By Dr. Samantha Madhosingh
The New Year always brings a fresh perspective to our lives and work. And as with any fresh start, savvy leaders are identifying strategies to increase productivity, keep their workforce engaged and help take their business to the next level.A nuanced look at gender equality, closer-knit workforces and unique ways to engage staff through wellbeing are just three trends we’re likely to see in workplaces come 2023. It’s hoped they'll make corporate culture in the United States much more hospitable for employees.
1. Closer-Knit Workforces
This time last year, COVID-19 was slowly rearing its head again for a dark and gloomy winter. Some employees had already started returning to the office, but many companies U-turned and sent staff home again. Fast forward to the present; a lot has changed in a year. People are back in offices, hybrid working has solidified and a seismic shift has happened.2. Meaningful Social Impact
While many businesses have focused on corporate social responsibility in the past few years, some have fallen into the trap of “greenwashing”: Making others believe their company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.Alongside that, the generation now entering the workforce, Generation Z, is prioritizing working in companies that contribute to making the world a better place.
So as the need for corporate social responsibility grows, companies should focus on what meaningful action they are taking now to protect our planet and the people on it.
What are you doing this week, month or year, to make a difference?
3. A Focus on Wellbeing
Mental health and burnout have long been part of the conversation when we discuss improving work and the culture surrounding it—especially since the COVID-19 lockdowns.4. A Nuanced Take on Gender Equality
In late 2022, Harvard Business Review surveyed high-performing professional women in the United States and found that while some women are, on the surface, flying high—they are taking on a set of specific maladaptive behaviors and beliefs to get by, and suffering because of it.Women reportedly are sacrificing their needs, beliefs and sense of individuality to stay at the top or even simply to “fit in” to get that promotion. One woman said, “Denial is the only way I can survive and do the job I was hired to do.”
While gender equality has been part of workplace discussions for decades, the conversation will become more nuanced this coming year. Companies will aim to not only reduce the gender pay gap and bring more women into senior-level positions but also listen to women. Listen to their voice, their ideas and their creativity. Hiring women for powerful positions while leaving them feeling disempowered will not shift the equality landscape. Ultimately, it’s the understanding that women bring their strengths and ideas to the table and don’t need to adapt to traditional corporate values and structure to be successful.
5. Leadership Investment
It’s never been easy to be in a leadership position, but now more than ever, it can be complex to navigate. Leaders already deal with business pressure, budgets, negotiations, strategy and more. They also have to support and lead on communication, transparency, wellbeing, engagement, inclusion and equality for every single one of their staff. And now? They need to lead change: Prioritizing social impact, their employees’ and customers’ needs and wants and adapting their businesses to a changing social landscape.There’s a lot of hope that 2023 will make positive strides for the corporate world, enticing those who left the labor force to reenter it. But to do that, there needs to be a real commitment to the issues discussed above and a belief that things will improve with dedication and effort.