Today's Human Resources Pulse
Lateral Associates Now Dominate Biglaw Hiring
In 2025, lateral‑hired attorneys accounted for roughly 48% of associate hires, overtaking new law‑school graduates for the first time. The shift reflects firms’ growing appetite for experienced talent amid heightened client demand and billing pressures, tightening the market for recent graduates.
High Liner Laying Off 9 Percent of North American Office Workforce
High Liner Foods announced on March 31 that it will lay off 35 office employees, roughly 9% of its North American office workforce, to better align its cost structure with current market conditions. The cuts follow a disappointing fiscal 2025, where adjusted EBITDA fell 18.9% in Q4 and 11.2% for the full year, even as revenue grew 7.1%. Management said the layoffs are part of broader margin‑management, cost‑reduction and supply‑chain efficiency initiatives aimed at offsetting inflation, tariffs and higher input costs. The company expects modest Q1 2026 results but is targeting EBITDA growth for fiscal 2026, bolstered by recent brand acquisitions.
AI as Mentor: How Machine Learning Is Reshaping Human Development
Artificial intelligence is reshaping mentoring by introducing algorithmic matching and generative tools that scale relationships in corporations and academia. Machine‑learning engines analyze career trajectories, skills gaps and communication patterns to pair mentors and mentees with higher compatibility, while large language...
Workable Simplifies U.S. Hiring Compliance with Built-In I-9 and E-Verify
Workable has launched built‑in Form I‑9 and E‑Verify capabilities for its U.S. onboarding platform, integrating the federal employment eligibility verification directly into its workflow. The new feature, powered by a partnership with Workbright, lets candidates complete Section 1 digitally while HR...
New Jersey County Modernizes ‘Broken’ Benefits Process
Union County, New Jersey, is overhauling its fragmented benefits enrollment by introducing a single “common application” that feeds into Medicaid, SNAP and other programs. The 10‑person call center currently fields about 3,000 calls per day, leading to long wait times...
Does DEI Still Have a Role to Play in Employer Branding?
The diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) landscape has shifted dramatically, with many Fortune 500 firms scaling back programs amid political pressure and legal scrutiny. Companies now face a branding dilemma: public DEI commitments can attract regulatory ire, while abandoning them risks...
Labor Forecasting Guide: How to Reduce Costs and Improve Workforce Planning
Inaccurate labor forecasts are driving overtime, lower throughput, and higher per‑unit costs for manufacturers. Analysis of more than five million labor hours shows that peak weeks require 23% additional labor, productivity drops 9%, and unit labor costs climb 23% when...
ACMI, John Hopkins University Collaborate to Build Manufacturing Workforce in US
The American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) has teamed up with Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering to create safety‑focused training and career pathways in energetics and advanced manufacturing. The collaboration will initially target ACMI’s National Security Industrial...
Expert Highlights High Importance of Microcredentials Amid AI Boom
HR leaders are urged to adopt microcredentials as a rapid upskilling solution amid the AI-driven acceleration of job requirements. Expert Trish Matthews highlights that traditional degree programs lag behind current industry needs, recommending two to three short, competency‑focused courses per...
What Happens After Go-Live?
Go-live marks the transition from implementation to daily operations, revealing data integrity issues, user‑adoption gaps, and evolving compliance demands. HRchitect introduces two post‑go‑live support models—Accelerate for rapid issue resolution and performance tuning, and Sustain for ongoing maintenance and continuous improvement....
The New Salary.com Announced the Launch of Max
Salary.com unveiled Max, a purpose‑built AI model that embeds autonomous agents and real‑time market intelligence into its CompAnalyst® AI Suite. Powered by the company’s proprietary ontology, Max interprets compensation data in context, automating tasks such as job matching, compression risk...
Hire Smarter, High‑integrity Talent to Accelerate Success
Your success boils down to your ability to hire amazing people around you. People with: • High energy • High integrity • High intelligence Focus on building a core team of people that are smarter than you in their area and watch the trajectory of...
