Exploring Alternative Workplace Structures + Conflict Resolution, a Top Skill for Managers

Consumer Price Index (CPI) rises from 0.3% in January to 0.4% in February 2024?

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a primary indicator of inflation.?

• Key contributors to February’s CPI: gasoline and shelter increases, accounting for over 60% of the monthly increase?while the food index was unchanged
• The all items index increased 3.2% for the last 12 months ending February

Closing the skills gap: the “paper ceiling” of college degrees is crumbling?

For decades, college degrees have?served as a prominent benchmark to identify the ideal candidate, planted under the “Job Requirements” section, with a bold black bullet point. ?

Yet, as employers navigate the skills gap, skills-based hiring begins to supersede the dependency on college degrees. While this outlook may not work in every career field, for many positions 'skills-based hiring' allows businesses to expand their talent pool. ?

Veterans, underrepresented talent, and other skilled workers make up a major portion of the global workforce – more than 70 million in the U.S. alone to be exact (HBR).?

Take a look at your resources from all angles. For instance, leveraging trade schools or partnering with high schools can enhance your access to skills.

For tailored workplace solutions, a strategic partner like HTI can optimize your skilled-trade pipeline, streamline recruitment, and tap into talent from a variety of sources to fit your needs.

It’s all about getting creative with your resources and investing in smart strategies – and people.

Conflict resolution is a top skill for managers in 2024

U.S. employees spend an average of 2.8 hours per week in conflict and managers spend an average of 4.5 hours a week dealing with conflict – detracting from productivity and lowering morale (Zippia).?

What are companies doing to upskill their managers to better prepare them for conflict resolution???

Discover the ways we assist managers in Conflict Resolution:

• Communicate to create understanding. Open, honest, consistent communication builds better connection, contributes to a healthier culture, and allows managers to identify employee issues early on so that solutions can be implemented ahead of time.
• Provide effective, timely feedback. Effective, timely feedback offers direction on initiatives, recognition for great work, and it shows employees that you're paying attention and are there to guide them.
• Handle challenging situations with care. 40% of employees leave a job due to unhealthy conflicts (Zippia). Navigating a tough situation requires intentional communication (refer to the first bullet!). But it also requires self-awareness as well as awareness of your team. "What steps need to be taken to overcome this challenge? How can we work through it together?" If managers avoid tough situations, they put employee wellbeing at risk and retention can take a hit.

To prevent turnover, enhance productivity, and uplift morale, companies should seek to upskill their managers in conflict resolution.

Exploring alternative employment structures?

The traditional career path in which an employee progresses through promotions and retires at the peak?of their career is not as prevalent as it once was. ?

Instead, employees are exploring alternative employment structures – embracing contingent work, gig and project-based work, etc.

But how can their employers adapt to these new employment structures such as “project-based” “contingent work” and the like? At HTI, we’ve been guiding organizations in this for quite some time. We assist our clients in areas such as contingent labor, job sharing, project-based, and temp to hire.?

Embracing alternative employment structures provides an opportunity for workers to develop their skillsets in unique ways. However, it also gives companies access to more options - both in gaining a wide variety of skills and attracting diverse talent.

Rethinking the rhythm of work: 4-day workweeks & innovative benefits

A 2023 Gartner survey revealed 63% of candidates rated “four-day workweek for the same pay” as the top new and innovative benefit that would attract them to a job (HBR).

Various pilots that have tested the four-day workweek have shown success in both productivity and employee wellbeing.

This speaks to two key points: 1) Innovative benefits can give companies a competitive-edge, and 2) Now that pilots have shown that the four-day workweek model is manageable, how might organizations rethink the rhythm of work?

A competitive edge via great benefits is a great way to attract candidates and help your company stand out. But if it's not a four-day work week model, consider other innovative benefits such as pet insurance, tuition reimbursements, or even a more robust PTO structure.

When you offer benefits that support your people in both wellbeing and productivity, you are building a workforce that stays.??