2018 is poised to be a dramatic year for the American workforce. From the ever-evolving role technology plays in the office and the changing face of C-Suite execs to seemingly endless sexual harassment scandals and beyond – the workplace is changing faster than ever before.

So, as the new year unfolds, it’s time to take a look at the hottest workplace trends for 2018. Find them below. Just remember, you heard it from Creative Coaching first!

Flexibility in All Areas of the Employment Experience

Flexibility doesn’t just mean fluid hours, working digitally, and the evolution of the employer/employee relationship (although those are certainly hotly sought employee benefits). Flexibility in 2018 means A LOT more.

When we say one of 2018’s workplace trends is flexibility, we mean:

•      Diverse benefits rather than higher salaries: more comprehensive insurance, increased vacation time, student loan assistance, tuition reimbursement, and more.
•      On-the-job training, upskilling and retraining: begin a job with one skill and add three more each year
•      The rise of consulting-first hires: you can work for a major corporation while still being your own boss
•      Wellness programs: yoga in the break room, standing desks for the entire office, therapists in HR, and more.

Artificial Intelligence is Here to Stay

The continuing takeover of artificial intelligence is another hot workplace trend for 2018. Far from being the apocalyptic Skynet-controlled AI of movies, this is actually an incredibly beneficial development.

Every industry from healthcare to recruiting is placing greater and greater emphasis on AI and its younger siblings: smart tech and the internet of things. This trifecta will likely lead to some entry-level positions being automated. It will also lead to some very cool developments like:

•      Automation will allow employees to become more productive and expand their skill sets
•      Increasingly accurate and detailed analytics will allow sales and marketing professionals to create incredibly personalized and effective messaging
•      Companies themselves will likely use employee data to identify new employee opportunities, streamline their operating procedures, analyze and recognize workplace trends, and more.

Upskill, Upskill, Upskill

We’re predicting that upskill is going to be the word of 2018. Whether you call it that or retraining, on-the-job-training, employee initiatives, or something else entirely – employers helping their employees learn new skills is on the rise.

Career Builder estimates that the gap between what current employees know and what they need to know costs companies close to one million dollars annually. Commonly called the skill gap, this is likely to be executives’ and managers’ most sought after workplace trend of 2018.

Upskilling doesn’t just mean padding the resumes of newer employees either. It means helping older workers learn newer jobs, many of which are going to be tech-focused (think marketing persona creation, CRM cleaning, review management, and digital customer service).

Harassment of All Forms Won’t Be Tolerated

If 2017 was the year sexual harassment in the workplace entered the public spotlight, then 2018 is going to be the year employers say enough is enough. Harassment of all shapes and stripes won’t be tolerated any longer.

This focus on working conditions is likely to take many different forms. There are the obvious ones like sexual harassment allegations becoming a fireable offense and gender pay discrimination lessening. Then there are the subtler strides against harassment. These are likely to include things like:

•      Using tech to identify harassment trends
•      The rise of executive buy in and companywide adoption of innovative HR policies
•      An increase in the use of psychological profiles during the hiring process
•      Developing the careers of traditionally under-promoted demographics

There you have the hottest workplace trends for 2018. Now that you have some insight into what the new year is going to bring with it, why not gain some insight into new levels of professional success?

We’re talking about an unbeatable leg up on your competition with Creative Coaching. Our 165% ROI speaks for itself. Call us today at 1-888-201-0567 for a complimentary personalized consultation! Your career will never be the same, we promise.