Four Workplace Trends We’re Watching This Year

Trend 1: The Great Resignation Evolves into the Great Reshuffle

The workforce disruption that began during the pandemic hasn’t ended- it’s evolved. According to Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, 59% of U.S. workers are “quiet quitting,” meaning they are psychologically detached from work. Meanwhile, 51% of employees are actively or passively job searching.

Has your organization felt the impact? If not yet, it likely will. Burnout, low engagement, and shifting priorities are driving turnover.

Today’s workers are prioritizing flexibility, purpose, and psychological safety. Add poor leadership or misaligned values, and your best employees may be one click away from applying elsewhere.

And losing workers? It’s costly. The average cost of replacing an employee remains around $4,700 (SHRM, 2023), but many estimates push that number even higher when factoring in lost productivity and team strain.

Companies with highly engaged employees are 23% more profitable (Gallup, 2024). The takeaway? Invest in people, not just positions.

Trend 2: Job Openings Still Outpace Job Seekers

The labor market remains tight. As of early 2024, there were 8.5 million job openings and only about 6.5 million unemployed people actively looking for work (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Q1 2024).

Industries most affected include:

  • Health care and social assistance
  • Trade, transportation, and utilities
  • Professional and business services
  • Manufacturing
  • Leisure and hospitality
  • Retail

This ongoing gap means employers are under pressure to fill roles quickly, often leading to burnout for current staff and revenue loss from unfilled positions.

Veterans and military spouses remain a vital, under-tapped talent pool. With an estimated 200,000 service members transitioning out of the military each year, there’s a steady pipeline of skilled, mission-driven individuals entering the workforce.

Trend 3: Recruiting in a New Era

Recruiting today is no longer about posting a job and waiting. It’s about marketing your company culture, optimizing for candidate experience, and offering more than just a paycheck.

In 2024, job seekers expect:

  • Flexibility (remote/hybrid options)
  • Shorter, more transparent hiring processes
  • Competitive compensation
  • Clear growth opportunities
  • Strong DEI and social impact initiatives

What’s more, 62% of job seekers have abandoned a job application due to poor candidate experience (Greenhouse, 2024).

Companies are also expanding benefits beyond the basics- think fertility support, mental health services, student loan repayment, and even pet insurance.

Tim Best, CEO of RecruitMilitary and U.S. Army veteran, says it best:

“Successful hiring today depends on creating a culture that attracts talent—especially in the military community. There are no shortcuts. It’s about building a place where people want to belong and contribute.”

Trend 4: Retention Remains a Top Priority

In today’s hiring climate, keeping your people is just as important as finding new ones. A 2023 Work Institute report found that 3 out of 4 employee departures were preventable and the average voluntary turnover cost companies over $18,000 per employee.

The median employee tenure in the U.S. remains at 4.1 years (BLS, 2023), but for millennials (age 25–34), it’s just 2.8 years. That means companies must work harder to keep high performers.

What drives retention in 2024?

  • Flexibility and autonomy
  • Recognition and purpose
  • Manager support and clear communication
  • Personalized health and wellness offerings
  • Mission-driven culture

Veterans and military spouses may have unique needs, but the same desire for support, community, and stability applies. And when you find the right fit, veterans tend to stay longer and rise faster.

Why Hire Veterans and Military Spouses?

Every year, roughly 200,000 service members leave the military and bring leadership, discipline, and problem-solving skills into the civilian workforce.

The U.S. veteran population includes about 16.2 million Americans as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and hiring them comes with proven advantages:

More than 75% of employers report veterans outperform their civilian counterparts and are easier to manage.

“Veterans bring mission focus, resilience, and a passion for purpose—traits every organization needs more of,” said Best.

Rethinking the Hiring Funnel for Long-Term Success

Success isn’t just about filling jobs- it’s about integrating people for the long haul.

Ask yourself:

  • Are we unintentionally filtering out qualified candidates (especially from the veteran community)?
  • Are our job descriptions and qualifications aligned with the actual work?
  • Do we provide pathways for growth and support after onboarding?
  • Do we showcase veteran ERGs or military-supportive programs during the hiring process?

Only 7% of HR leaders at Fortune 500 companies say they’re satisfied with their veteran hiring strategies (SHRM, 2023). That means there’s opportunity- if you’re willing to invest in the right approach.

Build a Stronger Workforce with the Right Support

Veterans and military spouses bring far more than technical skills to the workplace—they bring a mindset of resilience, mission focus, and team leadership that’s hard to teach and even harder to replace.

But hiring them successfully takes intention. It requires understanding how to:

  • Translate military experience into civilian job qualifications
  • Provide inclusive onboarding and mentoring programs
  • Promote internal mobility and long-term career development
  • Communicate your company’s commitment to military families

That’s where we come in.

At RecruitMilitary, we combine decades of experience serving the military community with the power of RecruitMilitary Veteran Talent Source, powered by Findem Copilot—our next-generation AI platform designed to help you discover and connect with top-tier veteran and military spouse talent faster and more effectively.

With Veteran Talent Source, you get:

  • Access to over 1 billion enriched candidate profiles
  • AI-driven summaries and candidate fit scores
  • Military-to-civilian skill translation
  • Advanced filtering to surface qualified veteran talent with precision

Whether you’re looking to fill one key role or scale a nationwide hiring initiative, RecruitMilitary Veteran Talent Source gives you the tools and the talent to make it happen.

Ready to Take the Next Step?
Let’s make your hiring process more inclusive, more efficient, and more connected to one of America’s most skilled talent pipelines.

Learn more about Veteran Talent Source
See how Findem Copilot enhances your reach
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