Most of us don’t have a billion dollars and a teched-out flying suit to lead a team of superheroes like Iron Man. But we do have ourselves, and that’s really all you need to be an authentic leader.

Authentic leadership is a “management style where leaders practice transparent behavior to build relationships, accomplish company goals, and inspire their teams,” according to Indeed. While employees want to work with leaders who are trustworthy, transparent, and authentic, it’s still rare to find ones with all of these qualities, Forbes reported.

Sy Islam, VP of consulting at management consulting firm Talent Metrics, told HR Brew that people leaders should strive to be authentic leaders for their employees, and can even look at Iron Man as an example in becoming one.

Iron Man’s example. Iron Man was the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and throughout the franchise, the character embodies an outspokenness that other superheroes count on for leadership. Iron Man is an authentic leader because he’s not perfect, Islam told HR Brew. He’s true to himself. This is where HR leaders can take note.

Keep reading here.—MC

Honoring your employees is a simple and effective way to build an engaged workforce. But finding a meaningful way to say “thanks” is half the battle.

Luckily, Tremendous knows exactly how to recognize employee accomplishments—and they’ve got a blog that breaks down everything you need to know about implementing your own system.

Here’s a glimpse into how Tremendous can help your biz honor, encourage, and engage:

• employee recognition programs (Cash-based recognition between $50 and $200 can reduce employee turnover by 43%.)
• turnover reduction (Companies lose between 90% and 200% of the original employee’s salary every time they replace a worker.)
• delivery methods (How you distribute incentives is just as important as what you send.)

Ready to invest in your workplace? Say hello to happy employees.

No one wants to work in an unsafe space. Sometimes, the best way to keep employees safe is to close up shop.

Target announced this week that it’s closing nine stores in California, New York, Oregon, and Washington because “theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests,” according to a press release. It will be transferring the employees displaced by the closures to other Target stores.

So, what happened, and what can HR leaders learn from it?

Target’s efforts. Violence has plagued Target recently. CEO Brian Cornell said during a Q2 earnings call that in the first five months of 2023, the company saw a “120% increase in theft incidents involving violence or threats of violence,” the Washington Post reported. Before deciding to close these stores, Target took several steps to make its workplaces more secure.

Keep reading here.—MC

HR and talent acquisition leaders in the tech industry ought to keep their eyes on Latin America, a region ripe with growing tech talent. And sourcing in the region may have gotten a bit easier.

Austin-based Howdy.com, a tech sourcing startup working with US companies to grow IT and tech teams in Latin America, acquired Brazilian-based talent marketplace GeekHunter in August.

The move adds another 400,000 registered candidates to Howdy.com’s platform from Brazil, though the brands will remain separate in Brazil and the rest of Latin America. The acquisition will allow the companies to share resources, according to a news release.

Zoom out. As more companies demand employees skilled in AI and machine learning, Latin American nearshoring is growing as a viable option for employers looking to hire tech talent.

Keep reading here.—AD

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: 50% of candidates accepted and then backed out of a job offer between May 2022 and May 2023. (SHRM)

Quote: “The easiest way to change the culture is to change the people. I had 11 direct reports, and in the first 18 months, nine of them were gone.”—Charles Bergh, CEO of Levi Strauss, on why he thinks letting people go can help a company’s culture turn around (CNBC Make It)

Read: These services and benefits will be disrupted if the government shuts down. (the New York Times)

Brain gains: Your employees crave learning experiences on the job. HR pros, here are 4 L&D metrics your team should be measuring. Check them out in our latest article, sponsored by PwC.*

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