Today's Human Resources Pulse
Greenhouse completes acquisition of Ezra AI Labs, adding voice‑AI interviewing
Greenhouse announced the completion of its acquisition of Ezra AI Labs, a voice‑AI interviewing platform. The technology enables on‑demand, role‑specific conversations that are scored against a uniform rubric, delivering transcripts and explainable evaluations. The deal expands Greenhouse’s structured hiring methodology to the earliest stage of the recruiting funnel.
Kraft Heinz Just Scrapped Its Breakup. Here’s What HR Leaders Should Take Away
Kraft Heinz announced in September 2025 a split into two publicly traded companies to address a decade of declining sales and brand write‑downs. Six weeks after appointing CEO Steve Cahillane, the company reversed the plan, pausing the separation and redirecting $600 million toward marketing, sales, R&D and pricing initiatives. Cahillane argued that chronic underinvestment, not organizational structure, was the root cause of underperformance. The reversal carries significant implications for HR leaders managing change, resource allocation and employee engagement.
Voya Raised Employer Stop-Loss Rates an Average of 24%
Voya announced an average 24% increase in stop‑loss premiums for employers renewing on Jan. 1, citing strong demand and limited supply. The company’s loss ratio improved to 96% from 115.4% a year earlier, though it still exceeds its 77‑80% target. Stop‑loss...
Mastercard’s Former CPO: Succession Is a Discipline, Not an Event
Mastercard treats executive succession as an ongoing discipline rather than a one‑off event, exemplified by the recent handoff from its former chief people officer to Susan Muigai. The transition leveraged the Mastercard Fellows Program, allowing the outgoing CPO to contribute...
Dell Overhauls Sales Pay Model; Raises Stakes for Performance
Dell Technologies has revamped its sales compensation, instituting a 60% quota threshold that eliminates commissions for under‑performance and shifting most teams to quarterly quotas. The payout curve is steeper, offering incremental rewards but dramatically increasing upside for over‑achievement, with top...
Bristol's Apprentices Celebrated as the Future of the Defence Industry
During National Apprenticeship Week, Defence Minister Luke Pollard visited Babcock’s Bristol facility to spotlight apprentices as the future of the UK defence sector. Babcock announced 1,600 new apprentice and graduate positions for 2025/26, adding to the roughly 5,000 roles already...
15 Smarter Interview Questions For Hiring Digital Marketers In 2026 via @Sejournal, @Brookeosmundson
Hiring digital marketers now hinges on problem‑solving ability rather than platform familiarity. The article presents 15 interview questions that probe tactical, strategic, and cultural competencies, emphasizing AI use, first‑party data, budget prioritization, and communication with executives. It advises recruiters to...
Babcock Champions Apprenticeships as the Engine of Wales’s Future Workforce and Industrial Growth
Babcock International marked a decade of its Hawk Aerospace Apprenticeship Programme during Apprenticeship Week Wales 2026, highlighting its partnership with the RAF, BAE Systems and local colleges. Since its 2016 launch the scheme has enrolled nearly 80 apprentices and created...
AI Layoffs Risk Turning Companies Into Stranded Assets
Something worth remembering if you're trying to value the stock market right now: 👇 A corporation can only profit from human labor displacement once. If by engaging in that single cost saving to beef up your bottom line you inadvertently destroy...
Character Before Skill
The article argues that leadership character, not skill, determines long‑term success. It outlines seven core virtues—integrity, courage, humility, responsibility, self‑control, care for people, and reliability—as the foundation of effective leaders. It advises hiring teams to probe moral fiber through interview...
Sexual Harassment and the Employment Rights Act (Webinar)
The Employment Rights Act 2025 imposes a stricter duty on UK employers to take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, extending liability to harassment by third parties. The Act also reclassifies sexual‑harassment disclosures as protected whistleblowing, demanding trusted, retaliation‑free reporting...
SCM Talent Group Launches Supply Chain Technology Recruiting & Executive Search Practice
SCM Talent Group, a boutique executive‑search firm specializing in supply chain talent, announced the hiring of Palak Shah to launch a dedicated supply‑chain technology recruiting practice. Shah brings two decades of experience placing senior technology leaders across engineering, data, cybersecurity...
