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Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Human Resources/People and Culture: Key Trends in 2024

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:02:11 +1100

In brief: The key HR and People and Culture trends for 2024 are remote and hybrid work policies, employee wellbeing and mental health support, diversity, equity and inclusion, digital transformation using automation and AI, people development, agile HR, employee experience, workforce planning and talent acquisition, HR analytics, employer branding and keeping up with changes to Australian employment law. Many of these topics are not new, but they call for fresh approaches to meet current needs.

In the ever-evolving realm of Human Resources (HR) / People and Culture, staying attuned to current trends is paramount for professionals steering their organisations towards success.

Eleven trends shaping HR

As we stepped further into 2024, several major themes were shaping the HR landscape, influencing everything from talent management to organisational culture.

Update (November 2026): Most of these 2024 themes have held. Hybrid work has settled at around 36% of employed Australians usually working from home (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2025), and only 22% of Australian CEOs now expect a full-time return to the office (Tilo, 2025). What has changed is the weight given to AI: Gartner’s 2026 survey of 426 chief HR officers ranks AI-driven HR transformation as the top priority (Gartner, 2026), while engagement remains stubbornly low at 21% of Australian employees (Gallup, 2026).

1. Remote Work and Hybrid Models: The way we work has transformed, with remote work emerging as a significant HR consideration. Organisations are crafting policies that support virtual teams, while the rise of hybrid work models requires a delicate balance between employee preferences and organisational needs.

2. Employee Well-being and Mental Health: Recognising the impact of well-being on productivity, HR is placing a heightened focus on employee mental health. Initiatives aimed at supporting the emotional and mental well-being of employees are gaining prominence, fostering a healthier workplace culture.

3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Creating inclusive workplaces is a top priority for HR, with a continued commitment to fostering diversity and addressing biases. Organisations are actively working on strategies to ensure equity and inclusion, building diverse talent pipelines for sustained success.

4. Digital Transformation in HR: Embracing technology is a key trend, with HR undergoing a digital transformation. Automation, artificial intelligence, and analytics are becoming integral to HR processes, enhancing efficiency and providing valuable insights into workforce dynamics.

5. People Development: Continuous learning is no longer a choice but a necessity. HR is spearheading innovative learning and development programs including an uplift on online approaches, ensuring employees are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing business landscape.

6. Agile and Adaptive HR Practices: In response to dynamic business environments, HR is adopting agile methodologies and adaptive practices. This involves flexible workforce planning, quick decision making, and fostering a culture of innovation.

7. Employee Experience: Enhancing employee experience is a strategic imperative for talent retention. HR professionals are investing in positive workplace cultures, effective communication, and initiatives that foster a sense of belonging among employees.

8. Workforce Planning and Talent Acquisition: Strategic workforce planning is gaining prominence as HR aligns human capital with long-term business goals. Talent acquisition strategies are evolving to attract and retain top talent in competitive markets.

9. HR Analytics and Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging data analytics is no longer an option but a necessity for HR. From workforce planning to performance evaluations, data-driven decision-making is enabling HR professionals to identify trends and seize opportunities proactively.

10. Employer Branding and Reputation: Crafting and promoting a positive employer brand is crucial for attracting top talent. HR is actively engaged in building and maintaining an organisation's image as an employer of choice.

11. Employment Laws: Understanding and implementing new policies and procedures around the continuous changes to Australian employment laws is key to making sure your organisation remains compliant but also remains productive and competitive.

Old themes, new approaches

In conclusion, it can be said that the HR landscape is undergoing a transformative journey in 2024. Some of these HR topics are not new to HR professionals, but are requiring inventive approaches to meet current needs of employers, employees and changes in society. To thrive in this environment, HR professionals must embrace these trends, staying agile and proactive in navigating the ever shifting dynamics of human resources.

Linq HR provides fractional employee relations support to Australian employers and operates Workforce Directory, Australia’s HR services marketplace. Ph 1300 234 566.

