The new year tends to bring two kinds of confidence: the confident forecast, and the confident internal rollout.
This week’s reading sits in the gap between them. Leaders are talking about AI-driven efficiency, while employees are reporting a messier reality. Companies are tightening expectations in hybrid work and performance. Hiring is getting pickier, and not always in ways that improve quality. Meanwhile, the retention conversation is shifting again, away from perks and toward how work is actually designed and governed.
Helping HR, talent acquisition, employer branding, and company culture professionals find careers worth smiling about.
If 2026 is going to be a year of advantage, it is unlikely to come from adopting the most tools. It will come from building trustable operating choices: what gets automated, what stays human, how time is protected, and who gets a fair shot at opportunity.
This Week’s Paper Cut's
