Employers in 2025 are likely to emphasize topics like managing health care costs, artificial intelligence training and mental health support amid economic and political uncertainty, according to Hub International's Linda Keller and Jeff Faber. Keller emphasizes the importance of listening to employees to address their needs effectively, while Faber notes that retention should remain a priority despite a labor market shift favoring employers. Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (12/19)
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Recruiting & Retention
Soft skills like communication take center stage in hiring In 2024, employers increasingly emphasized the importance of soft skills, valuing communication and collaboration even more than technical skills. Indeed's Jennifer Herrity highlighted communication as the most sought-after skill, especially in remote and flexible work environments. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (12/23)
Leadership & Development
Ditch your Grinch leadership You know you're a pre-Christmas miracle Grinch as a leader when you insist everyone do things your way, you expect your team to do it in half the time it usually takes, and you drain the happiness out of your employees, writes Dan Rockwell. To experience the Grinch's miracle of having your heart grow three sizes, Rockwell suggests caring for your people and courageously widening your perspective. Full Story: Leadership Freak (12/23)
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Recruiters leverage AI for streamlined hiring processes AI is transforming talent acquisition by streamlining processes such as candidate screening and interview scheduling. Companies are using AI to enhance efficiency, with 76% employing skills-based hiring strategies and 99% utilizing AI for automation, although human oversight remains crucial to prevent misinformation. Full Story: Training magazine (12/18)
Benefits & Compensation
Employer health benefits vary across US metro areas The percentage of people with employer-sponsored health coverage in US metropolitan areas varies significantly, according to five-year estimates from the Census Bureau. The data show that 62.8% of people ages 19 to 64 in metropolitan statistical areas have employer coverage, with rates ranging from 25.5% in Guayama, Puerto Rico, to 77.9% in Madison, Wis. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (12/16)
The HR Leader
Great Resignation may have been fueled by inflation Inflation, rather than a hot job market, drove widespread job hopping in 2022, according to a working paper by experts from Columbia University, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the University of Chicago and the University of Texas at Austin. The paper notes that rising prices forced workers to switch jobs and renegotiate wages, creating conditions that resembled a tight labor market, but real wages were 4.4% below expected levels, and growth in average hourly earnings was down for 25 consecutive months. Full Story: CNN (12/23)
Editor's Note
SmartBrief will not publish 12/25 In celebration of the holidays, SmartBrief will not publish on 12/25.
About the Editor
Reflections
Kanoe Namahoe
Aloha dear SmartBrief on Workforce readers, Tomorrow is Christmas. Like many of you, I will be gathering with my family and dear friends to celebrate the holiday. We will read about Christ’s birth, play games, eat until we can’t move and laugh until it hurts. The entire day will be a reflection of God’s blessings and grace on this earth. I pray your day is also full of love and joy. You are all dear to me. Seriously. I think of you when I write this column. I aim to give you something encouraging and uplifting for your day. Enjoy Christmas, and I’ll see you back here on the 26th. Mele kalikimaka! Kanoe Do you enjoy this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
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