How 2010 will play out at your work

Increased turnover, mobility & opportunities

After a year of restructuring and redundancies, employees who have weathered the storm and survived, may decide it is time to move on as the job market picks up.

If this is the case, 2010 may be a year where more colleagues come and go and new opportunities and challenges present themselves for those who remain in their jobs.

Rebuild and restrengthen

With a new year, there often comes a new attitude, and this will be the case in 2010 as bosses look at ways to boost morale, strengthen teams and reconnect team members to feel positive and enthusiastic about work again.

Focus on learning & development

Like staff retention, learning and development programmes will become even more of a focus in 2010, as businesses realise the value of mentoring and coaching staff.

Employees should seize these development opportunities offered in 2010 to further their skills and, in turn, their career.

Better leadership

As cynicism around executive salaries and huge bonuses came to the fore in 2009, leaders will be out to prove their worth by leading organisations convincingly in 2010, with a focus on growth, change and improving processes.

This new focus will often have a trickle-down effect through the organisation, and although it may present challenges, it may also be an opportunity for employees to shine.

Managing people and productivity

An ever-present issue for businesses of all sizes and across all sectors is managing people and productivity (Randstad's Employment Trends Report showed 20 per cent of businesses in New Zealand felt it was the biggest human capital challenge of 2009) and 2010 will be no different.

Organisations will slowly implement new plans, budgets and policies to deal with the effects of the downturn, but it won't be a quick fix.

Focus on mature-age employment

For mature-aged workers, more opportunities may present themselves in 2010 as companies again look at ways to employ people who can offer experience and are flexible in the way they are able to work.

New hiring strategies

Job-seekers should be ready to face a competitive environment in 2010, and should start thinking about polishing their CVs in readiness.

With an increased focus expected on hiring the right candidates in 2010, we may see more psychometric testing in interviews to help build a more complete picture of a person's personality and work-style before committing.

Salaries in the spotlight

Although salary freezes may thaw, employees can't expect a pay rise early in 2010. It will be a slower process than expected as employers continue to make careful decisions around salaries and bonus payments over the year. Some salaries may not increase until the third or fourth quarter of 2010.

Attracting the best

Just like holding on to staff, attracting new staff will be highly important in 2010.

Employers will be wanting the best, and to hold on to those people for the long term. This is where employer branding, flexibility and staff benefits often play a big role when candidates are in the position to select the organisation they want to work for.

Job shortages may continue

Not all industries will escape the downturn as quickly as others, so job-seekers should be aware that a job shortage may continue to exist in some sectors.

Suzanne Boyd is the client solutions director of recruitment & HR services company, Randstad.