Higher Pay, Mental Wellness, Remote Work: Are These the Top Workplace Trends for 2023?

A woman on the phone, looking at the computer and smiling — Pexels

We already predicted 2023’s top style trends, beauty trends, travel trends and hairstyles you’ll see everywhere – but what can we expect this year when it comes to the workplace?

As CTV News highlights, in 2023 workers will continue to prioritize themselves, and employers will need to respond with things like higher pay and mental health initiatives to keep their employees satisfied.

A report from Indeed and Glassdoor consulted with economists and surveyed over 4,000 workers aged 18 and older to uncover some of the top workplace trends in 2023.

“The trends identified will persist beyond the near-term fluctuations in the business cycle, and the companies that focus on them will ensure that their workplace survives, even thrives, into the future,” the report details.

From remote work to higher pay to diversity, equity and inclusion, here are the top workplace trends we’ll see in 2023.

Tight labor supply will impact hiring

Through COVID and beyond, employers have experienced a tight labor pool, and it looks like that will continue into 2023.

“It is a fundamental error to think that as COVID recedes, hiring difficulties will evaporate,” the report highlights. “Deep-seated and long-term supply dynamics will continue to be a major force that creates a persistent gap between employer demand for new hires and the supply of candidates.”

Because of the tight labor supply, the report predicts that workers will have more power and will be able to demand changes in the workplace this year.

A woman on the computer, smiling at the camera — Pexels

Remote work isn’t going anywhere

While things have largely opened up after the world was forced to shutdown as a result of COVID-19, remote work is here to stay. From meetings on Teams to messaging on Slack, working from home is a trend that will continue into the upcoming year.

Because the pandemic forced a work-from-home test-and-learn, “many employers discovered a somewhat surprising result: remote work worked,” the report reveals. “The acute need to work from home has ended, yet the ability and option to work from anywhere is thriving.”

There have been many unexpected benefits to remote work. In fact, since it eliminates the commute, remote work has allowed employees with disabilities access to more jobs.

A woman pointing at a computer beside a man who is looking at the computer — Pexels

Employees want higher pay

Amidst the rising cost of living, inflation and a looming recession, workers continue to seek higher pay.

“Compensation remains king for job seekers,” the report says. “Among employed US workers ages 25-54, higher pay was the most often selected reason they searched for a new job.”

While many employers are also being impacted by inflation and a potential recession, one way they can set themselves apart is by offering holistic, competitive benefits packages. Things like childcare or food preparation are added bonuses that will be sweetening many job offers in 2023.

A woman looking at her computer and notepads stressed out — Pexels

Prioritizing mental health and wellness

The conversation around mental health and wellness continues to be a priority heading into 2023, especially in the workplace. The tight labor pool gives workers the ability to demand more initiatives around wellbeing at work in order to prioritize happiness, satisfaction and decreased levels of stress.

Indeed’s Work Wellbeing 2022 Insights Report revealed that 90 per cent of people believe that the way they feel at work matters, but only 49 per cent of people felt that their company was measuring happiness and wellbeing.

This year’s research shows that expectations around wellbeing at work are on the rise, as 86 per cent of people say that the way they feel at work affects how they feel at home, and 46 per cent of people say that their expectations around happiness at work has increased over the last year.

A group of women sitting around a table at work smiling and talking — Pexels

Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the forefront

In 2023, the conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace continues to be at the forefront.

“As older workers vacated jobs during the pandemic, their younger counterparts find themselves in a position to demand more when it comes to social justice,” the 2023 report adds.

In fact, 72 per cent of workers between the ages of 18 and 34 said that they would consider turning down a job offer or quitting a job if they believed that their manager did not support DEI initiatives.