September 2026

Half of Gen Z employees lack self-confidence, and it’s reshaping the workplace. Proving it’s not only personal, 63% of American workers would take a lower-paying job to work for a leader who actively builds their confidence. Those who grew up with social media have had perfection shoved in their face daily, but employers can teach their workers that confidence means owning mistakes, not dodging them. (Fast Company)

UK graduate vacancies are projected to fall another 7% this year, compounding the pressure for schools to act more as career pipelines. Employers are receiving an average of 140 applications per position—compared with just 38 twenty years ago—as the gap between education and job placement broadens. Employers can establish relationships with universities and create early-career programs to ameliorate the experience paradox. (The Times)

It’s expected for workers to adapt to job requirements, but should they have to adapt to the job culture? Fully 80% of Gen Zers say they change who they are to fit in at work, compared to about half of baby boomers. Given that pretending to be someone else takes effort away from work, leaders can implement practices that shape the culture around the employees, instead of only focusing on the inverse. (Inc.)

In 2025, the worry was that AI would replace workers, but current trends reveal that it is more common for AI to replace salary increases. Data analysis across 321 occupations shows that workers in AI-exposed positions faced slower wage growth in the past three years. While low-earners have seen significant decreases in income growth, many top-earners have enjoyed increases. Supporting employee priorities transforms a job from a hostage situation into an opportunity. (The New York Times)

A survey found that 17% of women experiencing menopause have either quit or seriously considered quitting their job due to a lack of support. That’s $1.8 billion annually in lost work according to the Mayo Clinic. While mental health may be in the zeitgeist, physical health matters too. Managers can implement tools such as anonymous surveys to get a gauge on employee comfort in the workplace. (Forbes)

Is Gen Z allergic to work or just better at rejecting bad deals? Among 20-24 year-old workers, Gen Z has higher inflation-adjusted weekly earnings and lower unemployment than Millennials had at the same age. The coming years will help answer if Gen Z workers are actually different, or if they are simply the first generation to enter adulthood in a labor market where questioning the traditional career bargain is economically rational. (Newsweek)