Explore every episode of the podcast The EBN Dispatch
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layoffs, Flat Raises, and Resume Botox | PAPER CUT | 08 Feb 2026 | 00:02:50 | |
Layoffs are rising, pay is flattening, and AI still struggles to prove ROI. This week’s brief breaks down what those shifts mean for hiring, retention, and employer brand trust. 📰 Subscribe to the free newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
📌 Sources & Links AI ambition is ahead of the evidence • https://hbr.org/2026/02/9-trends-shaping-work-in-2026-and-beyond
Peanut butter raises
Resume Botox • https://www.businessinsider.com/resume-botox-lying-millennials-careers-2026-2
The Cut List • https://apnews.com/article/amazon-ups-layoffs-economy-washington-71bfde72b358fddb9a22c15aa13fe848
#FutureOfWork #HR #EmployerBranding #Layoffs #Compensation #AI #Hiring #TalentStrategy | |||
| Layoff Leak and the AI Trust Gap | PAPER CUT | 01 Feb 2026 | 00:03:05 | |
Amazon’s layoff leak is the week’s defining signal: trust is fragile, and AI hype does not run the business. This Paper Cut looks at the AI reality gap, rising job anxiety, and what “proof” looks like in rollouts, skills, and comms. 📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ 📌 Sources & Links: Amazon’s Layoff Leak https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/28/amazon-global-job-cuts-email-error-workers-sent https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/organizational-update-january-2026
AI Reality Gap Agents and Trust https://www.wired.com/story/for-future-reference-ai-technology/ https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-agents-incapable-math The Cut List https://apnews.com/article/pinterest-layoffs-ai-cf278cf06929db07d5b1310ab7f91861 ⸻ #EmployerBrand #HR #FutureOfWork #AI #Layoffs #WorkforcePlanning #TalentStrategy #PeopleOps | |||
| [26 OCT] PAPER CUT - The Productivity Mirage Meets The Pink-Slip Economy | 26 Oct 2025 | 00:05:55 | |
This week’s lead story: AI agents scale while layoffs surge. We unpack the cultural signal in the cuts, why middle managers decide AI success, and how to rebuild early-career rungs and remote strategy.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
The Cuts Are Strategic. The Signal Is Cultural.
Target eliminating 1,800 positions, laying off 1,000 workers https://www.startribune.com/target-la...
Exclusive: ConocoPhillips to lay off Canada employees in November, company memo shows https://www.reuters.com/business/worl...
Charter to Lay Off 1,200 Workers https://broadbandbreakfast.com/charte...
Meta layoffs tied to AI priorities https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/meta-...
Rivian layoffs reported https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/23/rivia...
Graphic of the day: Layoffs accelerate in 2025 https://www.forbesindia.com/article/u...
US federal layoffs threaten the backbone of community support https://thenewstack.io/how-block-got-...
Middle Managers Feel the Least Psychological Safety at Work https://hbr.org/2025/10/middle-manage...
Amazon To Lay Off 15 Percent Of HR Employees After Jassy Said AI Will ‘Reduce Our Total Corporate Workforce:’ Report https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/2025/a...
AI might be creating a ‘permanent underclass’ but it’s the makers of the tech bubble who are replaceable https://www.theguardian.com/commentis...
Deloitte's Global AI Leader Nitin Mittal warns job loss to AI is ‘inevitable’, but engineers should….. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/t...
The Broken Rungs — Early Careers Are A Meat Grinder
A City exec says Gen Z is nearing breaking point as AI turns graduate hiring into a 'meat grinder' https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-br...
KPMG: Half of banks experiencing uptick in Gen Z staff quitting https://www.cityam.com/kpmg-half-of-b...
At least 4 in 5 tech talents could face limited opportunities as job market cools https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/comp...
UK tech grad jobs slump, placements cut https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/1...
Gen Z is stuck at the bottom rung. Citi Foundation pledges $25 million https://fortune.com/2025/10/21/gen-z-...
‘They want us to work but there is no work’: meet the NEETs https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/job...
Remote Reality Check — Demand Is Lopsided
Remote companies like Dropbox and Atlassian say they're getting flooded with applications, as other firms RTO https://www.businessinsider.com/remot...
Woman wins right to work from home every day in landmark case https://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...
Employers want hybrid. Workers want flexibility. https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjourna...
The quiet migration behind remote work https://www.thehill.com/opinion/techn...
