Sho Dewan

So hiring isn't broken when humans drive the process? As mentioned from yesterday, let's revisit the trust factor in hiring. Dice's new report surveyed 212 U.S. technologists (small sample, but useful.) The results: 🔹68% distrust fully AI-driven hiring 🔹80% trust fully human-driven processes 🔹92% believe AI misses qualified candidates who don’t optimize for keywords That last stat is the root of the finger-pointing, a tale as old as time. ATS systems have been the scapegoat for YEARS before any AI integration. Remember "beat the ATS"? Now it's just "beat the AI." Same frustration, new target. People are aggravated with the mystery of the tech platforms itself, due to their lack of access. (Black box experience). So what's the employer's play, to earn that trust? If the majority vote is humans, give the people what they want. A few examples I've seen in the wild: ✔️ In job description, disclosure of process. PM2 Strategies had a "Your application will be reviewed by a human." ✔️ Rejection emails from an employee rather than a do not reply. ✔️ Cadence of communication from real employees during interview process on updates. 7 day response times and notification on when position is filled. ✔️ Metric-based rejection. I saw an example from Ashby floating around that included total applications, shortlist (and what criteria this consisted of), and a reiteration of success factors. Using technology is a necessity for nearly all businesses, at least from utilizing an ATS system. This isn't a choose tech OR humans. It's a balance of using systems for efficiency and infusing humans at the forefront of those experiences. What hiring transparency wins have you seen? 

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In case you didn’t know, effective February 1st, California employers are required to provide all current employees a Standalone “Know Your Rights” notice under the new Workplace Know Your Rights Act (SB 294). This is one of those small HR things that sneak up on you without you noticing. If you use a PEO or a poster-provider subscription, you’ve probably already got this covered. If you run HR in-house, this is something you should: ✔️ Share with every current California employee ✔️ Add to your onboarding checklist for new hires ✔️ Keep proof of delivery (email receipt, reply, read receipt, acknowledgment form) The California Department of Industrial Relations Labor Commissioner has published the official notice you can use (link in comments).

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🔥 Friction in the Workplace Is Taking New Shape and Here’s What Managers Can Do About It 🔥 In a recent Bay Area case, an employer shared that a Gen Z candidate showed up to their job interview… with a parent in tow. It’s one of many stories fueling a growing trend: Companies hiring etiquette coaches to help young professionals navigate the basics of workplace behavior. From leaving food wrappers on communal tables to showing up in sweats or “office-siren” fits, FaceTiming friends from their desks, or even ghosting their managers These are the frictions emerging as many Gen Z workers step into offices for the first time after years of remote learning and work. But here’s the leadership lesson: 💡 These aren’t failures—they’re feedback. They reveal where workplace norms aren’t obvious, where onboarding is incomplete, and where leaders can turn friction into teachable moments. What experts are seeing: ✅ Norms must be explicit. Workplace basics can’t be assumed. Managers must provide clear onboarding and leadership toolkits. ✅ Questions ≠ defiance. Pushback can be curiosity that needs context. ✅ Soft skills pay off. 77% of companies report productivity gains from investing in them. This isn’t just a Gen Z issue. It’s a multigenerational opportunity for leaders to clarify expectations, model behavior, and foster psychological safety for asking questions without judgment. 🧠 As a professor, leadership coach, advisor, and L&D professional, I help leaders and teams become more cohesive, effective, and future-ready in an AI-driven, multigenerational workplace. 🚀 📄 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dy-U6Nfa 💬 Please share in the comments, what’s one workplace norm you wish someone had taught you early in your career? And, if you are interested in bringing these learning opportunities to your workplace, DM me! #LeadershipDevelopment #GenZ #FutureOfWork #SoftSkills #WorkplaceCulture #MultigenerationalWorkplace #HighPerformanceTeams #Coach #Advisor #JennyFernandez #Thinkers50 #MG100 #BestAdvice

