In the evolving landscape of the modern workplace, recognizing mental health as a cornerstone of employee well-being has become increasingly imperative. A company culture that prioritizes mental health contributes to the overall happiness and satisfaction of employees, enhances productivity and fosters a resilient, high-performing workforce.

The recent explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, like ChatGPT, has many employers searching for ways to leverage this technology’s ability to create efficiencies, enhance workflows, streamline operations and improve customer experience. In fact, many organizations are already utilizing AI chatbots to aid and augment HR functions. These tools can help HR professionals screen job applications, generate job descriptions, improve onboarding efficiency and enhance employee engagement.

Various factors can influence company culture, and new norms can be introduced to employees anytime. As technology advances and becomes more common in today’s workplaces, organizations can specifically leverage HR data to optimize the overall employee experience and foster a strong company culture. With accurate data, HR professionals better understand who employees are and what they need and value. In turn, this can help organizations develop and foster a positive and authentic workplace culture.

A recent survey conducted by Forbes Advisor found that nearly 40% of employers reported that employees leave their jobs to find an opportunity that offers better employee benefits. A higher salary is an important reason employees reported leaving their jobs (32%), yet other reasons, including better benefits (26%), better advancement opportunities (22%) and flexible work-from-home options (20%), are also driving factors.

Employers struggling to attract and retain workers may be overlooking a leading driver of turnover: inclusion. In fact, nearly 40% of American employees would switch jobs to be part of a more inclusive workplace culture, according to a survey by QuestionPro Workforce and EQ Community.

Just as HR professionals quickly adapted to changes at the height of the pandemic, they must now adapt and respond to today’s evolving expectations of organizations and employees alike. As such, savvy HR leaders and professionals will approach 2023 with human-centric strategies that holistically support and benefit workers.

Burnout—known as a state of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion—has always been an issue within the workforce, but it has become more prevalent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, people are increasingly anxious and stressed. According to Mental Health America, the number of people who sought help for anxiety during 2020 increased 93% from the previous year.

Efforts to improve health outcomes have traditionally focused on expanding access to the health care system. Recently, there has been an increased focus on improving health outcomes by taking a broader approach due to the challenges of affordability and access in the health care system. This more holistic approach to health and well-being includes examining and addressing the social factors, such as income, access to food and neighborhood location, that may well be linked to an individual’s health and well-being.

In the wake of the Great Reshuffle—the mass movement of workers to jobs that prioritize their needs—and macro trends like the tight labor market, attraction and retention are top of mind for employers. In fact, according to Zywave’s 2022 Attraction and Retention Benchmarking Overview, over 75% of employers consider attraction and retention to be among the top-five business challenges for their organizations.

Social belonging is a fundamental human need—one that naturally extends to the workplace. According to the Center for Talent Innovation, when people feel like they belong at work, they are more productive, motivated and engaged, thus making them 3.5 times more likely to contribute to their fullest potential.