⸻
#WorkDesign #EmployerBrand #AIatWork #FutureOfWork #GenZ #RemoteWork #Layoffs | |||
| [19 OCT] PAPER CUT - Fear, Not AI, Is Fueling The Cuts | 19 Oct 2025 | 00:04:31 | |
Leaders keep invoking AI to justify cuts. The truth this week is sharper. Fear, not code, is driving many decisions. Here is how to turn skills into policy and stop torching trust on location.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
AI Didn’t Fire Them. Fear Did
Goldman Sachs eyes layoffs and hiring slowdown amid AI push, memo shows — https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/goldman-sachs-eyes-job-cuts-hiring-slowdown-amid-ai-push-memo-shows-2025-10-14/
Companies are blaming AI for layoffs — but the real reason is fear — https://www.businessinsider.com/firms-blaming-ai-for-layoffs-driven-by-fear-work-guru-2025-10
AI is supposed to kill jobs. Instead, AI companies are hiring in droves — https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-supposed-kill-jobs-instead-hiring-office-boom-2025-10
Amazon layoffs: Company to cut thousands of jobs as AI reshapes its global workforce — https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/amazon-layoffs-company-to-cut-thousands-of-jobs-as-ai-reshapes-its-global-workforce-82629.htm
Skills Are Strategy. Training Is Policy
Citi rolls out AI prompt training requirement to most staff — https://www.hrdive.com/news/citi-ai-prompt-training-requirement/802862/
Singapore launches data-driven index to boost workforce mobility and competitiveness — https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/singapore-launches-data-driven-index-to-boost-workforce-mobility-and-competitiveness
A Research-Backed Training Method That Improves Hiring Outcomes — https://hbr.org/2025/10/a-research-backed-training-method-that-improves-hiring-outcomes
Return To Office Meets Reality
Major disconnect between managers and employees on engagement — https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/employee-engagement/major-disconnect-between-managers-and-employees-on-engagement/553016
Most employers say they hire overqualified candidates despite retention concerns — https://www.hrdive.com/news/employers-hire-overqualified-candidates-worry-about-retention/802700/
To create psychological safety, do not bring your whole self to work — https://www.fastcompany.com/91413530/to-create-psychological-safety-dont-bring-your-whole-self-to-work-psychological-safety-at-work
⸻
#EmployerBrand #HR #FutureOfWork #AIatWork #TalentStrategy | |||
| [12 OCT] PAPER CUT - Trust Theater, AI Scoreboards, and Hiring Whiplash | 12 Oct 2025 | 00:04:46 | |
How do you rebuild trust when your systems scream control? This week we cut through RTO threats, AI scoreboards, and hiring mazes to show the path to real performance.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Trust Theater vs Control Creep
https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-workers-rto-warned-emails-fired-office-attendance-2025-10
AI Skills Gap: Adoption or Audit
https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/hr-leaders-lack-faith-that-managers-are-ai-skilled/552446
https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-tracks-employees-ai-use-creates-game-to-boost-adoption-2025-10
https://hbr.org/2025/10/5-critical-skills-leaders-need-in-the-age-of-ai
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/08/how-ai-is-poised-to-disrupt-the-job-market.html
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/man-embraces-ai-at-work-replaced
Candidate Experience Whiplash
https://hbr.org/2025/10/4-organizational-red-flags-that-turn-off-job-candidates
https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/remote-employees-remain-highly-productive-a-new-survey-says/91248497
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelpeachman/2025/10/08/meet-the-worlds-best-employers-2025/
Change Narratives That Work
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/change-management-how-to-avoid-the-hero-trap/
https://hbr.org/2025/10/the-power-of-metaphors-when-introducing-change-initiatives
https://hbr.org/2025/10/when-authentic-leadership-backfires
⸻
#EmployerBrand #HRStrategy #FutureOfWork #AI #Hiring #Leadership | |||
| [05 OCT] PAPER CUT - The Jobs Are There. The Offers Aren’t. | 05 Oct 2025 | 00:06:09 | |
A cooler market with hot spots. Skills beat degrees. Managers decide growth. Pipelines move to attention markets. Here is what actually matters for HR this week.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
The Jobs Mirage
Stagflation’s impact on recruiting. Plus, news from EY, Dropbox and more: https://hrexecutive.com/stagflations-impact-on-recruiting-plus-news-from-ey-dropbox-and-more/
U.S. unemployment rate likely steady at 4.3% in September, Chicago Fed says: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-unemployment-rate-likely-steady-43-september-chicago-fed-says-2025-10-02/
US private sector sheds 32,000 jobs in September: https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/us-private-sector-sheds-32000-jobs-in-september/551697
Google Cloud layoffs hit employees as sales reach record highs: https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/2025/google-cloud-layoffs-hit-employees-as-sales-reach-record-highs
China’s K visa backlash: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/01/china/china-k-visa-backlash-intl-hnk
Skills Beat Signals
LinkedIn’s CEO says these 4 qualities will matter more than fancy degrees: https://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-ceo-will-college-degrees-matter-ai-future-of-work-2025-10
Hiring managers say they’ll offer more money to candidates with these skills: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/30/hiring-managers-say-theyll-offer-more-money-to-candidates-with-these-skills.html
Citi mandates AI prompt training for employees: https://fortune.com/2025/10/01/citi-ai-prompt-training-mandate-employees-reskilling-workforce-business/
Now OpenAI is coming for LinkedIn: https://www.fastcompany.com/91410238/openai-is-coming-for-linkedin-openai-linkedin-human-resources
Netflix posts GenAI product manager role with high salary range: https://fortune.com/2025/10/02/netflix-gen-ai-product-manager-240k-700k-salary-fully-remote/
The Manager Reset
The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-limits-to-hybrid-and-remote-work/
New Research on How the Best Managers Shape Employees’ Careers: https://hbr.org/2025/10/new-research-on-how-the-best-managers-shape-employees-careers
What does job hugging mean for the workplace?: https://www.hrdive.com/news/what-does-job-hugging-mean-for-the-workplace/761431/
‘Conscious unbossing’ is a new workplace trend: https://www.hrdive.com/news/conscious-unbossing-workplace-trend/760946/
