Hello, HR Pros

This week’s reads are your shortcut to smarter strategy.

We’re diving into why the first interview should worry you more than wow you (but not for the reason you think), how CHROs are balancing business survival with a talent revolution, and why ignoring workplace stress could cost millions.

You’ll also find out how a new MIT study shows AI agents can seriously boost human productivity (yes, even yours). Let’s get into it ✨

📰 Upcoming in This Issue

• 🔥 Employee Stress Is a Business Risk—Not an HR Problem

• 🎪 On The Highwire: Being a CHRO in 2025

• 🌍 Manpower Group Employment Outlook Survey Q3 2025

• ♟️ The First Interview is a Filter, Not a Test

📣 Trending HR News

• MIT researchers says AI agents boost human productivity (Bloomberg)

• QuickBooks Payroll 90% off summer saving ends June 27 (QuickBooks)

• Job hunting sites Monster and CareerBuilder file for bankruptcy (CNN)

• Bumble to lay off 30% of its workforce (TechCrunch)

⚙️ How HR Teams Are Simplifying Payroll with Paycor

Payroll shouldn’t burden HR with stress and paperwork. But traditional payroll systems often trap HR teams in endless admin.

Paycor Payroll changes the game! It streamline your payroll, tax, and compliance processes — letting HR get back to strategy, not admin tasks.

• 📊 Payroll Intelligence: Instant reports and analytics that help HR teams drive decisions.

• 🤖 Automation Done Right: Eliminate payroll busywork with automated runs, tax filings, and employee notifications.

• 🔒 Reliable Compliance: Automatic updates keep you ahead of regulations effortlessly.

👉 Watch Paycor demo video and end your payroll stress→

🔥 Employee Stress Is a Business Risk—Not an HR Problem

Spoiler: Your wellness program isn’t fixing the real issue.

Stress isn’t a perk problem. It’s a systemic productivity killer with an annual price tag in the millions.

This article by Harvard Business Review reframes stress as a P&L issue and introduces the “Stress Risk Thermometer”—a diagnostic for operational resilience. Stress isn’t a vibe check—it’s a performance forecast.

Key Takeaways:

• 💸 $5.3M per 1,000 employees: That’s the average annual cost of stress when you count absenteeism, mistakes, and turnover.

• 🚨 11x more compliance risk: Highly stressed employees are dramatically more likely to make errors that threaten regulatory standing.

• 🧮 Measurement is the missing link: Most companies can’t reduce stress because they don’t track it like they do revenue risk.

• 🧠 Leaders need resilience too: Managers report higher stress but also higher resilience—skills training here pays exponential dividends.

Read the full 2,086-word article here

HR Projects a Mess? That’s an HR Problem! (Until You Try Quickbase)

Juggling onboarding, compliance, and performance initiatives shouldn't leave your team buried in spreadsheets. Quickbase helps HR and their teams easily:

• 📊 Track Every Project: Centralized dashboards keep your team aligned.

• ⚙️ Automate Busywork: Reduce manual checklists and approvals.

• 🔄 Connect Everything: Seamlessly link your HR systems without IT headaches.

👉 Start Your Free Trial With Quickbase→

🎪 On The Highwire: Being a CHRO in 2025

CHROs are officially balancing act artists—and it’s not just tight budgets and talent gaps they’re walking across.

This Korn Ferry report dives into why today's CHROs are expected to be both change catalysts and cultural sentinels, with a direct pipeline to the boardroom.

If you’ve felt like you’re doing the job of three execs in one—it's because you are.

Key Takeaways:

• 🏛️ Boardroom clout is rising: 82% of CHROs now regularly brief the board—up from 57% five years ago. It’s influence with accountability.

• 🌐 AI fluency is mandatory: Nearly 80% say understanding AI’s talent implications is now core to their role—not just IT's problem.

• 🧬 Culture is a survival skill: The most future-ready CHROs are using culture data to predict performance risk—not just engagement.

• 🎓 Talent is strategy now: 70% of CHROs believe leadership development—not hiring—is their biggest value lever in 2025.

Read the full 2,119-word report here

🌍 Manpower Group Employment Outlook Survey Q3 2025

HR teams: start sharpening your pencils. This quarter’s hiring forecast reveals strong optimism in tech and finance, while trade uncertainty and automation are reshaping workforce decisions.

The top three drivers of job growth? Expansion, new ventures, and evolving tech needs. The outlook isn’t grim—it’s just complicated.

Key Takeaways:

• 📈 Net global hiring outlook = +24%: Despite macro jitters, hiring remains bullish—especially in IT (36%) and finance (28%).

• 🛠️ 61% are automating fast: Employers ramping automation cite repetitive task removal—not headcount cuts—as the key driver.

• 📊 Boomers are leaving—quietly: 57% of companies are prepping for retirements, with utilities and comms hit hardest.

• 🌪️ 93% feel trade turbulence: Hiring strategies are being influenced by global uncertainty, especially in IT and comms sectors.

Read the full report here

♟️ The First Interview is a Filter, Not a Test

HR folks, if your team’s still treating screening calls like pop quizzes, it’s time for a strategic reset.

This article repositions the first-round interview not as an exam, but as a business safeguard. It's not about “grilling” candidates—it’s about quickly validating whether they’re an ROI-worthy bet for the team’s time.

This is a reminder: you're not hiring for potential, you're screening for safety.

Key Takeaways:

• 🎯 It’s a cost gate, not a skills test: First interviews are about filtering out risk, not checking coding depth or résumé details.

• 🧭 Good candidates connect the dots: Top performers walk in with a compelling 30-second narrative that pre-maps their value to the job.

• 🔍 Intent matters more than polish: Ten minutes of research into your company can speak louder than ten years of experience.

• 🧠 EQ screens signal fit: Candidates who ask thoughtful end-of-interview questions show readiness for the team’s real dynamics.

Read the full 1,195-word article here

The bottomline

From stress metrics to strategy pivots, the world of HR isn’t just evolving—it’s transforming under pressure.

Whether you’re planning next quarter’s hires or rethinking what your leadership bench really needs, these insights arm you with the edge HR now demands: strategic fluency, cultural intuition, and serious foresight.

Let me know if you want this formatted for email or a web digest next! ✨