This article draws on industry trend commentary, including from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Further reading:Embracing AI in HR: a strategic opportunity and Making the right to disconnect laws work for your business.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2025) Working arrangements, Australia, August 2025. 12 December. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-working-conditions/working-arrangements/aug-2025 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Gallup (2026) State of the Global Workplace: 2026 report (Australia country data). Washington, DC: Gallup. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/704474/state-global-workplace-australia-country-level-data.aspx (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Gartner (2026) 2026 HR trends: 4 strategic priorities for the modern CHRO. Stamford, CT: Gartner. Available at: https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/top-hr-focus-areas-for-2025 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Tilo, D. (2025) ‘Australian CEOs reverse expectations on working from home’, HC Magazine, 8 October. Available at: https://www.hcamag.com/au/news/general/australian-ceos-reverse-expectations-on-working-from-home/552269 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

What next for your HR Tech?

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 15:25:46 +1100

In brief: The ideal HR technology stack is a single system covering every HR function, from recruitment to workforce planning, for all types of workers including remote staff. Most organisations instead run several HR systems with separate logins, which causes confusion, manual data transfers and added subscription costs. Future HR tech will likely need to work as one integrated system with a single login, draw on intelligent analytics and AI, and operate across all key HR functions.

The ideal HR tech stack

The ultimate HR Tech stack would probably be a single system (or function like a single system), cater for all HR functions from Talent Acquisition through to Workforce Planning and Efficiencies, provide for all workforce types including the needs of remote workers, and maybe even extend to workplace layout and flexible office scheduling. It would be easily populated, intuitive to navigate and easy to find information at the touch of a button, show an organisational structure which is reflective of the actual organisation and generate amazing reports. People want to use the HR system on a daily basis.

The reality today

The reality is that most organisations have multiple HR systems requiring multiple logins, and the HR tech stack can be very confusing (see our earlier post, Find the HR tech landscape confusing? There are reasons why). There are manual data transfers, or close monitoring of the data transferred between systems electronically, to prevent inaccuracies. The stack is typically strong in some functions, such as payroll, talent acquisition or employee experience, but light across all other functions. It requires additional systems to be added if you wish to extend into something like employee listening or online learning. It is hard to judge whether the systems altogether are truly adding value. And there are multiple subscriptions to manage.

Business cycles change priorities

Then add into the mix business cycles. If we enter a period of economic headwinds then the emphasis of the HR System may change, for example, from Succession Planning to Workforce Efficiency if budgets and headcounts get tighter.

Then there is AI

Now add new technological innovations such as AI. As AI evolves, one thing is almost certain: it will be able to analyse and present information from large and complex data pools – nearly all of which every organisation has across its multiple HR systems. Using it to improve workforce planning and increase workforce efficiencies is where AI will add value.

Update (November 2026): The AI paragraph above has aged quickly. Gartner reports that the share of organisations piloting or implementing generative AI ‘surged from 19% to 61% in just two years’ and predicts that ‘50% of current HR tasks will be automated or managed by AI agents by 2030’ (Gartner, 2025). Sapient Insights Group’s 28th Annual HR Systems Survey, drawing on 9,886 HR professionals across 4,670 organisations, found ‘31% of organizations are now using some form of AI-enabled technology’ (Sapient Insights Group, 2025). In Australia, 70% of CEOs expect AI to have a greater impact on roles, skills and how work is organised than on workforce size, yet only 37% rank AI-enabled tools among the leading contributors to productivity gains (EY, 2026) – which is to say the integration and single-system questions in this post are still the ones to ask before buying.

Where your HR tech is heading

So the future direction of your HR tech is likely, at a minimum, to be influenced by the need for a system which acts as one (preferably with a single login for each user), can operate deeply within and across all the HR functions important for business such as Talent Acquisition and Mental Wellbeing, acts and draws on intelligent analytics and outputs to maximise the management of the workforce.

Linq HR provides fractional employee relations support to Australian employers and operates Workforce Directory, Australia’s HR services marketplace. Ph 1300 234 566.

Further reading:Unified payroll and HR and IT: the emerging unified function.

