TECH

Anna Kim, Photos: Adobe Stock

Experimenting with AI can be hard to squeeze between relentless meetings that coulda-been-an-email, Slack messages to absorb and sometimes reply, and, not to mention, the actual day-to-day work of running HR.

So at Nextdoor, they decided to stop trying.

Instead, HR pros at Nextdoor dedicate one full day each month to AI experimentation, building their own tools and testing how the technology can impact their own work and the company’s overall HR workflow.

“In prior eras, you’d have a new tool come on the scene, and its capability set was defined,” Nextdoor’s head of people, Tony Castellanos, told HR Brew. “But we’re in this world now where—if instead of being on computers, we were in carpentry—you’re holding a thing that is morphing from a hammer to a screwdriver to something else, and, how do you know what you can do with that? You have to play with it before you can start to shape how it lifts your company.”

For more on how Nextdoor has improved AI activation among its HR pros, keep reading here.—AD

      

Sponsored By Sana

Somewhere in your organization, someone has already solved the problem your people are stuck on today.

But here’s the catch: In a company of thousands, that knowledge sits with a team, a region, or a person away—and scale, which should be your greatest advantage, becomes the thing in the way.

Sana Learn helps close the distance. It turns what your organization already knows into learning anyone can reach. AI builds courses from your own material, answers questions from your own sources, and keeps you up-to-date as the company moves.

Since Sana Learn follows all your security rules, you can freely and safely share knowledge while keeping your data right where it belongs.

Everything your company knows, within everyone’s reach. That’s Sana Learn. Book an intro.

TOTAL REWARDS

Morning Brew

As we near the end of the summer, some may reflect longingly on a well-deserved break from work. Others, depending on what country they live in, may wonder if they took any time off at all.

Where in the world? A recent report from Deel Works analyzed 2025 PTO data from around the world. While employees in most countries have access to at least 15 days off per year, not all took them. For example, less than 20% of workers in Canada and India used all of their PTO, whereas nearly 50% of workers in the UK and Norway, who were given more time off, took all of their allotted days off.

Satellite view. Workers at US companies were less likely to use their PTO, even in the summer, when the majority of workers took off fewer than three days at once. Some employees may be afraid of falling behind or losing out on work if they use PTO, according to Pew Research.

For more on PTO trends around the world, and how employers can encourage employees to take time off, keep reading here.—KP

      

Sponsored By Paradox, a Workday Company

The break-even reality check. A warehouse worker might break even on day one, while a retail associate takes 21 to 28 days and a skilled front-line worker takes six to nine months. Find out more in this episode of Frontline, where Joshua Secrest brings deep front-line TA experience from leading talent acquisition at McDonald’s and Abercrombie & Fitch.

HR STRATEGY

Photo: Mikaela Cohen

As you might have heard, an estimated 25,000 people descended upon Orlando, Florida for four days this past June to attend the annual Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference. And, this year, HR Brew was right there with them, shivering in the air conditioning and melting in the humidity alongside people leaders learning best practices for handling AI disruption, tackling rising costs, and promoting employee well-being.

During panels and between-session coffee chats, many CHROs expressed confidence that there’s always going to be a human aspect to the world of work. But, amid AI transformation and increased economic uncertainty, their focus is on employee well-being and mental health.

For more of our top takeaways from SHRM’s annual conference, keep reading here.—MC

      

Sponsored By Quantum Health

A different healthcare cost convo. If healthcare costs keep rising, where can employers find wiggle room? Is there any at all? Quantum Health joins HR Brew to discuss why some employers are looking beyond the cost curve and focusing on the decisions that drive it. Tune in here.

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work perks

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Employers expect healthcare costs to increase 9.5% in 2027. (Aon)

Quote: “Oftentimes, the workers with the least amount of power in the labor markets tend to be testing grounds for some of the more intrusive forms of data collection”—Wilneida Negron, director of research and policy at Coworker, on how companies use data to predict employee behavior (the Associated Press)

Read: Starbucks is laying off 120 workers who refused a transfer to the company’s new Nashville offices. (KUOW)

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EVENT

Morning Brew Inc.

Cost, care, and culture don’t naturally balance—someone has to do the math. The Total Rewards Equation brings HR and benefits leaders together on Sept. 17 to work through the real trade-offs, live in New York or on the livestream. Register now.