HR STRATEGY

Shrinking/Apple TV

In Apple TV’s Emmy-nominated series Shrinking, therapist Paul Rhoades, played by Harrison Ford, sums up grief in a beautiful way:

“Nobody gets through this life unscathed…But, then you’re left with a choice: Are you gonna let your grief drown you, or are you gonna face it and come through the other side?”

The show, which wrapped up its third season in April, follows Jimmy, played by Jason Siegel, a widower who tragically lost his wife in a car accident. It explores his grief as he tries (and fails and tries again) to work as a licensed therapist at Paul’s practice, raise his daughter, and take care of himself. His grief is all-consuming, a feeling anyone who’s experienced loss knows all too well.

“It shows how messy [grief] can be,” Michelle Desmond, a thanatologist, told HR Brew. “Jason Siegel, the way we meet his character is like, ‘What’s happening to this guy?’ He’s grieving. He’s struggling.”

For more on Shrinking, and what it can teach HR pros about grief in the workplace, keep reading here.—MC

      

Sponsored By Indeed

Indeed is defining a new era of hiring—and yes, HR can join from anywhere, even the sacred “camera off” zone.

As AI sweeps through recruiting, the smartest teams understand the key is knowing when technology should move fast and when human judgment should grab the wheel.

Indeed FutureWorks brings global hiring leaders together Sept. 2 and 3 to unpack that balance. Speakers include Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun (who is steering an iconic brand into its next chapter), AI expert Ethan Mollick, and trust authority Rachel Botsman.

The virtual experience is free, which means the only thing standing between HR teams and actionable hiring insights is registration.

Explore the speaker lineup, hear what’s next, and learn how leading organizations are navigating the evolving world of hiring.

TECH

Getty Images

The annual performance review has been becoming less and less annual for years now, as the value of continual feedback proceeds to work itself into corporate America. But new evolution in AI technology might finally support managers in the trenches, aid employees in their performance and growth while they’re working, and allow for performance management to appear consistently inside the flow or work.

That’s the bet for execs at performance management platform Lattice, anyway.

Lattice announced on Aug. 19 its acquiring Pando, a “just-in-time” performance platform tool, and bringing its CEO Barbra Gago on board as its new chief marketing and growth officer.

“Pando was really started to help organizations really unlock untapped potential,” Gago told HR Brew. “That was sort of the thing that I felt was missing in performance management. That employees didn’t really know what they needed to do to be performing. They didn’t know what the expectations were. And managers didn’t have the best tools to fairly or adequately assess performance, and so we came to market with this competency-based approach.”

For more on Lattice’s acquisition of Pando, and what it means for HR, keep reading here.—AD

      

Sponsored By Persona

Fake job applications are increasing. That doesn’t mean recruiters have to spend hours vetting fraudulent candidates. Persona verifies real human identity so you can stop fake candidates at the top of the hiring funnel. It integrates directly with your ATS, and verification happens in seconds. Save precious time with Persona.

DEI

Anna Kim

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) refers to the practices and policies to attract, recruit, and retain employees from various backgrounds, to ensure they have equal advancement opportunities and are included in their workplace, regardless of their identity.

What is the goal of DEI? DEI programs are meant to combat systemic barriers to equality that exist at every stage of the employee lifecycle. They encompass a variety of initiatives—including bias training, partnerships (such as those with educational institutions like Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and employee resource groups (ERGs)—and were born from systemic inequalities that have existed since the founding of the US.

When did DEI start? Workplace inequalities persisted in the 1960s, when there was little representation of Black people or women, and discrimination was rampant. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, barring employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. (Disabled people were added as a protected class following the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.) The law fueled a shift in the workplace, as employers began taking an affirmative-action approach to hiring and offering equal employment education. Affirmative action would then morph into diversity and inclusion, with equity eventually being added into the mix.

For more on DEI and how it has evolved over time, keep reading here.—KP

Sponsored By CoAd

The big shift. HR solutions used to be bundled like trail mix—certain features are crucial but inevitably, some go largely unused (looking at you, raisins). These days, though, employers are becoming less likely to accept that rigid model. Our latest article with CoAd explores how expectations have evolved and how providers are responding. Check it out.

work perks

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Nearly half (46%) of Gen Xers feel positive about AI at work compared to less than one-third (32%) of Gen Zers. (Bloomberg)

Quote: “We all have to be content creators on top of our actual jobs—or lack of jobs—and perform being a candidate.”—a former Microsoft employee, on how workers feel about posting on LinkedIn (Business Insider)

Read: AI’s replacement of mental health workers is having seismic and upsetting effects on patients. (the American Prospect)

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Quiz

Amelia Kinsinger

The week’s biggest HR stories, now in quiz form. Test yourself on the latest headlines in DEI, hiring trends, workplace strategy, and more in a quick, competitive challenge built for HR pros. Challenge your coworkers and see how your score stacks up!