Black History Month: The Catalyst to Foster More Inclusive Behavior Year Round
Black History Month offers a launchpad for companies to start genuine, year‑round inclusion initiatives. While many firms intensify diversity programming in February, the momentum often dissipates, sending a signal that equity is a seasonal concern. Experts from Peoplism argue that...
PwC Says AI Cannot Replace Human Subjectivity in Decision-Making
PwC says AI cannot replace human subjectivity in decision‑making, so it will keep entry‑level graduate roles to develop judgment. The firm will use AI only for low‑value, routine tasks while senior staff focus on nuanced analysis. PwC received 60,000 applications...
Yanik Guillemette Introduces an Intelligent Employee Recognition Assistant: Accolad Deploys Proactive AI to Empower Managers
Accolad has launched a proactive AI assistant that integrates directly into its employee recognition platform, turning sporadic praise into a systematic leadership habit. Inspired by trends unveiled at CES 2026, the assistant continuously scans work anniversaries, milestones and performance data...
iDox.ai Launches Real-Time Guardrail to Prevent Sensitive Data Exposure in AI Workflows
iDox.ai unveiled Guardrail, a real‑time endpoint agent that stops confidential data from reaching generative AI tools. The solution applies policy‑based controls as users type, paste, or upload content, automatically blocking, sanitizing, or allowing actions based on risk. Guardrail targets legal,...
Planning Consultancy Fuels Regional Growth With New Senior and Graduate Jobs Drive
Cadnant Planning is expanding its North West footprint by hiring an Associate Director for Chester and senior or graduate planners at its Conwy office. The recruitment follows a surge in large‑scale housing, infrastructure and renewable‑energy schemes across Cheshire, North Wales...
Call to Protect Freelancers, ‘the Lifeblood of the Industry’
Perfect Storm’s “Freelance Landscape” report highlights growing strain between agencies and freelancers amid AI-driven industry upheaval. While 42% of freelancers report reduced agency work and 82% see day rates stagnating or falling, 33% note agencies are increasingly turning to freelancers...
How Businesses Can Reduce Employment Risk by Implementing Better Workplace Policies
Businesses that neglect clear workplace policies face heightened legal disputes, morale problems, and financial loss. The article outlines how concise, practical employee handbooks, regular manager training, and up‑to‑date documentation can dramatically lower employment risk. It emphasizes early reporting mechanisms and...
British Airways Quietly Appoints New Head Of Customer Experience And Boy Does She Have Her Work Cut Out
British Airways has quietly installed former Lufthansa executive Victoria Schuster as its new Director of Customer Experience, succeeding Calum Laming who is set to depart. Schuster joins after a rapid rise at Lufthansa, most recently serving as VP of customer...
Nurses in England and Wales to Get 3.3% Pay Rise
The UK government announced a 3.3% pay rise for roughly 1.5 million NHS nurses, midwives and allied health staff in England and Wales, effective 2026‑27. The increase outpaces the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2.2% inflation forecast but falls short of the...
![[Industry News] Testronic Strengthens European Centre of Excellence with Senior Strategic Appointments](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/1.-Testronic-European-Appointments_Gallery.jpg)
[Industry News] Testronic Strengthens European Centre of Excellence with Senior Strategic Appointments
Testronic announced a wave of senior appointments to bolster its European Centre of Excellence, including CRO Samantha Williams taking a board seat, senior marketing manager Beata Czarnacka, and Director of Managed Clients Pawel Ziajka. The company also expanded operational leadership, with Chief People...
OnPay Introduces Expanded HR Capabilities for Growing Teams
OnPay, a payroll provider for U.S. small‑ to medium‑sized businesses, announced an optional HR add‑on and a suite of enhancements designed to scale with growing teams. The new offering bundles employee document management, PTO requests, directories, software provisioning and org...
Intrizen Announces Expanded Executive Team to Build on Rapid Growth and Drive Innovation
Intrizen, an HR and IT transformation firm and SAP partner, announced an expanded executive team, adding Jerold Lack as Chief Revenue Officer and Lyric Everly as Chief Marketing Officer. The leadership boost follows the company's recent inclusion on the Inc....
