9 Top HR Priorities for Boosting Employee Engagement and Productivity in 2024

Empower Through Effective Communication

We are focusing on educating our leaders to communicate and listen effectively with our employees. Our goal is to empower our employees to make improvement suggestions and to have our leaders make those ideas happen.

Becoming more proactive and innovative as a company will allow us to meet our customers' needs. Our updated company website will improve communication with our customers and allow for transactions to be more convenient, efficient, and available 24/7.

Barbara Henry, HR Manager

Value Employees by Connecting Roles to Mission

I don't believe the fundamentals of employee growth and business growth have changed. Employees want to add value and be valued. When they do, both employee and customer engagement are positively impacted.

To add value, all employees need to feel how their role is connected to the vision and mission of the organization. This includes clear expectations and honest feedback on those expectations. To be valued, all employees need to be recognized and appreciated both for the work they do and the person they are.

These sound easy but are often missed in the rush of big projects and deadlines. Sound people processes are the foundation of engagement, productivity, and growth. Focusing on the fundamentals in 2024, the results will speak for themselves.

Marcie Shelton, Owner / Leadership and Strategic HR Consultant, The Leaders Partner

Prioritize Mental Health and Safety

I talk to hundreds of executives every year, and it's clear that in 2024, one top HR priority is to enhance employee well-being, mental health support, and psychological safety within teams and the workplace. This holistic focus is essential for boosting engagement, productivity, and overall business growth.

I talk to hundreds of executives every year, and it's clear that in 2024, one top HR priority is to enhance employee well-being, mental health support, and psychological safety within teams and the workplace. This holistic focus is essential for boosting engagement, productivity, and overall business growth.

Prioritizing these areas will significantly improve organizational trust, a critical need across industries seeing the decline in institutional trust nationwide. By building a culture that values mental health and psychological safety, you address immediate needs and also nurture a resilient, innovative, and committed workforce, crucial for long-term business success.

Michael Morgan, Managing Director, Medallion Partners

Cultivate a Remote-First Culture

Building a robust, remote-first employee experience is my top priority for 2024. As dynamic talent chooses flexibility over commuting, creating an engaging culture in a digital environment is now a competitive advantage.

With distributed teams here to stay, EchoGlobal will focus on human-centered workflows enabled by collaborative tools like Notion and Miro. We're also exploring virtual offices in the metaverse to spark creativity.

Lou Reverchuk, Co-Founder and CEO, EchoGlobal

Maximize Federal Tax Credits

My department will be very focused on the myriad federal tax credits we and our employees can claim via educational reimbursements, R&D investment, and several other qualifying activities. Tax law moves slowly, and then all at once.

The "Inflation Reduction Act" contained a large number of provisions intended to help businesses and individuals do different, more tax-advantaged things with their budgets. We are still learning, but it seems that there are quite a few opportunities to take advantage of.

Trevor Ewen, COO, QBench

Refine the HR Technology Strategy

From an HR standpoint, my top priority going into 2024 is to refine our technology strategy to ensure our use of these tools is aligned with our team and organizational mission and goals. There have been an incredible number of new HR tech solutions that have emerged over the past year, and the pace of change is faster than most businesses have been able to keep up with.

The challenge is not just deciding what tools to adopt but also determining which ones will provide the most value. Along with this, there's the challenge of how to integrate new solutions as seamlessly as possible to cut down on the learning curve for team members.

Every time you change your work process and standards, there is the risk of confusion and mistakes that can negatively impact engagement and productivity rather than boosting it. Developing a comprehensive HR tech strategy can help tackle both challenges, and that is our focus as we look forward to next year.

Jon Hill, Chairman and CEO, The Energists

Promote Workplace Autonomy

In 2024, the primary focus as an HR professional will be on promoting workplace autonomy. Embracing autonomy has proven to be a catalyst for enhanced employee engagement, heightened productivity, and overall business growth. When individuals have the freedom to shape their work environment and make decisions, it fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility.

This emphasis on autonomy directly translates into heightened employee engagement, building a workforce that thrives on trust and empowerment. The result is not just motivation but a genuine commitment to delivering their best. Productivity witnesses a natural surge as employees take charge of their responsibilities, paving the way for streamlined workflows. This surge in productivity becomes a driving force behind the organization's overarching growth objectives.

Phil McParlane, Founder and CEO, 4DayWeekJobs

Enhance HR Business Acumen

In 2024, HR professionals will focus on increasing their business acumen to play a more strategic role in the organization, particularly in areas like digital workplace strategy. Their role is expanding beyond traditional HR functions to contribute to the business' overall success.

By deeply understanding the business and aligning HR initiatives with the overall strategy, HR professionals can effectively drive employee engagement, productivity, and business growth. They will use technology and predictive analytics to gather insights on workforce trends, employee preferences, and performance metrics.

This data-driven approach will help HR identify opportunities to enhance employee experiences and align HR practices with organizational goals. By making informed decisions and implementing targeted strategies, HR professionals can boost employee engagement and drive business productivity.

Melinda Honcoop, Fractional HR Consultant and Advisor, Agile in HR

Measure DEIB Impact

The number one priority for 2024 is demonstrating the impact of DEIB efforts. In my work as a DEIB consultant for leading technology companies, I've seen many companies throw together strategies without clear and measurable objectives.

Instead, we're showing how our clients are measurably improving diversity throughout the entire company and within leadership positions. We're demonstrating how our clients are increasing profitability by investing in equitable performance management.

Danielle Little, Director, Process Change, Peoplism