Why it Might Pay to Be ‘Playful’ at Work: https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/why-it-might-pay-to-be-playful-at-work/91247092
Yes, Food Perks at Work Do Motivate Employees, This Study Says: https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/yes-food-perks-at-work-do-motivate-employees-this-study-says/91244821
The Pipeline Reboot
HR leaders test TikTok for recruitment marketing: https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2025/09/23/hr-recruitment-marketing-tiktok
Human Resources: finding the world’s hidden talent: https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2025/09/30/human-resources-finding-the-worlds-hidden-talent
Congratulations, Graduates. You’re Unemployed.: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/congratulations-graduates-youre-unemployed-ec2a783d
In a Sea of Tech Talent, Companies Can’t Find the Workers They Want: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/in-a-sea-of-tech-talent-companies-cant-find-the-workers-they-want-76b7983a
China’s K visa backlash complicates mobility: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/01/china/china-k-visa-backlash-intl-hnk
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRStrategy #SkillsBasedHiring | |||
| [28 SEP] PAPER CUT - Hybrid Creep, Burnout, and Workslop | 28 Sep 2025 | 00:04:04 | |
RTO creeps up, HR burns out, visas tighten, and AI workslop eats real work. This week’s Paper Cut breaks down the choices that shape your employer brand.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Hybrid Creep And The Skill-Fade Panic
Workers say return-to-office “makes sense” (https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/24/workers_yes_rto_makes_sense/ )
Return to office: workers fail (https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/return-to-office-workers-fail-3d966807 )
Hybrid creep is real (https://www.businessinsider.com/hybrid-creep-employers-increasing-rto-days-office-2025-9 )
Eric Schmidt on WFH and learning (https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-schmidt-google-wfh-work-life-balance-learning-tech-ai-2025-9 )
HR On The Brink: Burnout, Band-Aids, And Culture Theater
Two thirds of HR want to quit (https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/two-thirds-looking-to-quit-their-hr-role-with-half-pointing-to-burnout/ )
Using events to strengthen culture (https://hrnews.co.uk/how-hr-leaders-are-using-events-to-strengthen-workplace-culture/ )
What drives career moves by sector (https://hrnews.co.uk/understanding-employee-priorities-new-data-shows-what-drives-career-moves-by-sector/ )
Confidence gap survey 2025 (https://connextglobal.com/connext_confidence_gap_survey_2025/ )
Visas, Cuts, And The Talent Squeeze
H-1B and Global Talent visas explained (https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/h-1b-visa-usa-global-talent-visa-uk-immigration-skilled-workers/ )
Nvidia and OpenAI chiefs defend H-1B fee (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/we-need-the-brightest-minds-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-opneais-sam-altman-defend-100k-h1b-fee/articleshow/124066382.cms )
Bosch to cut 13,000 jobs (https://www.wsj.com/business/bosch-plans-to-cut-13-000-jobs-by-end-of-2030-fbfc6046 )
PwC trims partners and staff in Middle East (https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2025/09/19/pwc-culls-jobs-of-60-partners-and-1500-staff-in-middle-east-after-saudi-clash/ )
Tech layoffs roll on (https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-tech-layoffs-2025-google-intel-salesforce-oracle-lead-job-cuts-as-ai-reshapes-tech-industry-3986268/ )
Viral layoff email (https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/ceo-send-major-layoff-email-to-all-employees-reddit-viral-10266644/ )
Workslop And Quiet Promotions: The Trust Tax
AI workslop is destroying productivity (https://hbr.org/2025/09/ai-generated-workslop-is-destroying-productivity )
Microsoft CEO warns on AI misuse (https://futurism.com/microsoft-ceo-concerned-ai-destroy-company )
Quiet promotions and burnout (https://fortune.com/2025/09/19/quiet-promotions-workplace-expert-employees-gen-z-burnout-employers-bosses-wages-compensation/ )
Gen Z in a competitive job market (https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/09/gen-z-are-competitive-job-market-randstad/ )
Burnt but hopeful (https://fortune.com/2025/09/19/suzy-welch-gen-z-millennials-burnout-hope/ )
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #TalentStrategy #RTO #HRLeadership #EVP #AIGovernance | |||
| [21 SEP] Paper Cut - Carrots, Sticks, and Agentic HR | 21 Sep 2025 | 00:04:59 | |
AI isn’t the story. Your operating model is. This week we break down agentic HR, augmentation without layoffs, and why carrots beat control.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
Agentic HR, Not Theatrical AI
https://hbr.org/2025/09/should-your-company-merge-its-chro-and-cto-roles
https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/salesforce-soften-blow-ai-jobs-21053239.php
https://aimagazine.com/news/workday-ai-research-reveals-enterprise-talent-drain-crisis
Productivity Without Pink Slips
Carrots Beat Command-and-Control
https://www.businessinsider.com/consulting-changes-workforce-impact-business-world
The Great Watchback
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/14/uk-firms-bossware-monitor-workers-activity
https://www.businessinsider.com/att-system-for-tracking-employees-rto-compliance-2025-9
https://www.wsj.com/tech/microsoft-cracks-down-on-work-speech-limits-remote-work-df9d469e
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #TalentStrategy #AIatWork #HRLeadership #EVP #WorkplaceTrust | |||
| [14 SEP] PAPER CUT - Consulting Gets Rewritten by AI While Workers Play Defense | 14 Sep 2025 | 00:03:45 | |
Layoffs roll on, RTO gets louder, and consulting is rebuilt by the very tools it once sold. Workers hedge, managers lose the room, and trust becomes the only durable advantage. This week’s Paper Cut turns headlines into practical moves for employer-brand leaders.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links
Layoffs With a Side of Spin
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fifth-consecutive-month-microsoft-layoffs-102009142.html
https://citywire.com/asia/news/goldman-sachs-to-lay-off-3-of-staff-at-global-headquarters/a2473769
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/global-oil-gas-company-layoffs-2024-2025-2025-09-03/
Consulting Gets Rewritten by Its Own Pitch https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-ai-boom-is-leaving-consultants-behind-c9088fda
https://hbr.org/2025/09/ai-is-changing-the-structure-of-consulting-firms
https://www.businessinsider.com/mckinsey-growing-entry-level-hires-ai-era-partner-says-2025-9
https://hbr.org/2025/09/what-it-takes-to-lead-through-digital-disruption
