The percentage of women who say they experience fair pay and promotions, a healthy work-life balance, meaningful work and positive psychological and emotional health at the typical workplace is on the rise in 2023 thanks in part to increased flexibility, with even better results for high-trust workplaces, according to a Great Place To Work survey. "Best companies offer women increased flexibility, equitable pay and career support, and these women are much more likely to thrive and stay at the company a long time when compared to other workplaces," says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work.

Employment services provider Randstad NV says businesses are showing less urgency in hiring than a year ago as challenging economic conditions continue. Global uncertainty across industries is making companies hesitant to invest and hire, and firms are taking longer to bring on new workers, in part because it is more difficult to convince senior managers of hiring needs.

A four-day work week can help bridge the gender pay gap by easing the burden of childcare responsibilities, which disproportionately fall to women. Kickstarter, Unilever and Microsoft Japan are among the companies finding positive results from longer weekends, which also help prevent burnout and boost efficiency at work.

Within the next three to five years, artificial intelligence will have evolved to the point where we're no longer talking about "using AI," but it will be embedded in almost every facet of business and will not lead to "net job reduction," says Zach Kass, who served as head of go-to-market at ChatGPT parent OpenAI. "More likely, what we're going to see is a new type of job emerge, and I don't know what exactly it will be like, but I think it will be far more human in many respects and far less computational," Kass said.

Diversity, equity and inclusion contribute to business success, as studies have shown that ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to reap financial returns above their industry medians, says CultureAlly co-founder and CEO Ashley Kelly. Leaders in various fields say that diverse teams make better decisions, solve problems more effectively and create more culturally relevant products, and effective DEI initiatives foster innovation and improve employee retention.