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TA leaders are being pushed to adopt AI, do more with less, and constantly fight for budget. It’s difficult to make the case for investment in a new AI solution or additional recruitment marketing spend. Solution providers are falling short: they are not equipping TA with the insights needed to craft persuasive narratives, to share within their orgs. This is one of my learnings from recent conferences. We need to empower TA leaders to tell compelling stories. The hard truth is TA is often viewed as a cost center. Very few TA leaders enjoy the organizational clout that sales and marketing leaders do, primarily because those functions speak the universal language of revenue. The absence of this persuasive narrative is what’s holding TA back from the influence it deserves. The pivot is simple, but not easy: Transform your data into a compelling, stakeholder-specific narrative. Storytelling is the single most critical tool for influencing your CHRO, your CFO, and your CEO. We need to start telling the story of why great talent is a core competitive advantage. We must make the case for why an investment in AI tools, candidate experience, and recruitment marketing is not just a cost, but an insurance policy against falling behind the competition. The good news? Storytelling is not that hard either. Ask your partners and teams to equip you with the insights you need. This will enable you to: - Unlock dollars. Tell a people-to-profit story. Articulate the ROI of recruitment marketing, candidate experience, and technology investment in those terms. - Influence compensation. Tell the story of labor market competition, talent scarcity, and competitive compensation. - Gain a seat at the AI council table. Provide the context needed to vet vendors and allocate resources. Our community is filled with incredibly talented and passionate leaders. We just need to arm ourselves with the right storytelling tools, insights, and language.

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I’ve spent the last year intentionally building what I call a workforce and talent ecosystem—one that’s not just focused on corporate pipelines or entry-level pathways, but also centers the heartbeat of our economy: small businesses. Here’s a stat that’s always stuck with me: Small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses and nearly half of U.S. private-sector jobs. Yet, so many of them are struggling—not because the ideas aren’t brilliant, but because they’re waiting too long to hire, delegating ineffectively, or wearing too many hats for too long. And it’s not just small businesses. Whether I’m consulting with startups, mid-sized companies, or large orgs, the challenge is often the same: They want to grow, but haven’t built the internal systems to grow with intention. One thing I’ve been exploring with founders and leaders lately is this idea of problem-solution fit vs. product-market fit. Everyone loves to talk about product-market fit. But here’s the truth: You can’t have product-market fit without first nailing problem-solution fit. Here’s what I mean: • Some problems come from personal experience—you lived it, so now you want to solve it. • Others come from curiosity—you spot a pattern through conversations or data. But the solution? That’s the part you test. You adapt. You evolve. You let the market respond. And most importantly, you let your customers tell you if it’s actually solving the problem. When you get this wrong, the downstream effects show up everywhere—burnout, poor hiring decisions, wasted budgets, team misalignment, and stalled growth. When you get it right? You don’t just build a company. You build capacity. You build clarity. You build a culture that’s ready to scale. This is the work I’ve been doing with companies of all sizes—and the work we center through CultureLancer. Because building a workforce isn’t just about hiring. It’s about hiring with intention, delegating with purpose, and building systems that can hold the weight of your vision. Let’s stop building just to survive. Let’s build to scale—and to sustain. #SmallBusinessGrowth #TalentStrategy #WorkforceDevelopment #FutureOfWork #Entrepreneurship #HiringTips #ScaleSmart #FounderJourney #ProblemSolutionFit #CultureLancer #TeamBuilding #BusinessConsulting #InclusiveEconomy #StartupLeadership

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California Employers: Do you know about the “seventh consecutive day” rule when it comes to overtime pay? Most employers think they know everything they need to know about CA overtime rules: ✔️Time-and-a-half after 8 hours in a workday ✔️Time-and-a-half after 40 hours in a workweek ✔️Double time after 12 hours in a workday But many get caught off guard on the rare occasion that an employee works seven days in a row during the workweek. If an employee works seven consecutive days in a single workweek, you owe: ➡️ Time-and-a-half for the first 8 hours on that 7th day ➡️ Double time for any hours after 8 on that day Pro Tip: How you define your “workweek” matters. Get it wrong, and even payroll software won’t save you. Failing to follow this rule can lead to costly wage claims and penalties. Believe it or not, many HR pros forget about this overtime law - which means your employees could be getting paid incorrectly. Are your systems truly catching this, or are you rolling the dice?

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Key Talent Management Takeaways for 2025 🚀 Hey everyone! Just dove into #Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2025 Report. Some key insights for Talent Management: (A) Manager Engagement is CRITICAL! 🚨 We're seeing a drop, and that's a HUGE problem. Disengaged managers = disengaged teams = lower productivity. Potential impact to the global economy! 📉 (B) Wellbeing & Productivity are Linked 🔗 Manager burnout is REAL, and it's a domino effect. When managers struggle, so does everyone else. Absenteeism and turnover? 📈 (C) Invest in Managers! 💰 Training and coaching aren't optional. They're game-changers. Developing those skills boosts engagement, performance, AND manager wellbeing. Seriously, it's a win-win-win! 🎉 (D) Engagement = Growth 🌱 Bottom line: Engaged employees drive success. Companies that get this right see higher productivity and profits. Let's create workplaces where people thrive! 🙌 https://lnkd.in/d6WMSnGm What are your thoughts? What do you observe in your space / in your org?

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