Navigating the Future: SMB Workforce and Workplace Trends for 2024

Posted on by Laurie McCabe

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are continually adapting to rapid changes in the workforce and workplace, and staying ahead of the curve is more crucial than ever. The latest eBook from SMB Group, SMB Workforce and Workplace Trends for 2024, sponsored by Dell Technologies and Zoho, examines SMB workforce, workplace, and collaboration plans and trends. The eBook draws from the SMB Business and Technology Directions for 2024 survey, which gathered perspectives from 744 SMB decision-makers and influencers across a wide range of industries.

Some of the key findings in this eBook include:

  • SMBs ranked improving employee engagement and retention, implementing more flexible work and workplace policies, and reskilling/upskilling employees as their most important initiatives. Building a stronger company culture, improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and attracting new employees follow closely behind.
  • In 2024, about 52% of SMBs plan to hire more salaried employees, compared to 32% who intend to hire additional external contractors.
  • Overall, respondents ranked improving capabilities for real-time communication, improving external collaboration, and helping to use collaboration and communication tools more effectively as their top priorities.
  • Mirroring the trend among many large corporations, roughly two-thirds of SMBs said they intend to require or encourage their employees to work on-site in 2024. The top drivers to reel employees back in are to improve collaboration and teamwork, increase productivity, and provide better access to equipment and resources.

These are just a few of the highlights from this study. Click here to read the full eBook.

SMB Group provides technology vendors with complete research results, advisory, and content services to help drive successful strategies to engage with SMBs. If you’d like to learn more about these services, and how we can help support your path forward, please contact Lisa Lincoln, Director of Client Services at lisa.lincoln70@smb-gr.com.

© SMB Group 2024