January 2025
The devastating fires in Los Angeles shed light on the critical role employers play in supporting workers in crisis. Having reliable and quick methods of communication, offering flexible time off or PTO sharing, expanding EAPs, and implementing a proactive disaster relief plan are all ways that can help support employees when catastrophe strikes. (Employee Benefit News)
As organizations continue to attempt leveraging AI for their hiring processes, there are still many gray areas around what constitutes fraud on both the employer’s and the candidate’s ends. Fully 60% of businesses that regret their HR software purchase describe the financial impact as ‘significant,’ signaling a need for methodical and long-term consideration when investing in automated hiring tools. (Worklife)
The catch-22 for the anxious generation (Gen Z) is finding stability amidst rapid transformation, and connection in the era of AI and “unbossing.” Half of Gen Z and millennials are burnt out, 35% of them feel mentally distant from work, and 42% struggle to put forth their best. Workplaces must prioritize personal connection, adaptability, and well-being to foster young workers’ sense of growth and purpose. (Forbes)
The rise in accounting firms’ audit errors since the pandemic has sparked debate as to whether remote work is to blame. Concurrently, firms are grappling with a talent shortage as Gen Z veers away from traditional career paths. Providing more accessible and perhaps less conventional skill development opportunities may widen the talent pool. (Business Insider)
Gen Z pet parents are helping drive the market towards being a veterinarian, the top job of 2025 according to Indeed. Job shares for vets grew by 124% between 2021 and 2024, fueled not only by the popularity of health related jobs, but also by the prevalent feeling amongst Gen Z that they will not be able to afford children any time soon. Companies can consider generous child care benefits when recruiting becomes necessary. (Indeed)
Overall job satisfaction in the U.S. is at an all-time low, according to a recent Gallup study. Fully 16% of employees are actively disengaged with their work and 65% believe it is a good time to seek an alternative. One factor that contributes to dissatisfaction is the wide gap between what managers believe they are providing and what employees say they are providing. Leaders must regularly provide employees with meaningful feedback and positive reinforcement for quality work. (Gallup)
Despite being quick to pick up the latest technology, much of Gen Z struggles to type on a keyboard. Only 2.5% of high school students who graduated in 2019 took a keyboarding course, compared to the 44% of those who graduated in 2000. Since Zoom meetings and voice-to-text do not always cut it, employers might consider including keyboarding courses as professional development opportunities. (The Wall Street Journal)