The 2024 Essentials (Midyear Version)

All the “hot” job market seems to be doing is making people hot and bothered. AI might stand for Already Irritating. The changes in office life are thrilling some and angering others. There’s a lot of anxiety for leaders to contend with in 2024.

But the big issue, for both job seekers and employers, is a frustrating job market that seemingly nobody is happy about, despite low unemployment and a huge number of openings. That’s why we at Korn Ferry are devoting two parts of our midyear edition of The Essentials to it. Plus, our award-winning Briefings Podcast takes a look at how leaders at all levels can tackle some of the biggest challenges of 2024.

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1) The UGH! Job Market

It may be the story of the year: The job market has become a major source of frustration, both for those looking and those hiring. According to recent surveys, almost half of job seekers say the process has burned them out, while 90% of employers say they aren’t finding the people they need. Those stats don’t seem to make sense in an era of low unemployment and more than 8 million job openings—a higher number than ever seen pre-pandemic.

In this Essentials, Korn Ferry takes a look at the phenomenon that’s profoundly shaping the job market.

Read the full article here​.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

2) The Evolving Office Life

Bosses made it clear last year that in 2024 employees would need to be back at the office at least some of the time. But some other changes haven’t been so choreographed. The rules of office life—written and otherwise—are being tested this year. What should the office look like? When should meetings start? When should the workday end? Can I have a close work friend?

In this Essentials, Korn Ferry looks at how firms are addressing all of these office-life questions, how the changes are affecting employee engagement and productivity, and more.

Read the full article here​.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

3) How to Find a New Role in 2024

It’s one thing to learn about how frustrating the job market is; it’s quite another to experience it as a job seeker. With some roles getting 250 or more applicants, the process can be daunting.

In this Essentials, Korn Ferry’s recruiters and career coaches share their best tips about how to get your resume in front of the right people at the right time, how to ace interviews, and more. Increasingly, looking for a new job involves looking internally at your current workplace.

Read the full article here​.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

4) AI’s Not-Quite Takeover

Last year, everyone said AI would revolutionize every organization; this year, reality set in. Only 5% of organizations are using the technology to actually make or deliver stuff. At the same time, companies have poured billions into AI-related expenses, with little to show for it.

In this Essentials, Korn Ferry looks at AI’s initial successes and failures at the office.

Read the full article here​.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

5) The Best of Briefings Podcast

How do you advance your career when most organizations are cutting back on the number of people they promote? Why “peak performance” might not be a goal to strive for. Can older employees work well with the latest batch of twentysomethings in the office? There’s been no shortage of big corporate leadership issues for our award-winning podcast to tackle in 2024.

In this Essentials, we highlight some of our favorite episodes of 2024. 

Click here to check out the entire Briefings Podcast archive.

View the podcasts here​.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Check out Briefings, our bimonthly national magazine, for in-depth and unusual looks at critical leadership issues.