Brazil Expands Paternity Leave to 20 Days, Lula Says Law Will Teach Fathers New Skills
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a law that will raise Brazil's paid paternity leave from five days to up to 20 days, phased in over the next few years. The reform, backed by a coalition of women’s groups...
Pressure‑Driven Hires Cost Severance; Hire Slowly, Hire Missionaries
Almost every time a founder is pressured by a board member, investor or advisor to make a major hire quickly, typically with absurd demands, it’s resulted in a bad hire — with a giant severance package 🤔 Hire slowly Hire missionaries...
Goat Simulator Maker Coffee Stain to Close Its Mobile Studio
Coffee Stain announced the closure of its Malmö mobile development studio, which was founded in 2021 and housed about 17 staff members. The unit was responsible for bringing Goat Simulator to mobile in 2023, as well as supporting Song of...
Censia AI Debuts Workday Marketplace App for AI‑Powered Workforce Intelligence
Censia AI has released a new application on the Workday Marketplace that embeds its AI talent‑intelligence platform into Workday’s core HR system. The app lets HR leaders surface, analyze and act on workforce data without leaving Workday, underscoring the accelerating...
Career Pages Promise Jobs, Deliver April Foolery
I don’t know why companies put so much effort into April Fools’ jokes…they already have a Careers page that tricks people into thinking they have a chance of being hired.
Rec Room Shuts Down June 1 After 10 Years, Citing Unsustainable Costs
Seattle‑based Rec Room announced it will cease operations on June 1, 2026, ending a decade‑long run that attracted more than 150 million players but never turned a profit. The shutdown follows a 2025 layoff that cut half the staff and reflects broader...
Databricks Pledges $850 M to Expand London HQ and Boost AI Data Ecosystem
Databricks announced an $850 million investment over three years to quadruple its London headquarters, grow its UK‑Ireland workforce to over 1,000 and train 100,000 data‑AI professionals. The move positions the company as a central hub for its Lakebase and Genie AI...
Oracle Cuts Up to 10,000 Jobs in Surprise Layoff, Shaking SaaS Market
Oracle disclosed a surprise reduction of up to 10,000 employees via a 6 a.m. email, marking one of the largest workforce cuts in its history. The move targets senior engineers and cloud specialists, creating a sudden influx of talent for competing...
Timely Talk About Wage and Hour Law: New York’s Requirements and Recent Legal Developments
On April 22, 2026, legal experts hosted a one‑hour webinar covering New York’s complex wage‑and‑hour statutes. The session examined split‑shift rules, call‑in and travel‑time pay, overtime exemptions, independent‑contractor criteria, and the state’s varied minimum‑wage thresholds. It also highlighted record‑keeping obligations, prohibitions...
Employers Can Now Save by Comparing Health Care Prices
Employers can now tap Hospital Price Transparency (HPT) and Transparency in Coverage (TiC) data to compare actual negotiated rates across carriers and facilities. A pilot by the Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH) and Milliman showed that Aetna’s rates for...
Jollibee Group Earns Highest Workplace Honor From Gallup
Jollibee Group has been awarded the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Awards with Distinction, the highest honor Gallup bestows for employee engagement and culture. The company also secured its fifth consecutive Gallup Engagement Award, underscoring a sustained people‑first approach. It is the...
Why Filler Words Hold Women Back in Business (And 5 Research-Backed Ways to Eliminate Them)
Filler words such as “um,” “uh,” and “like” appear in roughly six per 100 words of spontaneous speech, equating to about 90 instances in a typical 10‑minute presentation. Research from Cal Poly shows that speakers who eliminate these fillers score...
16-Year Oracle Veteran Axed Overnight in Restructuring
After 16 years of loyal service, an Oracle employee lost his job on the same day. Sudden and unexpected layoffs may create a financial burden... This happened with a senior Oracle employee Sharat Chander, who received a mail saying his role is terminated...
