This week set a record for corporate control exercises dressed up as leadership. Attendance bots sent threat notes. Bathroom breaks became a KPI. Managers got “guidance” that sounded a lot like surveillance. Meanwhile, the productivity data still refuses to play along with the “office or else” storyline.
AI kept pace, but not how leaders hoped. HR leaders do not trust managers to use AI well. Some companies responded by making AI usage a leaderboard, while others rushed to certificates and branding. Candidates noticed the gap between promise and practice, and they opted out of hiring mazes that signal chaos, not standards.
Helping HR, talent acquisition, employer branding, and company culture professionals find careers worth smiling about.
Here is the through-line. Control is not culture. AI is not a sticker. And candidate experience is not a game of endurance. We unpack the week across four tight themes.
This Week’s Paper Cut's
