value AI brings, Gartner predicts there will be some hard lessons and painful costs that come with gen AI. Companies will need to actively manage the risks of generative AI, including more rigorous access and file classification policies internally, and solid quality control and judgment when using the outputs of gen AI tools. Still, Gartner suggests the benefits outweigh the risks, but companies must proceed with caution.
The rise of the four-day workweek. Will we soon see shorter weeks for many? Gartner says maybe. A four-day workweek has become a centerpiece of large-scale studies in performance, union negotiations, and the preferences of many workers. Embracing a four-day workweek will require organizations to rethink the cadence of the work week and re-examine what is necessary to get work done. Candidly, this may be harder to do in construction, as teams need to work together more closely to complete the task at hand, but it is certainly a trend to watch.
Managers need new skills. A manager in 2024 has very different responsibilities compared to a manager from 2014. Today’s manager must have conflict resolution skills, according to Gartner. Conflicts between employees are poised to be at an all-time high in 2024 due to geopolitical crises, labor strikes, climate change, pushback to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts, and upcoming elections for half of the globe. Conflict resolution must be a priority in 2024.
The paper ceiling crumbles. College degrees aren’t what they once were. They may have been one of the top requirements in years past, but now many companies are more focused on embracing skills-based hiring. Gartner suggests removing degree requirements from job postings will enable organizations to attract qualified talent by hiring from a much broader talent pool that includes both internally developed talent and workers. For construction, this has often been true. Although here, we believe trade schools will still be key to learning the specific skills to get the job done in construction.
Climate change is a top priority for many. With a rise in climate-related events all around the world, many companies are making climate change a priority and a more visible component part of benefits packages. In 2024, Gartner says organizations will begin to highlight and promote direct climate change protections as a key part of their benefit offerings. These will include explicit commitments to physical safety such as plans to offer shelter or energy provisions when natural disasters arrive, compensation to impacted employees, and mental health support. This certainly will be key in construction.
DEI becomes a way of work. Gartner suggests in the year ahead, DEI will move from a silo to have it truly embedded throughout the organization. It will shift from a one-off business objective to a way of working that is fully integrated into a company’s culture. This will be a big trend to watch in construction in the year ahead.
Career stereotypes collapse. A traditional career path is no more—the one where employees rise up the ranks and retire at the peak of their career. Today’s career path is not a linear one. Some people don’t retire at all. Others shift early or late in their career. Some turn to job sharing, gig work, or reduced hours for greater flexibility. Companies must be prepared for this evolving workforce. There are opportunities to be had in the construction industry to gather talent in new and different ways.
As the workplace and workforce continues to evolve, we must consider that the way we work in 2024 looks very different from the way we worked 10, 20, or 50 years ago. How will your company evolve with these changing workplace trends? That is the question of the year.
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