People management is forever an evolving landscape and 2023 is shaping up to be no exception.

The HR Dive team reached out to labor and organization experts, DEI consultants and employment law attorneys to gauge what’s on the horizon for the year. The consensus? Not only can HR steer the ship of their organization’s business goals and workplace culture, but also employers have an opportunity to recognize and celebrate HR’s role in company leadership.

Talent professionals and HR teams can make an impact by facilitating flexibility and championing compassion. Built on a foundation of trust, a positive, purposeful employee experience can be within reach, experts told HR Dive.

That’s not to say meeting these objectives will be easy. In the DEI lane, practitioners appear to be struggling with questions like, “How do we keep up 2020’s DEI momentum sparked by Black Lives Matter protests?” Equity initiatives, financial literacy discourse and caregiver support may be some answers, experts said. Political talk at work, ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, poses more potential problems.

Both federal and state governments – contemplating pay transparency proposals, employee privacy conundrums and bans on noncompete agreements – continue to propose rules and legislation that may challenge HR. Here are the HR trends to watchin 2023.