New Study Finds Paycom’s IWant Has Delivered Significant ROI
Paycom unveiled a Forrester Consulting study showing its AI‑driven IWant™ engine can generate a projected three‑year ROI of up to 431% for a composite of its clients. The research highlights substantial time savings—up to 600 manager hours, 60 executive hours,...
Financial Wellbeing Is Now a National Priority – and the UK Government Is Looking to Employers to Take Action
A landmark Guildhall roundtable convened UK employers, charities and financial firms to confront rising employee financial stress, which now affects 92% of workers and threatens national productivity. The discussion highlighted how financial strain erodes concentration, sleep and skill development, while...
Both the Number of New Workforce and Jobs Stagnant in Korea, Reports Indicate
South Korea faces a looming labor shortage as its economically active population is projected to grow only 0.46% by 2034, creating a gap of roughly 1.22 million workers. Despite the demand for an additional 54,000 workers per year through 2029 and...
HR Tech and Predictive Workforce Planning – Using Data and AI to Forecast Talent Needs Before Gaps Appear
Predictive workforce planning leverages AI and real‑time data to forecast talent needs before gaps emerge, replacing annual headcount cycles with continuous, scenario‑based modeling. Modern HR platforms integrate internal signals—performance, learning, engagement—and external labor‑market trends to create a living intelligence layer....
What Is ‘Febru-Lairy’? Experts Warn Employers of Reward Drinking Risks
Dry January has become a mainstream health challenge in the UK, with roughly 70% of participants completing the month. However, about 30% struggle, experiencing cravings that make them four times more likely to fail, and many of these individuals binge...
Skills Overhaul Needed as 40% of Job Capabilities Set to Change by 2030
The World Economic Forum projects that 40% of core job skills will change by 2030, prompting UK employers to overhaul recruitment, training, and development. Leaders like Bruce Fecheyr Lippens argue the shift is less about new technologies and more about transferable...
Real Equity vs Virtual Shares in Bulgaria: A Corporate Governance Playbook for Employee Incentives
Bulgarian companies are increasingly choosing between real equity and virtual (phantom) shares to motivate staff, each offering distinct governance and tax outcomes. Real equity provides statutory ownership and voting rights but can create minority vetoes and exit‑execution risk. Virtual shares...
AI Fluency Drives PR Evolution at FleishmanHillard
How AI Is Transforming The Communications Industry: Lessons From FleishmanHillard FleishmanHillard 's Ephraim Cohen reveals how the global #PR consultancy is democratizing #AI across its workforce through hands-on #training and integrated platforms, building #AIfluency among #communications professionals to navigate an...
January Job Loss Smaller, Yields 130k Seasonal Gain
Great question. Drop in hiring happens every January. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis (left), we lost 2.6 million jobs in January 2026, but that was a smaller loss than a typical January ... so we got a good print seasonally adjusted...
Noisy and Stuffy Offices Linked to Lost Productivity and Retention Concerns
New research by Logitech and Insight finds that noise, poor air quality and outdated technology are costing UK businesses over 330 million work hours each year. A survey of 2,000 hybrid and full‑time office workers shows a quarter lose an hour...
164 | Becoming More Strategic as an HR Team: 3 Ways OKRs Can Help
In this solo episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay explains how HR teams can become more strategic by adopting Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). She clarifies what "strategic" truly means for HR, then outlines three practical ways OKRs create clarity...
Are Workplaces Overlooking Gen X Employees?
A new Mather Institute report finds Generation X employees are being sidelined despite their unique ability to bridge younger and older workers in multigenerational workplaces. Only 15% of Gen X hold executive roles, lagging behind Millennials, creating a “leapfrog” effect. The report...
ACI Report 2026 Highlights Mobility and Talent Pressures in Travel Sector
The ACI Report 2026 reveals that workforce mobility and talent shortages remain acute in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector despite broader market stabilization. Unemployment rose to 6% from 2% last year, and 58% of respondents intend to change jobs...
Using Behavioral Data to Improve AI Coaching
Organizations invest heavily in personality assessments like DISC and CliftonStrengths, yet the insights often fade once daily work resumes. The core issue is that static reports rely on memory, which collapses under pressure, preventing behavior change. AI‑driven coaching can embed...