References

EY (2026) Geopolitical concerns ease for Australian CEOs as AI value and skills gaps come into focus. Media release, 8 October. Sydney: Ernst & Young Australia. Available at: https://www.ey.com/en_au/newsroom/2026/09/geopolitical-concerns-ease-for-australian-ceos-as-ai-value-and-skills-gaps-come-into-focus (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Gartner (2025) Gartner announces top trends shaping HR priorities in Australia in 2026. Press release, 17 November. Sydney: Gartner. Available at: https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-11-17-gartner-announces-top-trends-shaping-hr-priorities-in-australia-in-2026 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Sapient Insights Group (2025) 28th Annual HR Systems Survey, 2025–2026. Atlanta, GA: Sapient Insights Group. Summarised in ‘Sapient Insights 2025 HR survey: 31% of orgs use AI’, TechIntelPro/PRWeb, 14 November. Available at: https://techintelpro.com/news/hr/ai/sapient-insights-2025-hr-survey-31-of-orgs-use-ai (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

How to Survive and Accelerate out of a Tight Labour Market in Australia

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:14:48 +1100

In brief: Employers can survive and accelerate out of a tight labour market by auditing existing workforce skills, developing staff internally rather than relying on external recruitment, speeding up hiring decisions, offering flexibility and alternative engagement models, reviewing bonus programs for key staff, and measuring and acting on engagement. Career-related reasons, including lack of development, are the leading cause of turnover, and risk is highest in the first year of employment. Keeping policies current and communicating openly complete the approach.

The labour market then and now

When this was written in January 2023 there was no hiding from the headlines that there was a general shortage of workers at most levels, with unemployment at 3.5% (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023).

This is particularly no surprise for those managing current open roles and who have been searching for sometime.

Update (November 2026): The labour market has loosened since this was written. Unemployment was 3.5% in December 2022; by September 2026 it was 4.7%, job vacancies had fallen to 325,000, 31.2% below their May 2022 peak, and the share of occupations in national shortage had eased from 36% in 2023 to 27% in 2026 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2026a; 2026b; Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026). Even so, skill shortages persist in trades, health and care occupations, and the retention practices below remain relevant.

So how can you survive and accelerate out of a tight labour market?

Eight tips to survive and accelerate

Here are a few tips and ideas which may help you not only survive but also accelerate out of a tight labour market in Australia:

Business wide skill check to plan future skill and job shortages. You may be surprised to find what skills exist in your employees which have been overlooked as they were initially hired for a particular role only.
Start ‘developing’ rather than continually ‘buying’ replacements from the labour market. Career-related reasons, including a lack of development opportunities, have been the leading category of employee turnover for 14 consecutive years in Work Institute’s US exit-interview data (Work Institute, 2025). Development can be as simple as wider exposure or a stretch assignment rather than expensive training programs.
When recruiting from the outside market, move quickly through your recruitment process to the offer stage, then provide a proper and thorough induction when the employee starts.
Introduce, if possible, a flexible working policy. You may not be comfortable with this but your competitors could be getting the pick of the limited applicants because they are offering work flexibility. Candidates are still hunting for workplaces which offer flexible work locations, and employees now have an expanded right to request flexible work and a right to disconnect outside working hours. To support them they need access to modern and reliable ICT. Don’t forget there are also different ways to engage employees including casual, part-time, contract, or through a labour hire agency, noting the casual employee-choice pathway and labour hire ‘same job, same pay’ rules that have applied since 2024 (Fair Work Ombudsman, 2026).
Introduce or adjust bonus programs, particularly around key staff, sales and operations.
Survey your workforce to assess levels of employee engagement (the glue that keeps employees from leaving), and commit to improvements from the survey outcome. Turnover risk is highest in the first year of employment, with as much as 40% of turnover occurring in that period (Work Institute, 2025), so induction and early development matter most.
Adjust your employment policies, procedures and practices in line with the plethora of recent and pending workplace rules changes. An opportunity to demonstrate to employees that you are actively managing the workplace in line with the changing legislative landscape.
Keep employees informed as to what is happening across your industry and how your business needs to perform. This can be through internal written or video updates, State of the Nation type addresses, or even site visits.

Development is the differentiator

Those companies which manage to provide development opportunities for their employees, who manage to retain their key talents, are able to provide some level of flexible work arrangements, increase the number of employees engaged with the business, manage ahead of the many workplace legislative changes, and keep employees informed, have the best chance to not only survive any labour shortage but accelerate out the other side. Easier said than done of course.