Workers Play Defense, Managers Lose the Room
https://www.cfodive.com/news/ai-driven-job-displacement-may-already-be-here-report-says/759570/
https://www.newsweek.com/employers-employees-very-different-outlooks-us-economy-2127036
Place, Product, and Perception https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-send-employees-back-to-office-rto-remote-work-2025-9
https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/lifestyle/job-hugging-what-uk-jobs-employment-b2823073.html
https://qz.com/careers-most-vulnerable-in-a-recession
⸻
#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #RTO #Consulting #WorkCulture #TalentStrategy | |||
| [07 SEP] PAPER CUT - Hard Reset, Soft Demand | 07 Sep 2025 | 00:04:23 | |
Salesforce cuts staff. Amazon tightens rules and chases urgency. Paramount plans five days in the office. The market cools, workers hedge, and AI only pays off when companies change how they work. Paper Cut distils the noise into practical moves for employer-brand leaders.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links
Hard Reset at the Top Salesforce lays off 4,000 employees; support staff trimmed from 9,000 to about 5,000
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reshapes company culture to restore urgency and discipline
Amazon’s strict phone policy stirs employee concerns over trust and control
Amazon asks staff to report personal use of work phones as cost cutting deepens
Unilever to review its top 200 roles under turnaround strategy
Office Rules, Talent Gravity Paramount to mandate five-day return to office from January, internal memo says
Amazon’s strict RTO policy is costing top tech talent
Community reaction and internal chatter on Amazon RTO https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45132093
Regional and suburban shared workspaces boost productivity for WFH
Want staff back at their desks? Make the office less boring
Soft Demand, Smaller Bets US JOLTS: job openings and layoffs https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/03/economy/us-jolts-job-openings-layoffs-july
“I applied to 5,000 jobs” in a brutal market https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/career-advice/applied-over-5000-jobs-brutal-market/
Feeling stuck in a stagnating job market https://finance.yahoo.com/news/feeling-stuck-stagnating-job-market-120000344.html
The coming white-collar recession https://seekingalpha.com/article/4817969-the-coming-white-collar-recession
Gen Z career minimalism and the rise of job hugging https://fortune.com/2025/08/26/gen-z-career-minimalism-side-hustle-management/
Signs of the rising job hugging trend and how to address it
AI Reality, Trust Required Employees are using AI and companies are not prepared https://www.fastcompany.com/91394046/employees-are-using-ai-and-companies-arent-prepared
Why AI change management matters more than hype https://www.inc.com/fast-company-2/ai-change-management-mckinsey-doge/91233676
Academics raise alarm over suspected AI use in a Deloitte report
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#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #RTO #OrgDesign #WorkCulture #TalentStrategy | |||
| [31 AUG] Paper Cut - Cuts, Checklists and the Big Stay | 31 Aug 2025 | 00:03:19 | |
AI savings, manager cuts, RTO reality, and a labour market easing into a long hold. Paper Cut turns the week’s headlines into practical moves for HR and employer-brand leaders.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links
White-Collar Reset Morgan Stanley says AI could save S&P 500 companies 920 billion dollars: https://fortune.com/2025/08/19/morgan-stanley-920-billion-sp-500-savings-ai-agentic-robots-jobs/
Google has slashed more manager roles in its efficiency drive: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-has-slashed-more-manager-roles-in-its-efficiency-drive-2025-8
Google executive says the company has cut a third of its managers: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/27/google-executive-says-company-has-cut-a-third-of-its-managers.html
Researchers leave Meta and OpenAI’s superintelligence labs: https://www.wired.com/story/researchers-leave-meta-superintelligence-labs-openai/
How AT&T CEO John Stankey’s tough memo rewrites workplace terms: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/how-att-ceo-john-stankeys-tough-memo-to-employees-rewrites-the-terms-of-workplace-in-corporate-america/articleshow/123448358.cms
Office Rules, Real Outcomes Getting employees back to the office is at an inflection point: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/author-getting-employees-back-to-the-office-is-at-an-inflection-point-201435253.html
Work-from-home workers defy RTO mandates: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/08/27/work-from-home-workers-defy-rto-mandates/85821219007/#/
Back to the office, Gen Z says enough working from home: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/aug/25/back-to-office-gen-z-enough-working-from-home
Google adds at least one round of in-person interviews: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-says-we-have-introduced-at-least-one-round-of-in-person-interviews-just-to-make-sure/articleshow/123495271.cms
Remote work benefits explained: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/working-from-home-office-remote-benefits-b2815035.html
Quiet Cracking, Loud Metrics Quiet quitting is past, workers are quiet cracking: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/25/quiet-quitting-is-a-past-trend-why-workers-are-quiet-cracking.html
Employees who engage in quiet cracking, early research: https://phys.org/news/2025-08-employees-quiet.html
Even lunch breaks are about performance, new Amazon L4 says: https://www.financialexpress.com/trending/even-lunch-breaks-are-about-performance-new-amazon-l4-employee-says-constant-comparisons-add-to-pressure/3957061/
The nine to five schedule is really archaic: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/25/the-9-to-5-schedule-is-really-archaic-hr-expert-says.html
Change culture by changing systems: https://hbr.org/2025/08/to-change-company-culture-focus-on-systems-not-communication
Performance reviews and metrics, a rethink: https://qz.com/performance-management-reviews-metrics-talent-leadership-management
The Big Stay, The Pay Shuffle The Big Stay and a no-hire, no-fire freeze: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/25/the-big-stay-and-a-no-hire-no-fire-freeze-change-to-labor-markets.html
Inflation and wage growth patterns by sector: https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-wage-growth-white-collar-workers-healthcare-retail-leisure-hospitality-2025-8
Novo Nordisk freezes hiring for non-critical jobs: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/drugmaker-novo-nordisk-freezes-hiring-non-critical-jobs-2025-08-20/
