Year in review: looking back on the world of work in 2023

As a career and leadership coach, I've had a front-row seat to the ups and downs of many careers through a tumultuous year plagued by layoffs, hand-wringing over in person v. remote work, increasing burnout, and the proliferation of AI. Here’s a snapshot of how those macro trends impacted my clients in significant ways. 

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An employer’s market caused job seekers to spin their wheels:

A lot of the job seekers that I spoke with this year were forced to navigate a highly competitive job market. Many found themselves in a frustrating and seamlessly endless loop of applications, interviews, and dead ends, and struggled to market their differentiators to prospective employers. 

This was more true for relatively experienced professionals who had been in the workforce for 10+ years than it was for earlier stage newcomers. 

Dissatisfaction at work grew:

My clients felt increasingly disconnected from the subject matters that they own, the missions they’re supposed to champion, or the leadership teams that they report to, for various reasons. 

Some craved to make an impact in a field that they feel genuinely passionate about, and for a growing percentage of clients, that passion revolves around addressing the urgent challenges posed by climate change. 

Others realized that their personal values are no longer in alignment with those of their current employers, which prompted them to seek work with institutions whose ethos is more representative of their personal belief systems.

It also became clear to me that workers are split on how they feel about in person, hybrid, and remote work, but most feel passionately defensive of one of these three camps. The level of remoteness of a job played a huge role in their decisions to seek new opportunities.   

When left untreated, these instances of misalignment can balloon, leading to disillusionment, disengagement, and burnout, and there’s a limit to how much workers are willing to endure. 

“Unplanned” job changes were widespread:

If you picked up a newspaper in 2023, you likely read about widespread layoffs, which are still making headlines as the year comes to a close. As Business Insider reports, tech companies alone cut more than 253,000 jobs, and other industries were hit hard, too. 

Clients from across industries experienced significant layoffs, navigated a sudden loss of security, and grappled with the daunting challenge of figuring out what’s next. 

Workers that weren’t impacted by layoffs weren’t spared from strife; “survivor’s guilt” and decreasing confidence in their company’s outlook plagued clients that remained at companies that had reduced their workforce, adding to overall levels of dissatisfaction.  

Lack of growth plans destabilized ambitious employees:

Highly motivated workers are looking for focused development and career pathing, and in its absence, they’re building action plans themselves – either within their current company or beyond it.  

Workers are more interested than ever in investing in themselves:

I’m continuing to see an ongoing reaction to the exhausting impacts of the pandemic play out among my clients; more and more, they’re prioritizing health and wellness, protecting their time energy, and pursuing a balance of remote and in person work that feels aligned with their desired lifestyle. 

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As 2024 approaches, I'm excited to see more folks prioritize their wants and needs at work. I’m cheering on the professionals seeking roles that align with their interests and drivers, especially those tackling big issues like climate change. I hope to see more employers lead with empathy, value health and well-being, and invest in their employees’ personal and professional growth. And of course, I hope to see a little more stability in the job market and wayyyyy fewer reductions in force. 

Happy New Year, y’all!