Linq HR provides fractional employee relations support to Australian employers and operates Workforce Directory, Australia’s HR services marketplace. Ph 1300 234 566.

Further reading:Don’t overcook your workforce planning and What is an employer of record?.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2023) Labour Force, Australia, December 2022. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/dec-2022 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026a) Labour Force, Australia, September 2026. 15 October. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/sep-2026 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026b) Job Vacancies, Australia, August 2026. 1 October. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/aug-2026 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Fair Work Ombudsman (2026) Casual conversion: new rules for changing from casual to full-time or part-time employment. Available at: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/workplace-laws/legislation-changes/closing-loopholes/casual-employment-changes/casual-conversion (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Jobs and Skills Australia (2026) 2026 Occupation Shortage List: key findings report. October. Canberra: Jobs and Skills Australia. Available at: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-10/2026_osl_key_findings_report.pdf (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Work Institute (2025) 2025 Retention Report: employee retention truths in today’s workplace. Franklin, TN: Work Institute. Available at: https://info.workinstitute.com/hubfs/2025%20Retention%20Report/2025%20Retention%20Report%20-%20Employee%20Retention%20Truths%20in%20Todays%20Workplace.pdf (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Benefits of Formally Re-inducting Employees

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 15:59:00 +1000

In brief: Formally re-inducting employees refreshes onboarding knowledge that fades after restructures, staff changes, and policy, system and safety updates. Grouping employees by years of service, a re-induction reinforces company values and culture, shares the organisation's vision and future plans and brings together staff from different teams; online delivery reaches multiple sites at lower cost and can record compliance testing. Because many companies lose most staff in their first three years, re-induction within that window can be measured against retention.

Providing new employees to the organisation with an effective induction or onboarding program is something that many companies seem to have focussed on and improved over time. Programs can run from a couple of hours to many days, and include an online pre-start component.

The enduring effects of a great onboarding program can be many including a positive first impression of the company and an effective transition into the workplace. Many companies include various items within their onboarding programs such as; employee payroll and administration information, setting expectations around company policy and procedures, safety and environment, introduction of key people, initial job training, introduction to work area, and access to and setup of devices and systems. It can also be the start of a mentoring onboard program.

Why Induction Knowledge Fades

But over time many of the items included in an employees initial onboarding program can change. Changes can be in the form of restructured departments, key staff, company and HR policies and procedures, system upgrades, company directions and safety practices plus much more.

How a Formal Re-induction Works

So developing a formal re-induction for employees, often grouped by years of service, can be worthwhile and effective. It can be a time to reinforce company values and culture, and share the company's vision and future plans. It can also be beneficial to have an informal social activity to finish the program and allow employees from different functions or divisions to meet and mingle, which probably couldn’t occur everyday without bringing employees formally together.

If it's not possible for people to gather in person for classroom based training, then an online learning version could be used to reach employees across many sites and be a cost effective way of updating. This training could also include an online testing component if compliance updates need to be recorded.

Is Re-induction Worth the Investment?

It takes considerable investment to formally re-induct employees and companies should consider the overall benefits of grouping employees based on years of service and rolling out the latest information. The effectiveness of this can be tracked over time by comparing the number of employees who stay. Many companies may find most employees in the 0-3 years of service leave compared to longer serving employees. So a re-induction within 3 years may assist with reconnecting employees and change their minds about leaving. The value of this could also be extended significantly if the company could capture feedback from employees and identify improvements for individuals and across the business.

Further reading:The High Costs of Neglecting a Proper Induction Program and The Role of Vision, Mission and Values.

Linq HR provides fractional employee relations support to Australian employers and operates Workforce Directory, Australia’s HR services marketplace. Ph 1300 234 566.

Adapting to Remote Working During a Pandemic

Sun, 30 May 2021 16:03:03 +1000

In brief: Adapting to remote working during a pandemic means keeping employees connected so costly turnover does not rise. An April 2021 study of US hotel employees found those with high career adaptability and high work social support had lower turnover intentions, while those with high adaptability but low social support were more likely to leave. Supervisor and co-worker support matter most, so regular one-on-one meetings, online brainstorming and training, and informal virtual team activities help sustain engagement.