Employer Liable for Psych Injury Caused by Abusive Client's Phone Call
Queensland Industrial Relations Commissioner Samantha Pidgeon ruled that an employee’s psychological injury caused by an abusive client phone call is compensable. The commission rejected the regulator’s argument that the worker’s sensitivity or lack of resilience absolved the employer. The decision...
New Law Treats AI and Technology as a "Unique Hazard"
New South Wales passed the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Digital Work Systems) Bill, creating a Digital Work System Duty that obligates employers to ensure algorithms, AI, automation and online platforms do not endanger workers. The legislation follows a similar...
AI + Peers Is 1 + 1 = 3: Why Leaders Who Bet on Replacement Will Lose on Performance
The article argues that AI should be viewed as a capability amplifier that works best when paired with high trust among workplace peers. Recent Edelman Trust Barometer data shows growing trust in coworkers while overall social trust declines, creating a...
Spotlight on Strengths-Based Design Elevates Neuroinclusion
Workplaces that adopt strengths‑based design for neurodiverse employees can unlock hidden innovation, according to occupational therapist and Rehab Management CEO Renee Thornton. While many managers already provide informal adjustments, few embed strengths‑focused approaches into organizational frameworks. Thornton argues that most...
Best Employee Engagement Software: Singapore and Malaysia’s Top Picks
The HR Vendors of the Year 2025 awards in Singapore and Malaysia highlighted the leading employee engagement platforms in the region. Rewardz captured the gold award in Singapore, while Fermion took gold in Malaysia, with Achievers, Pacific Prime, Budaya by Leaderonomics...
Malaysia’s Population Growth Slows to 0.6% in Q4 2025
Malaysia’s fourth‑quarter 2025 demographic report shows population growth decelerating to 0.6%, reaching 34.3 million. Live births fell 5.4% while the elderly share rose to 8.0%, indicating an ageing trend. Labour demand grew 1.8% to 9.21 million jobs, the strongest since Q1 2024, with...
AI’s Impact on Workers and Organisations Depends More on Business Activities and Job Roles than Firm Size: MOM
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told Parliament that AI’s effect on jobs hinges more on business activities and specific roles than on firm size. The ministry is analysing whether AI will complement or replace workers across both SMEs and multinational...
How In-Person Experiences Are Redefining Return-to-Office Strategies
Organizations are moving beyond compulsory return‑to‑office mandates, using curated in‑person experiences to reinforce culture and drive performance. FourthWall’s white paper shows that leadership‑led events, purpose‑aligned activations, and thoughtfully designed workspaces boost engagement, productivity, and talent attraction. The research also flags...
Why Workforce Training Still Falls Short in Malaysia and What We Are Actually Learning
Across Malaysia’s SMEs to large corporates, workforce training is routinely sidelined despite widespread acknowledgment of its importance. Leaders cite tight KPIs, cost‑centric budgeting, and fear of talent loss as reasons training loses priority. Even when programs run, generic content, lack...
Malaysia Expands Employer Duty of Care to Mental Health Under 2026 Flexible Work Safety Guide
Malaysia’s Occupational Safety and Health Department released the 2026 Flexible Work Arrangement guide, expanding employer duties to include mental health and psychosocial risk assessments. The mandate requires mandatory OSH risk assessments for remote, hybrid, and staggered‑hour work, covering stress, mental...
CDC, NIH Performance Review Change May Rate More Workers ‘Unacceptable’
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health announced a new performance‑review framework that links lower ratings to easier termination. The policy reclassifies a swath of federal staff into a category with reduced civil‑service protections,...
Paramount Skydance Mulls 15% Staff Layoffs Amid CBS Cuts
The axe is still swinging above CBS News. The Paramount Skydance unit is considering a fresh round of layoffs, according to three people familiar with the matter, and the cuts could total at least 15% of current staff... https://t.co/jKKuul7ixE via @variety
This Week in 5 Numbers: Nearly One-Third of Workers Want to Break up with Their Jobs
A new Glassdoor survey shows 63% of employees describe their job relationship as “complicated” or ready to break up, highlighting rising disengagement. Demand for HR professionals has fallen more than 20% from pre‑pandemic levels, according to SHRM. Meanwhile, Target announced...