If AI is the fall guy, fear is the director. Companies are pointing at algorithms while quietly reorganizing around leadership indecision and headcount math. One memo promises “productivity gains.” Another trims HR. Meanwhile, an Oxford-tinged work guru calls out the real motive: not technology, but executives terrified of making the wrong call.
The other half of the ledger is more interesting. Citi just required prompt training for most employees. Singapore launched a national index that ranks employers on mobility and fair outcomes using real government data. Internal hiring and skills experiments are moving from slideware to policy.
Helping HR, talent acquisition, employer branding, and company culture professionals find careers worth smiling about.
And staff are not daft. They can smell a bait-and-switch on location strategy. Engagement gaps widen when managers pretend everything is fine. This edition threads three themes: AI as scapegoat, skills as strategy, and the RTO reality check. Expect receipts and a bit of polite rebellion.
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