Why it is harder for laid-off older workers to find jobs: https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/why-its-harder-for-laid-off-older-workers-to-find-jobs/91230898
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#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #RTO #OrgDesign #WorkCulture #TalentStrategy | |||
| The Trust Recession: Why Employee Trust Is Falling and How To Fix It | 28 Aug 2025 | 01:00:54 | |
Trust used to be your quiet advantage. In 2025, it is the whole game. In this session, we unpack why employee trust is dipping, where leadership credibility breaks, and a practical plan to rebuild it without the corporate varnish. You will learn • What the latest data says about trust in employers • The gap between leaders saying “we trust people” and employees actually feeling trusted • Remote work, surveillance and productivity paranoia • Why layoffs during record profits wreck credibility • A simple rebuild playbook you can start this quarter Chapters 00:00 Welcome and housekeeping 04:25 Speaker intros 08:05 The data: trust trends and the trust gap 16:11 Remote work, productivity belief gap and surveillance 24:47 Who feels it most: income and discrimination concerns 30:08 AI and early careers 35:58 Why trust matters: attrition and performance 41:28 How to rebuild trust: the practical playbook 56:00 Managing reviews and reputation outside-in 59:00 Wrap and resources Links • Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7VbMwi2imE4 • Download the white paper on EBN (free for subscribers): https://employerbranding.news/the-trust-recession-is-here-what-employer-brands-need-to-do-now/#white-paper • Read more at Employer Branding News: https://www.employerbranding.news/ Speakers • Mike Parsons, CEO at Fathom. Writes weekly for Employer Branding News on trust, culture and performance. • Celeste Sirin, Founder and CEO at Employer Branding Africa. Host of the EBA Leadership Spotlight series. | |||
| CEOs Say AI Is Boosting Efficiency. Employees Aren’t Convinced. | PAPER CUT | 25 Jan 2026 | 00:03:22 | |
AI agents are arriving fast, but the proof is lagging. This week’s Paper Cut looks at the gap between “efficiency” claims and employee reality, why retention depends on systems not slogans, and what a tighter hiring mood means for employer brand leaders.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
AI Agents and the credibility gap
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-failing-boost-productivity
Retention, burnout, culture
https://hbr.org/2026/01/policies-arent-enough-to-retain-top-talent-you-need-systems
https://www.fastcompany.com/91462106/burnout-is-an-operations-issue-workplace-burnout
https://www.inc.com/maltekramer/culture-is-what-you-do-not-what-you-print/91289589
Hybrid work and performance expectations
https://www.inc.com/fast-company-2/return-to-office-workplace-hybrid-rto-flexible-work/91289115
Hiring and labour market signals
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/economists-job-market-hiring-2213807b
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9366/
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cangrade-releases-2026-hiring-outlook-144000454.html
Layoffs and restructuring
https://www.tipranks.com/news/meta-prepares-layoffs-as-it-rebalances-spending-priorities
https://www.businessinsider.com/vimeo-laying-off-staff-after-billion-sale-to-bending-spoons-2026-1
https://theindependent.sg/quiet-cutting-how-companies-quietly-remove-staff-without-paying-severance/
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/business/snohetta-nlrb-complaint.html
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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBrand #HR #HybridWork #AI #TalentStrategy #Recruiting #PeopleOps #Retention | |||
| [24 AUG] Paper Cut — Green Lights, Red Flags, Real Work | 24 Aug 2025 | 00:03:16 | |
Surveillance spreads. AI pilots stall. Skills get political. Entry-level careers wobble. Paper Cut distils the week’s headlines into moves you can use.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Surveillance Season 2 Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/banking/hsbc-plans-major-global-expansion-of-office-staff-surveillance-documents-show
AI ROI: From Fireworks to Accounting Fortune: https://fortune.com/2025/08/18/mit-report-95-percent-generative-ai-pilots-at-companies-failing-cfo/
The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/does-ai-really-boost-productivity-at-work-research-shows-gains-dont-come-cheap-or-easy-263127
Channel NewsAsia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/meta-freezes-ai-hiring-wsj-reports-5305886
The Global Skill Scramble
AI News: https://www.artificialintelligence-news.com/news/malaysia-huawei-ai-talent-training-program/
South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3321901/china-creates-new-visa-young-science-and-technology-talent
Axios: https://www.axios.com/2025/08/19/trump-tariffs-jobs-gen-z
Early Careers: Mind the Missing Rungs Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/91387498/what-is-job-hugging-new-career-trend-why-gen-z-is-into-it
The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/protecting-the-endangered-species-known-as-entry-level-workers
CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/21/job-seekers-are-in-survival-mode-hr-expert-says.html
Fortune: https://fortune.com/2025/08/21/starbucks-ceo-replaces-merit-raises-flat-salary-increase/
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#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #RTO #Skills #GenZ #TalentStrategy | |||
| [17 AUG] Paper Cut - Traffic Lights, Shrinking Giants, Skill Truths | 17 Aug 2025 | 00:03:18 | |
PwC leans on traffic lights to track attendance. The UK jobs market cools. Major employers slim down while AI headlines get louder. Paper Cut turns the noise into usable moves for HR and employer brand leaders.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Surveillance Season Personnel Today: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/pwc-office-attendance-monitoring-traffic-light-dashboard/ Business Live: https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/pwc-ramps-up-office-attendance-32257460 The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/13/pwc-tracks-uk-office-attendance-with-traffic-light-dashboard Fortune: https://fortune.com/2025/08/14/robinhood-ceo-admits-rto-call-was-wrong/
The Great Shrinking BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdjjp681p7o Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/americas-biggest-employers-facing-great-shrinking-corporations-ai-2025-8 The Business Times: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/telcos-media-tech/dentsu-plans-cut-about-3400-overseas-jobs-trim-cost The Business Times: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/telcos-media-tech/oracle-cuts-cloud-division-jobs-amid-surge-ai-spending
