Hello, HR Pros

HR isn’t just a support function anymore—it’s the power source behind retention, culture, and credibility. This edition dives into three key fault lines that demand your attention: the growing pay perception gap, the pressure to evolve beyond transactional recruiting, and the silent burnout creeping across tech teams. Each story here is a signal.

It’s on us to tune in and act before the cost becomes too steep. Let’s dive in✨

📰 Upcoming in This Issue

• 💸 The Pay Confidence Gap Report

• 🎯 The 10 Commandments of Strategic Recruiting

• 🧠 The Sentiment Check: Inside Tech's Work Culture in 2025

What If Your HR System Could Actually Make Your Job Easier?

HR isn’t just about processes anymore—you’re expected to drive engagement, performance, and culture. But when your tools slow you down, strategy takes a back seat.

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• ⚙️ Automate the basics: onboarding, time-off, org changes, and approval

• 📈 Track people data in real time without building your own dashboards

• 🧠 Customize flows to reflect how your org actually works

• 🌍 Manage global teams with localized workflows and compliance

Less chasing, fewer spreadsheets, more time to lead.

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📣 Trending HR News

• OpenAI launches GPT-5, says it can provide PhD-level expertise (BBC)

• Google commits $1 billion for AI training at US universities (Reuters)

• OpenAI eyes $500 billion valuation in potential employee share sale (MSN)

• Data reveals 140% layoff spike in July, almost half connected to AI (Fortune)

💸 The Pay Confidence Gap Report

Here’s a confidence crisis you can’t ignore: 93% of employers think their pay decisions are trusted—but only 61% of employees agree. That 32-point perception gap is growing, fueled by AI tools like ChatGPT (used by 18% of employees for salary research) and social media platforms (used by 19%). Nearly half of employers are now seeing employee turnover tied to pay perception issues.

The disconnect runs deeper when there’s no clear comp strategy: Employers with formal plans are 4.6x more likely to feel confident in their pay decisions. Add in pay equity analyses and dedicated compensation tools, and confidence levels jump even further. Bottom line? Pay transparency, strategy, and tooling are now essential retention levers, not optional HR nice-to-haves.

Key Takeaways:

• 📉 Shrinking trust levels: 61% of employees trust pay decisions vs. 93% of employers—an alarming 32-point gap that erodes loyalty.

• 🧠 AI alters expectations: 27% of workers using ChatGPT for salary info say it raised expectations—often above market realities.

• 📊 Strategy builds trust: Companies with a formal pay strategy are 4.6× more confident in decisions and reduce turnover risk.

• 🧰 Tools make a difference: Employers using comp tech are 61% more likely to feel confident in pay accuracy and equity.

Read the full 33-page report by Payscale here

⚡️ Resource & Project Planning: What HR Teams Are Using to Help Teams Stay on Track

HR may not lead every project—but how work gets done often depends on how well it's supported. Whether it's onboarding timelines, training rollouts, or org-wide initiatives, helping teams stay organized is quietly becoming an HR advantage.

Here are two platforms HR teams are introducing to keep work moving smoothly:

• Monday.com
  A visual, flexible system that helps HR teams map resources & projects, track workloads, and reduce the chaos of cross-functional collaboration. It's perfect for replacing scattered spreadsheets and unclear ownership.

• Smartsheet
  For teams that need deeper structure, Smartsheet brings powerful project tracking, automation, and reporting—all in a spreadsheet-like interface teams already understand. Ideal for HR-driven programs that require accountability across functions.

Key Takeaways:

Explore Monday.com and Smartsheet for free help your team execute better with the right structure. These tools might quietly be your team’s new favorite support system.

🎯 The 10 Commandments of Strategic Recruiting

Think you're a strategic recruiter? Unless you’re delivering competitive edge, influencing hiring priorities, and using data like a CFO, think again.

Dr. John Sullivan breaks down 10 defining actions that separate real recruiting leaders from the résumé-pushers. From adopting poaching strategies to selling like a marketer, this checklist doesn’t just challenge your comfort zone—it gives you a roadmap to level up fast.

Because in this talent economy, “just filling roles” won’t get you a seat at the table.

Key Takeaways:

• 📊 Prioritize business goals: Focus recruiting efforts on roles that directly support strategic objectives and drive measurable company impact.

• 🧠 Learn like a leader: Stay ahead by mastering AI trends, tech tools, and next practices adopted by recruiting leaders at Meta and Google.

• 🕵️‍♀️ Build competitive intelligence: Benchmark your hiring tools against top competitors and continuously iterate to stay one step ahead.

• 💬 Master the sell: Refine pitch skills to prevent ghosting and close in-demand candidates before your rivals even make a move.

Read the full 1,710-word article by Dr. John Sullivan here

🧠 The Sentiment Check: Inside Tech's Work Culture in 2025

Think tech workers are all riding the AI wave with a smile? Not so fast.

According to a massive new survey of over 8,200 professionals, burnout is rampant, mid-career malaise is real, and the only people feeling truly good are… startup founders.

The data offers a rare window into how people in tech really feel—about their roles, careers, and even their managers.

Key Takeaways:

• 🔥 Burnout Is Boiling Over: Nearly 45% of tech workers are significantly burned-out, especially in midsize firms with weak support systems.

• 📉 Leadership Crisis: Only 26% rate their manager as highly effective. Poor managers = 5x higher chance someone’s actively job-hunting.

• 🏡 Hybrid Wins, But In-Office Hopes: Hybrid workers are happiest day-to-day, but in-office workers feel more optimistic about long-term careers.

• 🌱 Clarity Void: A major chunk of tech workers don’t know what skills or paths they need next—fueling quitting and stagnation.

Read the full 2,672-word article here

The bottomline

Whether it’s rethinking comp strategy, redefining recruiting, or rebuilding employee trust, the through-line is clear: HR must lead with clarity, speed, and courage. These aren’t trends to watch—they’re levers to pull.

So don’t wait for the next crisis. Recalibrate now, or risk being outpaced by employers who already are. See you in the next edition ✨