‘Corporate Bull----’: Jargon‑heavy Cultures Weaken Workplace Judgment
A Cornell University study introduced the Corporate Bull---- Receptivity (CBSR) scale, measuring how strongly employees are swayed by vague, buzzword‑laden language. Across four studies of 1,018 U.S. and Canadian workers, higher CBSR scores consistently predicted poorer objective decision‑making performance, even...
Job Openings for Tech Professionals Sees 8% Dip in April: Report
India’s technology job market slipped 8% in April 2026 versus March, driven largely by heightened geopolitical tension in West Asia. Xpheno’s report flags this as a reversal after strong hiring in January‑February and projects FY2027 to record the second‑lowest active...
Live Webinar: The HR Tech Behind a Strong Candidate Journey
The upcoming live webinar, hosted by Phil Strazzulla, Founder and Head of People at SelectSoftware Reviews, will explore how modern HR technology shapes the candidate journey from job description to offer. Attendees will learn how their HR tech stack influences...
Neurodiverse Employees Are Submitting More Accommodation Claims at Work
Neurodiverse employees are filing far more accommodation requests, with ADA‑related claims soaring 650% over the past eight years. Employers often wait for formal disclosures, treating subtle needs as performance problems, which can trigger discipline and legal exposure. Experts urge proactive,...
From the Studio — This Won’t Happen To Me
Oracle announced a surprise 6 a.m. email on March 31, 2026 that terminated 30,000 employees—about 18 % of its global workforce—to free $8‑10 b in cash for its $500 b "Stargate" AI infrastructure partnership with OpenAI and SoftBank. The layoff mirrors a broader tech trend, with...
My Angry Boss Uses AI to Write Kinder Emails … and It Feels Weird
A growing number of managers are turning to generative AI tools such as Claude to rewrite their emails and chat messages, producing softer, grammatically flawless communication. While the AI‑enhanced messages are welcomed by staff, the managers’ in‑person demeanor remains aggressive...
Hudson Talent Solutions Partners with Maki People to Embed AI Hiring Intelligence Across Its Global RPO Delivery
Hudson Talent Solutions, a leading global RPO provider, has announced a strategic partnership with AI hiring intelligence firm Maki People. The collaboration embeds Maki’s AI platform directly into Hudson’s recruitment delivery, offering structured candidate insights from application through final selection....
EY Tightens Hybrid Work Policy for Tax Staff
EY announced that its U.S. tax staff must work on‑site an average of twelve days per month, starting July 1, 2026. The firm allows employees to spread those days across the month, preserving flexibility while tightening its hybrid model. Previously, EY...
TikTok Shop Partners With Singapore Retail Groups to Build Social Commerce Workforce
TikTok Shop announced a memorandum of understanding with the Singapore Retailers Association and Workforce Singapore to launch social commerce training and supporting infrastructure. The initiative defines three core roles—Social Commerce Hosts, Leads, and Engineers—to reskill workers for live‑stream shopping. Singapore’s...
Adapt Leadership to Culture, Not One-Size-Fits-All
Enterprises operate across several cultures. Each has its own purpose, cadence, and success criteria. Each calls for a different style of leadership. Treat them as interchangeable, and confusion follows. A more effective move is to identify which culture you are...
Paying Advisors: Considerations Surrounding Cash Compensation
RIAs must move from informal pay decisions to scalable, strategic compensation structures as they grow. The article outlines common cash compensation models—pure AUM‑based, salary‑plus‑bonus, and hybrid approaches—highlighting how each aligns advisor incentives with firm economics. It also examines bonus design,...
7-Eleven Cut Time to Hire From 10 to 3 Days: What Role Did AI Play?
7‑Eleven slashed its time‑to‑hire from ten days to under three by deploying Workday’s AI‑powered Paradox recruiter. The unified platform gave store leaders 24/7 candidate interaction, saving roughly 2 million labor‑hours each year. Rachel Allen, head of talent acquisition, emphasized that the...