AI Reality: Fewer Jobs, Pricier Skills Goldman Sachs: https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/how-will-ai-affect-the-global-workforce World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/08/ai-jobs-replacement-data-careers/
Culture Aftercuts Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2025/08/its-time-to-streamline-how-we-communicate-at-work Observer: https://observer.com/2025/08/rethinking-employee-wellness-culture-retention/ eFinancialCareers: https://www.efinancialcareers.com/news/jp-morgan-s-new-head-of-talent-transformation-suggests-a-rise-in-moneyball-promotions
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#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #JobsReport #RTO #WorkCulture #TalentStrategy | |||
| [10 AUG] Paper Cut — Stall Speed, Fast Cuts, Frayed Trust | 10 Aug 2025 | 00:02:38 | |
Jobs are cooling while AI cuts get louder. Leaders tighten control, workers lose patience. Paper Cut connects the dots so HR and employer-brand leaders can act with clarity.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Stall Speed Meets Automation Hype Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/04a83e0d-0128-4f59-9835-cb434a4257ec The Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/artificial-intelligence-replacing-jobs-report-b2800709.html Futurism: https://futurism.com/companies-fixing-ai-replacement-mistakes
Leader Talk vs Worker Reality Financial Express: https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-tells-employees-amid-massive-it-industry-layoffs-i-think-we-have-to-3935901/ CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/05/ai-labor-market-young-tech-workers-goldman-economist.html
Control Fever vs What Works Entrepreneur: https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/microsoft-plannings-return-to-office-mandate-report/495561 CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/07/companies-monitoring-enforcing-office-attendance.html Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2025/08/its-time-to-streamline-how-we-communicate-at-work Yahoo Finance AU: https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/major-work-from-home-turning-point-as-employees-return-the-office-worst-behind-us-003808446.html
The Quiet Rebuild: Freelancers and Fragile Focus Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/91379675/how-to-respond-to-quiet-cracking-a-new-workplace-threat
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#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #FutureOfWork #TalentStrategy | |||
| [03 AUG] Paper Cut - C-Suite Swagger Meets AI Whiplash | 03 Aug 2025 | 00:02:18 | |
Big Tech bosses brag about billionaire deputies while trimming headcount and blaming AI. Paper Cut cuts through the spin so HR and employer-brand leaders can act—not react. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links
Executive Bravado Meets Headcount Reality Google Earnings: CEO Sundar Pichai Dismisses AI Talent War Concerns — Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/google-earnings-q2-2025-ceo-sundar-pichai-ai-talent-war-2025-7
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: “I’ve Created More Billionaires on My Team” — The Times of India
Microsoft Staff React to Satya Nadella’s Layoff Memo — Business Insider
TCS to Lay Off 12,000 Mid- & Senior-Level Employees — Financial Express
AI Layoff Rollercoaster Big Tech Lays Off Thousands, Then Hires Thousands More for AI — Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/big-tech-layoffs-hiring-mircosoft-google-meta-ai-why-2025-7
AI Skills Add $18k to Average Salaries Despite Layoffs — Fortune https://fortune.com/2025/07/27/artificial-intelligence-skills-18000-salaries-28-percent/
CEO Boasts After Replacing 150 Employees With AI — Futurism https://futurism.com/ceo-lays-off-150-employees-replaced-ai
US Job-Cut Plans Surge on AI and Tariffs — Bloomberg
Big Tech Brand Fade & Talent Drift 75 % of Grads Walk Away From Google & Meta Dreams — Economic Times
2025’s Most Attractive Employers for MBAs: Finance Surges, Tech Fades — Poets & Quants
Hiring Confidence Slips as Employers Grow Cautious — HR Dive https://www.hrdive.com/news/hiring-confidence-shifts-employers-cautious/754238/
Work Without Walls Standard Chartered CEO Rejects Blanket Office Mandates — Bloomberg
Still No Four-Day Week Despite Proven Benefits — YourTango https://www.yourtango.com/self/still-dont-have-four-day-workweek-despite-proven-benefits
Employees Pay for Their Own AI Tools to Keep Up — Inc.
Women Use Workplace AI Less, Harvard Study Finds — CTV News
Workday Ordered to Reveal Employers Using HiredScore AI — HR Dive https://www.hrdive.com/news/workday-must-supply-list-of-employers-who-enabled-hiredscore-ai/756506/
Fortune 500 Firms Already Lag on DEI Pledges — HR Dive https://www.hrdive.com/news/fortune-500-companies-didnt-live-up-to-dei-pledges/756247/
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#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #FutureOfWork #TalentStrategy | |||
| [20 JUL] Paper Cut - Work Is Having an Identity Crisis | 20 Jul 2025 | 00:01:48 | |
Layoffs blamed on AI, return-to-office rules nobody can enforce, and a culture gap employees are ready to quit over. This week’s Paper Cut slices through the noise for HR and employer-brand leaders. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links
AI Cuts Both Ways ‘AI impact feels way more real now’: Microsoft lays off employee who was with the company for 5 years
AI could create these new jobs despite gloomy forecasts, experts say
RTO Rebellion 2.0 Fear of being ordered back to office affecting UK staff wellbeing, poll finds
Starbucks shifts to 4-day RTO for corporate employees https://www.hrdive.com/news/starbucks-four-day-a-week-rto-rule-seattle-toronto/753119/
Culture Credibility Test Nearly half of workers have considered quitting over employer’s ethics, report finds https://www.hrdive.com/news/workers-have-considered-quitting-over-employers-ethics/753171/
Leadership Lip Service McKinsey Research Reveals a Solution to Overwhelmed and Exhausted CEOs
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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #TalentStrategy #RTO #AIJobs | |||
| [13 JUL] Paper Cut - Robots, Remote Reality and Gen Z Burnout | 12 Jul 2025 | 00:02:13 | |
AI reversals. Office showdowns. Gen Z burnout. This Paper Cut slices the hype so HR and employer-brand leaders can act—fast. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
AI Clean-up Costs Companies That Tried to Save Money With AI Are Now Spending a Fortune Hiring People to Fix Its Mistakes (https://futurism.com/companies-fixing-ai-replacement-mistakes)
