On TikTok, the current most popular social media app in the world, it’s not uncommon for users to claim they’ve learned more from watching videos on the platform than they did attending school.

The same may be true for the workplace: It only takes a quick, cursory search on TikTok to pull up learning content on prompt engineering for ChatGPT, computer programming, or Excel.

Though such skills training might traditionally fall within the purview of a learning and development (L&D) department, young workers have shown an increased willingness to seek out these opportunities without help from their employer. In a recent survey conducted by workforce analytics firm Visier, 22% of respondents aged 18–25 reported turning to TikTok to learn new workplace skills. Some 31% said they consulted YouTube, while 12% reported turning to LinkedIn.

Some HR leaders are seeking to tap into the Gen Z mindset by incorporating content from social media and internet creators into their L&D offerings.

Keep reading here.—CV

As you budget for end-of-year employee gifting, consider this: Choosing the right gifts can boost engagement and motivation for 3 months or more. Good news, right?

Here’s the not-so-good news. About one-third of employees have received a gift that made them feel distinctly unappreciated. So Tremendous created a report to help your business succeed this gift-giving season.

The findings are based on surveys of 1,500 employees across 10 industries, and here’s a tip straight from the report: Go easy on the company swag. About 60% of HR professionals send swag as a holiday gift, but only 2% of employees actually want that swag.

So what do your employees want? Read the report to find out.

On Sept. 30, federal funding that had been allocated to US childcare providers during the Covid-19 pandemic expired.

The end of these funds—which totaled close to $24 billion—is expected to negatively affect both childcare providers and the Americans who have relied on their services. Some 70,000 childcare programs are expected to close as the US reaches this “childcare cliff,” according to an estimate from The Century Foundation. As a result, it is anticipated that some working parents will cut down on their hours or drop out of the workforce altogether.

The cliff poses a threat to gains made by working women during the pandemic; about 70% of mothers with children under the age of five are now in the labor force, five percentage points higher than the decade prior to Covid-19.

Sadie Funk, the director of the Best Place For Working Parents, offered tips for HR pros to support employees likely to be affected by this cutoff.

Keep reading here.—CV

Welcome to HR 101. Class is now in session. Today’s discussion will be about the history of office dress codes, specifically those for women.

The history. You know those photos of your grandmother heading to work in a long A-line skirt, collared blouse, cute little pumps, and a strand of pearls? She wasn’t wearing that outfit just to be chic—anything else would likely have been considered inappropriate for the office. Some US workplaces imposed restrictions on how women should dress in the office as far back as the 1800s. Indeed, it wasn’t until 1973 that the highest office in the land, the White House, relaxed its dress code and allowed female staff to wear pants to work.

Fast-forward. Rules regarding women’s office attire still exist today, found a 2019 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, and are rooted in patriarchy, according to human rights organization Breakthrough Trust.

As flexibility and other benefits promoting work-life integration have become more commonplace over the last few years, employers may want to consider ditching dress codes to help attract and retain talent—especially female talent.

Keep reading here.—AS

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: 87% of people say they’ve had a toxic boss at some point in their career, and 51% report experiencing anxiety as a result. (Forbes)

Quote: “There’s been a real shift in the way people look at their careers thanks to the pandemic and the Great Resignation...I don’t hear as many people saying, ‘I want to make more money’ or ‘I want to climb the corporate ladder.’ Now, it’s ‘I want to feel more connected to my work,’ and ‘I want to be excited about what I’m doing.’”—Emily Liou, a career happiness coach and former recruiter, on employee happiness (CNBC Make It)

Read: The future of AI regulation may be in the hands of workers. (Financial Times)

Won’t you stay?: Find out how companies are partnering with CareerBuilder to retain top talent—and get a sneak peek into the current state of hiring. Download the report.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}