Hello, HR Pros!

If you think AI and hiring are old news, think again. This edition dives into the sharp edges of the future—where AI agents are doing real work, referrals aren’t the golden ticket they once were, and hiring doesn’t stop at interviews. Plus, McKinsey reimagines L&D with a human+AI twist.

Whether you’re refining your hiring funnel or future-proofing your workforce, this week’s insights will give you the edge. ✨

📰 Upcoming in This Issue

• 🔮 The Future of Work with AI Agents — Insights from a Stanford Study

• 🧲 Are Referrals Really the Golden Ticket for Faster Hiring?

• 📘 McKinsey Report: Development in the Future of Work

• 🔍 How ‘Try Before You Buy’ Can Help You Make Better Hiring Decisions

📣 Trending HR News

• Gen Z is ‘task masking’ to look as busy as possible in the office (Fortune)

• Trump says America has ‘too many’ national holidays (CNN)

• Few employers plan to increase hiring in the second half of 2025 (HR Brew)

• Half of employees secretly slow down during the summer (Yahoo)

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• ✨ Employee-Friendly Interface: Easy-to-use platform employees actually adopt.

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🔮 The Future of Work with AI Agents — Insights from a Stanford Study

Stanford’s latest research doesn’t just talk about AI’s impact on work—it redefines the conversation entirely.

This study dives into the Human Agency Scale (HAS), a five-level framework that captures how much (or how little) human involvement we want in our jobs. The key takeaway? Employees aren’t just resisting automation—they’re redefining value by doubling down on human-centric skills like teaching, planning, and communicating.

Welcome to the age of AI agents that serve, not replace.

Key Takeaways:

• 🧠 80% of U.S. workers may have at least 10% of their tasks impacted by LLMs, shifting job responsibilities fast

• ⚖️ Human preference leans toward shared control—most workers favor equal partnership (HAS H3), not full automation

• 🔎 46.1% of tasks welcomed AI help, but major friction remains: 28% resist AI due to accuracy, creativity, or job fears

• 📊 Human-centric skills are rising in value—interpersonal roles like teaching and planning now outrank technical skills in future importance

👉 Read the full 1,084-word article here

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🧲 Are Referrals Really the Golden Ticket for Faster Hiring?

Referrals might feel like a cheat code, but the data tells a more nuanced story.

Ashby's report—spanning 38M applications from 93K jobs—uncovers the true conversion power of internal applicants, referrals, and inbound hopefuls. Despite being a small sliver of the total, referrals still boast impressive progression stats. But in today’s hiring climate, even the golden ticket has dulled a bit.

Key Takeaways:

• 🎯 Referred Candidates Still Shine: 40% land interviews vs. 2% of inbound—but only 16% of those get offers

• 📉 Referrals Are Shrinking: Applications via referrals dropped from 2% in 2021 to under 1% in 2024

• 📈 Inbound Is Voluminous, Not Victorious: 94% of applications come from inbound; only ~0.2% lead to offers

• 🏅 Internals Convert Best: 32% of interviewed internal candidates land offers—despite being only 0.05% of applicants

Read the full 707-word article here

📘 McKinsey Report: Development in the Future of Work

McKinsey’s 2025 Learning Trends Perspective isn’t just a forecast—it’s a wake-up call. The future of work won’t be about catching up with change, but growing through it. The report argues that development should no longer be a quarterly workshop—it must be baked into the workday, every day.

Employees won’t upskill after work. The work itself is the upskilling.

Resilience, adaptability, and responsible AI integration are no longer optional—they’re the new must-haves.

Key Takeaways:

• 🚀 Learning Is the New Strategy: 95% of execs say workforce capability-building is a top-three priority—but only 45% think they’re doing it well.

• 🤖 AI-Powered Coaching Is Here: Firms are scaling mentorship with AI-driven nudges and adaptive pathways based on individual progress and business needs.

• 🧱 39% of current skills will be outdated by 2030: Yet 61% of orgs still plan workforce strategy just one year ahead.

• 🧠 Learning Is Always-On: High-impact firms build “learning ecosystems” with modular content, internal mobility tools, and real-time skill analytics.

👉 Read the full 1,624-word report here

🔍 How ‘Try Before You Buy’ Can Help You Make Better Hiring Decisions

Hiring in a startup is high-stakes—one mis-hire can derail momentum. This article makes a compelling case for adding a “try-before-you-buy” phase to your hiring process. Paid projects or short-term consulting gigs let both the company and candidate experience real-world collaboration before making it official. It’s not about perfection—it’s about approach, alignment, and reducing guesswork.

Key Takeaways:

• 🔁 Pilot before you commit: Paid projects let you evaluate a candidate’s fit while they assess your team—reducing hiring risk.

• 🧠 Test thinking, not resumes: Use scenario-based exercises to evaluate approach, adaptability, and collaboration—not just experience.

• 💬 Real-world feedback loops: Provide live feedback during exercises to gauge openness, humility, and team synergy in action.

• 💼 Align equity with trial time: If you hire after a trial run, grant equity retroactively to acknowledge early contributions.

— Based on How ‘Try Before You Buy’ Can Help You Make Better Hiring Decisions, by Fast Company

The bottomline

Referrals may be losing ground, but rigor and realism in hiring are gaining momentum. AI won’t just augment—it will redefine how work, learning, and hiring decisions happen. From pilot projects to AI copilots, the tools are shifting—but the goal remains the same: better people decisions.

See you next edition for more future-forward thinking ✨