The morning alarm rings, you rush breakfast then head to work for your regular weekly 9 am team meeting. This is what many of us became accustomed to but expectations, relationships, and boundaries from this pre-pandemic world are now vastly different.

How the pandemic changed where we work

Covid-19 has posed significant changes in many areas of our lives including for many working remotely is the new normal that we have had to adapt to.

Change is never easy. Change of any kind is generally seen as a stressor, it brings a lack of control, order, and the comfort of predictability. Covid-19 has displaced our ‘normal’ lives completely, and with social distancing regulations, work lives have dramatically changed too (Akkermans, Richardson and Kraimer, 2020).

Working remotely may sound advantageous but is not always ideal when practiced and poses a unique set of challenges for HR professionals and business leaders to consider. While some prefer working remotely, such as from home, some are finding it difficult to adapt.

Here we briefly explore some potential ramifications if the right levels of remote working support isn't provided and offer some interventions to consider.

Factors Affecting Turnover Intentions

Increased employee turnover can cost organisations millions in lost time and resources and is certainly a factor to be avoided. High career adaptability allows employees to adjust to major career changes effectively, the key distinction being whether employees are choosing to adapt to their current work situation or a new job.

A study of US hotel employees published in April 2021 found that when employees showed high career adaptability paired with high work social support, they showed lower turnover intentions. However, when employees showed high career adaptability and low work social support, they demonstrated higher turnover intentions (Lee, Xu and Yang, 2021). The risk of low work social support can be heightened during extended remote working arrangements and doesn’t come with any natural solution.

Providing Social Support

Increasing social support is paramount to boosting employee motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction. Two of the most studied forms of work social support are supervisor support and co-worker support (Liaw, Chi and Chuang, 2010; Ng and Sorensen, 2008).

Support from supervisors includes offering assignments that help employees build new skills, offering their time to assist employees in developing career goals, and providing access to training and performance feedback. Support from co-workers includes career guidance and information, training that facilitates skill development, and workplace friendships.

Social Support Whilst Working Remotely

Working remotely has removed a lot of social contact from our lives but there are still ways to implement social support online. Adapting how social support is provided may reduce work-related stress (Viswesvaran, Sanchez and Fisher, 1999) and improve job satisfaction (Ng and Sorensen, 2008).

Practical ways to provide support online

Implementing regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings between employees and supervisors can allow a safe space for employees to share their concerns and be heard, giving a chance to maintain relationships and provide the required support and feedback. Understanding the needs of a team can influence key training and work allocation decisions. Team brainstorming sessions, individual and group training can all take place online.

Encouraging non-work-related team activities online can be a great bonding exercise too, such as Friday happy hours, a group workout session, or games.

Focusing on implementing social support initiatives may prove to be the way forward in engaging employees and allowing them to feel supported through these uncertain times.

Linq HR provides fractional employee relations support to Australian employers and operates Workforce Directory, Australia’s HR services marketplace. Ph 1300 234 566.

Further reading:Advantages and disadvantages of employees working from remote and Tips on managing a remote and geographically dispersed team.

References

Akkermans, J., Richardson, J. and Kraimer, M.L. (2020) ‘The Covid-19 crisis as a career shock: implications for careers and vocational behavior’, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 119, 103434. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103434.

Lee, P.C., Xu, S. and Yang, W. (2021) ‘Is career adaptability a double-edged sword? The impact of work social support and career adaptability on turnover intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102875. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102875.

Liaw, Y.-J., Chi, N.-W. and Chuang, A. (2010) ‘Examining the mechanisms linking transformational leadership, employee customer orientation, and service performance: the mediating roles of perceived supervisor and coworker support’, Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(3), pp. 477–492. doi:10.1007/s10869-009-9145-x.

Ng, T.W.H. and Sorensen, K.L. (2008) ‘Toward a further understanding of the relationships between perceptions of support and work attitudes: a meta-analysis’, Group & Organization Management, 33(3), pp. 243–268. doi:10.1177/1059601107313307.

Viswesvaran, C., Sanchez, J.I. and Fisher, J. (1999) ‘The role of social support in the process of work stress: a meta-analysis’, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54(2), pp. 314–334. doi:10.1006/jvbe.1998.1661.