How to find more stability in your business this year

It's not easy for employers or employees right now — the risk of layoffs in the tech industry and elsewhere is still high, and employees themselves are continuing to keep their eye out for new and better opportunities. How can both sides find a better balance and achieve a sense of stability? 

If layoffs are a necessity, employers have the obligation to support both departing employees and the ones who stay behind, says Shawna Simcik, VP of leadership development at organizational consulting firm Keystone Partners. Investing in offboarding programs that provide job training and career coaching shows that employers are empathetic and in tune with how all of their employees may be feeling during the process. 

"Employers can choose to invest in employees while offboarding them, and shift that negative experience into a positive one," Simcik says. "The psychological contract between employers and employees is different than it was 10 to 15 years ago, meaning that as leaders we need to think about the entire cycle of an employee with us because that employment is bound to end sometime."   

Read more about the importance of offboarding, and how to do it right: Invest in offboarding strategies to minimize layoff trauma

For employees with a wandering eye, they're in good company this year. Roughly 70% of workers say they feel open to new job opportunities and optimistic about their prospects in 2024, according to a report from Indeed. The platform recently ranked the top jobs for the new year, based on factors like greater opportunities, flexibility and high salaries.

"Our goal is simple: We want to help connect people to better work, however they define it, so they can live their best lives," Maggie Hulce, executive vice president and general manager at Indeed said in a release. 

Whether you're searching for a new role, or want to gauge your competition, check out the full list here: The 25 best jobs for 2024

Unhappy employees can also do major damage to a company's culture and their long-term strategy. Some industries are more rife for discontentment than others, however. Unsurprisingly, jobs with low pay, lack of flexibility and little opportunity for career advancement got the least engagement when job seekers were looking for new opportunities, according to job search site Adzuna, which recently published a list of the lowest-performing job posts. 

For example, restaurant hosts made it to the top three, with just 1.12 clicks per job ad and an average salary of $28,000 a year. This wasn't the only frontline job to make the list — in fact, every job in the top 15 arguably falls under this category, highlighting how many employers are still failing to attract and retain this workforce four years after the start of the pandemic. 

Check out the full list and see if your industry is in the hot seat: 15 most hated jobs of 2024

If you want to improve your retention and recruitment strategies, and ensure your benefits are inclusive for all of your employees, turn to employee resource groups for some inspiration and support. While just 8% of employees actually participate in these groups, according to McKinsey, their value to company culture can save a company money, while providing a safe space for employees to find resources that resonate with them. 

"Candidates want to know about your ERG. They are incredibly interested in what groups are formed within the company that may support them and their well-being and their sense of belonging," says Cynthia McEwen, the VP of people and head of DEI at family building solution Progyny. "ERGs are safe spaces where employees have a voice. They're an opportunity to bring their concerns to senior leaders and executives and have them formulate plans and strategies to address them."  

Read more about the benefits of ERGs in supporting benefits and company growth: How ERGs can influence your benefit strategy