Nonprofit Staffers Work Hard But Often Feel Unappreciated
The 2026 NonProfit Times employee‑experience survey shows nonprofit job satisfaction slipping, with the core approval rating falling to 90%—down from a 95% peak in 2023‑24. Even organizations named "Best Nonprofits To Work For" recorded declines, such as manager fairness (92%...
TBL: Does Your Culture Punish Thoughtful Disagreement?
A recent LinkedIn post highlighted a high‑performing employee who was penalized for consistently challenging ineffective processes, despite delivering strong results. Peer feedback labeled her push‑back as disruptive, leading to a subpar performance rating. The case illustrates how many middle managers...
Voluntary Paid Leave Insurance Is No Substitute for Comprehensive Paid Family and Medical Leave: Workers Lose when Lawmakers Pass the...
U.S. remains the only OECD nation without a national paid family and medical leave (PFML) system, prompting many states to adopt either comprehensive PFML programs or voluntary private‑insurance models. While 13 states and Washington, D.C. have enacted universal PFML laws...
Recruiters Reject Resumes Based on Buzzword Count
Recruiters trying to figure out if your resume has the optimized amount of buzzwords before automatically rejecting your resume
Founders Take Minimal Parental Leave in U.S. Businesses
If you're a founder of a U.S.-owned business, how much parental leave did you take off:
Why The Best Leaders Master Themselves Before They Lead Others
The Leadership Biz Cafe podcast features Harvard instructor Margaret Andrews discussing her MYLO (Manage Yourself to Lead Others) framework, which starts with self‑understanding before leading teams. Andrews argues that being present for employees is the core work of leadership, not...
Hiring: Communications Lead & Operations Wizard Needed
We're hiring for a couple of important roles: 1) Communications lead: Seeking excellent writers with big ideas. Talk to me or @maxwellcyoung . 2) An operational wizard to scale the Policy and TAI orgs, working closely with me and Sarah Heck to...
California $20 Fast‑Food Minimum Boosts Pay, Saves Jobs
Contrary to what right-wing media tell you, the $20 an hour minimum wage in California's fast-food industry is raising incomes, without costing jobs. The effect on prices is minimal https://t.co/C2bRzTjwGb
Workers Don’t Know How to Use AI — and Companies Are to Blame, Research Finds
Forrester’s latest AI proficiency study reveals an "alarming" gap: only 26% of workers demonstrated adequate AI understanding in 2025, a modest 4‑point rise from the previous year. Despite hefty corporate investments in AI pilots and licenses, most employees lack basic...
Seeking Severance Reveals Weak, Untrustworthy Executives
Executives who want severance packages are worthless and weak — the biggest red flag in hiring. 🚩
AI Shifts Firm: Seniors Rise, Juniors Fall
Deeply misunderstood. Within firm behavior has shifted dramatically due to AI/LLM implementation. Senior employee value up, junior employee value negative. No fire, no hire… for now.
More Companies Say Equity Benefits Are Being Used to Attract Talent
A Computershare survey of 600 HR and total‑rewards leaders shows that 82% expect higher employee participation in stock purchase and equity plans in 2026. The data reflects a broader shift toward treating equity as a core benefit rather than a...
Supply Chain Faces Talent Shortage, Workforce Evolution
Listen to the Does Logistics Matter? Podcast wherever you get your podcast. In episode 55, Martijn talks to Industry expert Bart de Muynck and Supply Chain Professor Jan de Kimpe about the talent shortage and the evolution of the workforce. #supplychain #talent...
Execution Gaps Spell Failure without Leadership Development
“Any manager/leader who can’t put stuff into action, is uninspiring, a poor communicator, or lacks the bottle to deal with issues effectively is likely to fail. Unless they get robust #leadershipdevelopment support, that is.” 🔍 https://t.co/ysdPb3UXGz #leadership #management https://t.co/IUXhbat36F