AI could determine whether you get hired or fired as more managers rely on the technology at work (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-hired-fired-promotion-managers/)
Indeed and Glassdoor to lay off 1,300 workers as AI shakes up job search business (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/indeed-glassdoor-layoffs-ai-job-search/)
Futurist Adam Dorr on how robots will take our jobs: ‘We don’t have long to get ready – it’s going to be tumultuous’ (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/09/futurist-adam-dorr-robots-ai-jobs-replace-human-labour)
Remote Reality Check 3M ending ‘Work Your Way’ remote flexibility with four in-office days (https://www.startribune.com/3m-end-remote-work-your-way-policy-four-day-in-office-september/601402999)
Amazon Luxembourg grants employees one day of remote work per week (https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/2319759.html)
JPMorgan offered return-to-office perks that are remarkably similar to the show 'Severance' (https://www.upworthy.com/severance-jpmorgane-perks-ex1)
Who’s Still Working from Home in 2025? A Look at America’s Telework Trends (https://eyeonhousing.org/2025/07/whos-still-working-from-home-in-2025-a-look-at-americas-telework-trends/)
Gen Z in Freefall At Singapore unis, undergrads fight for places at coveted finance clubs (https://www.straitstimes.com/business/banking/at-singapore-unis-undergrads-fight-for-places-at-coveted-finance-clubs)
Rise in job switches among Gen Zs; more employees taking ‘micro-retirement’ breaks, say experts (https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-employment-trends-micro-retirement-career-conversion-gen-z-5225866)
Why are Gen-Z ‘crashing out’? Experts concerned about this worrisome trend (https://www.financialexpress.com/trending/why-are-gen-z-crashing-out-experts-concerned-about-this-worrisome-trend/3905936/)
‘Unhappiest' Job Sector in America Named in New Study (https://www.mensjournal.com/news/unhappiest-job-sector-america-named-new-study)
Brand Battles in a Cooling Market In search of the most attractive employers: here is Randstad’s global employer branding top list (https://trademagazin.hu/en/a-legvonzobb-munkaadok-nyomaban-itt-a-randstad-globalis-employer-branding-toplistaja/)
Google salaries revealed: how much the search giant pays software engineers and other key roles amid the AI boom (https://www.businessinsider.com/google-salaries-revealed-software-engineers-paid-2025-7)
Job Postings Decline in All Industries; Education and Healthcare Jobs Fare the Best (https://www.indeed.com/press/releases)
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#EmployerBrand #FutureOfWork #TalentStrategy #RemoteWork #GenZ #AIatWork | |||
| [06 JUL] Paper Cut - Shorter Weeks, Sharper Output | 05 Jul 2025 | 00:02:14 | |
This week’s Paper Cut slices through four‑day week wins, stealth layoffs, and Gen Z’s new survival tricks. No fluff, just the facts senior HR leaders need.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Shorter Weeks, Sharper Output
Study: 4 day work week benefits employers (https://www.abccolumbia.com/2025/07/03/study-4-day-work-week-benefits-employers/)
17 companies switch to 4-day work week in UK (https://www.azernews.az/region/244144.html)
Layoffs in Disguise
Microsoft to cut about 4% of jobs amid hefty AI bets (https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/microsoft-lay-off-many-9000-employees-seattle-times-reports-2025-07-02/)
Are buyouts replacing layoffs? How big tech is quietly cutting jobs (https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-intelligence/are-buyouts-the-new-layoffs-why-big-tech-is-quietly-paying-workers-to-leave-10080174/)
Amazon Orders 350,000 Employees To Relocate Or Resign Without Severance (https://styleonmain.net/amazon-orders-350000-employees-to-relocate-or-resign-without-severance/)
AI Angst, Manual Muscle
Gen Z is ditching college for ‘more secure’ trade jobs—but building inspectors, electricians and plumbers actually have the worst unemployment (https://fortune.com/2025/07/02/gen-z-ditching-college-secure-trade-jobs-blue-collar-electricians-and-plumbers-worst-unemployment-rate-than-office-jobs/)
Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla predicts AI will replace 80% of jobs by 2030—and take much of the Fortune 500 with it (https://fortune.com/2025/07/01/silicon-valley-investor-vinod-khosla-ai-job-prediction-interview/)
IBM Lays Off 8,000 Employees for AI Automation, Only to Rehire Just as Many Soon After Because Of… (https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/06/ibm-lays-off-8000-employees-for-ai-automation-only-to-rehire-just-as-many-soon-after-because-of/)
Etiquette Coaches and Hiring Loops
Nearly all hiring managers say the process takes longer than 2 years ago (https://www.hrdive.com/news/hiring-time-lengthening/751699/)
US firms hire etiquette coaches to rein in Gen Z employees (https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/us-firms-hire-etiquette-coaches-to-rein-in-gen-z-employees)
‘I feel completely drained’: young professionals swamped by ‘infinite workdays’ (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jun/22/young-professionals-infinite-workdays)
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#PaperCut #FourDayWeek #FutureOfWork #Layoffs #GenZ | |||
| [29 JUN] Paper Cut - Algorithms at the Gates | 28 Jun 2025 | 00:01:51 | |
This week’s Paper Cut cuts through consultancy chaos, skills‑first hype, and cultural charades so HR leaders can plan without panic. No fluff, just the signals.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Algorithms vs Accenture https://www.economist.com/business/2025/06/26/who-needs-accenture-in-the-age-of-ai
https://www.cio.com/article/4012162/ai-begins-to-reshape-the-it-job-landscape-as-layoffs-rise.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/will-ai-replace-take-over-create-jobs-debate-tech-leaders-2025-6
https://digiday.com/marketing/how-employment-is-projected-to-transform-in-media-during-the-ai-era/
Paper Ceilings, Skills Ladders
https://www.hrdive.com/news/lack-of-training-after-layoffs/751732/
Culture Wars in Cubicle Land https://hrnews.co.uk/new-global-study-reveals-the-open-office-is-failing-todays-workforce/
https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/singapore-workers-gen-z-gen-085924474.html
Forecast: Patchy with Layoffs https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2025/06/26/employment-outlook-dips-economic-uncertainty
https://futurism.com/job-applications-ai-slop
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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #TalentStrategy #AIJobs #WorkplaceCulture #PaperCut | |||
| [22 JUN] PAPER CUT - Ultimatums, Algorithms, and the Vanishing Ladder | 21 Jun 2025 | 00:02:14 | |
