Skills based hiring was meant to replace pedigree. In many organisations it has simply learned to live alongside it. Degrees vanish from job ads, but preferred schools and brands still dominate shortlists, while “skills evidence” shows up as one more hurdle at the end of the process.
In 2025 employer branding grew up. AI rewrote jobs, RTO became a reputational event, CEOs turned into brand signals, and radical honesty replaced generic “great place to work” claims. This Almanack distils 28 stories into practical rules.
As organisations look to 2026, EVP must shift from broad promises to clear, tangible impact. The focus is on evidence, storytelling and demonstrating how empowerment and people experience directly influence outcomes and business performance.
After a year of wall-to-wall AI, we wanted to know whether 2023’s confident forecasts were substance or spin. Here is what held up, what did not, and how to use the evidence to shape employer branding, talent attraction, culture, and organisational transformation in 2026.
No one knows exactly what 2026 will bring, but the forward-thinking companies are already experimenting, learning and adjusting, not because they’ve mastered AI or automation, but because they can see how quickly work, expectations and confidence levels are shifting.
AI bosses insist agents will not replace people, yet headlines still read layoffs, freezes, and low trust. Hybrid work is a lifeline for some and a pressure cooker for others. This week: automation hype, labour market whiplash, culture shocks, and the trust test for employer brands.
Tristan Harris’ latest podcast - like those with Mo Gawdat and Geoffrey Hinton - have convinced me that AI is already stripping out graduate and mid-level jobs. I think the rest of us need to start treating this as a political and personal issue, not just a fun tech story.
AI is sold as a job creator. The reality is shrinking headcount, fewer entry routes, and fragile trust. This week’s Paper Cut cuts through hype and offers a clear playbook for HR, TA, and employer brand leaders hiring and redeploying in the overcapacity era.
Layoffs surged in 2025, with October the worst for that month in 22 years. EBN breaks down what is driving cuts, which sectors are most exposed, the 2026 outlook, and how HR, TA and employer brand leaders can protect trust with employees and candidates.