Grim relocation deadlines, AI as a head-count diet pill, and a shattered entry-level market—this week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin so HR and employer-brand leaders get the facts. No fluff, just sharp insight.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links
Clock-Punch Capitalism Amazon gives employees 30 days “deadline” to … or resign in 60 days — https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/amazon-gives-employees-30-days-deadline-to-or-resign-in-60-days/articleshow/121945280.cms
Google gives these employees three-days “warning” to … or leave the company — https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/google-gives-these-employees-three-days-warning-to-or-leave-the-company/articleshow/121831799.cms
Genpact introduces mandatory 10-hour workdays in India, sparking employee backlash — https://www.peoplematters.in/news/culture/genpact-introduces-mandatory-10-hour-workdays-in-india-sparking-employee-backlash-46013
Scientists have studied remote work for 4 years and have reached a clear conclusion: working from home makes us happier — https://www.cmu.fr/en/scientists-have-studied-remote-work-for-4-years-and-have-reached-a-clear-conclusion-working-from-home-makes-us-happier-9712/
AI: Corporate Ozempic Amazon CEO tells employees to expect cuts to white-collar jobs because of AI — https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-says-generative-ai-expect-job-cuts-2025-6
Intel to lay off 10 000+ employees, and why none of them will be getting any severance — https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/intel-to-layoff-10000-employees-and-why-none-of-them-will-be-getting-any-severance/articleshow/121933196.cms
Scott Galloway has some choice metaphors to describe AI’s impact on workers — https://www.businessinsider.com/scott-galloway-ai-impact-on-workers-2025-6
The Broken Career Ladder China’s youth unemployment stays stubbornly high ahead of crunch summer — https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315028/chinas-youth-unemployment-stays-stubbornly-high-ahead-crunch-summer
The tech job market is rough for entry-level workers right now — https://farmingdale-observer.com/2025/06/13/the-biggest-fear-was-that-ai-would-steal-our-jobs-in-reality-its-replacing-those-of-people-who-are-learning-how-to-work/
Class of 2025 college grads are facing the toughest job market … — https://news.yahoo.com/graduates-having-hard-time-finding-110849906.html
Companies are overhauling their hiring processes to screen candidates for AI skills— and attitudes — https://fortune.com/2025/06/11/ai-hiring-process-employee-skills-candidate/
What It Means to Be Talented in the AI Age — https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspremuzic/2025/06/16/what-it-means-to-be-talented-in-the-ai-age/
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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBrand #HRTrends #AIJobs #Layoffs #TalentStrategy | |||
| [15 JUN] PAPER CUT - Talent Whiplash: Million-Dollar Coders vs Mass Layoffs | 14 Jun 2025 | 00:03:27 | |
The talent market snapped this week: Meta offers million-dollar packages while Google hands out buy-outs. Paper Cut slices through the spin so HR and employer-brand leaders see the real scoreboard. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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📌 Sources & Links
Elite Brains, Empty Rungs https://decrypt.co/323916/ai-coming-jobs-faster-anyone-though
Cost Cuts Meet Code Frenzy https://apnews.com/article/google-layoffs-tech-869f86eb6b53044de2cf22a932b0213f https://qz.com/layoffs-us-job-cuts-challenger-gray-2025-tech-services-1851783674
Soft Power or Bust https://www.hrdive.com/news/3-in-5-employers-say-soft-skills-are-more-important-than-ever/750424/ https://www.straitstimes.com/business/sense-of-belonging-at-work-why-it-isnt-just-a-nice-to-have https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/careers/quiet-cracking-at-work/990726
Well-Being Mirage https://slate.com/life/2025/05/happy-hour-drinks-office-work-co-worker-colleague.html
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#FutureOfWork #Layoffs2025 #EmployerBrand #TalentStrategy | |||
| Time Is the New Perk | PAPER CUT | 18 Jan 2026 | 00:04:56 | |
AI will keep dominating the headlines. The practical 2026 story for HR and employer brand leaders is time: schedule control, workflow design, and whether skills and pathways are being built in reality, not just in messaging.
This week’s Paper Cut looks at the AI jobs narrative versus labour data, the shift from “where” to “when” flexibility, and what narrowing entry routes mean for talent strategy.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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📌 Sources & Links
AI Jobs: Between Panic and PR
https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/us-could-lose-104-million-jobs-to-ai-and-automation/562136
Flexibility 2.0: Control the Clock
https://fortune.com/2026/01/04/bosses-new-battle-remote-work-from-where-to-when-flexible-hybrid/
https://fortune.com/2026/01/13/what-is-microshifting-work-life-balance-hybrid-remote/
https://www.businessinsider.com/120k-remote-job-vs-240k-in-office-debate-reader-survey-2025-12
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/work-from-home-office-remote-benefits-b2894944.html
Pipelines Are Bending, Not Breaking
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/14/workers-age-new-jobs-baby-boomers/
https://qz.com/adp-employment-report-white-collar-job-losses
https://www.upworthy.com/gen-z-career-minimalism-ex1
Layoffs, Briefly
https://tvpworld.com/91010323/important-stellantis-car-factory-in-poland-announces-mass-layoffs
https://www.businessinsider.com/recent-company-layoffs-laying-off-workers-2026
https://www.newsweek.com/list-companies-layoffs-employees-january-11293493
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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBrand #HR #HybridWork #Skills #AI #TalentStrategy #Recruiting #PeopleOps | |||
| [08 JUN] PAPER CUT — Interns Replaced, Entry-Level Erased, Wellness Ignored | 07 Jun 2025 | 00:03:32 | |
Interns are out, algorithms are in. Entry-level jobs are being erased, McKinsey bots are building your decks, and career stability now depends more on who you know than what you know.
This week’s Paper Cut breaks down the workplace headlines that matter—and what HR and employer brand leaders must do next.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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📌 Sources & Links:
AI replaces entry-level work: 🔗 https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-hiring-ai-recruitment-interviews-candidates-docs-coding-2025-6 🔗 https://fortune.com/2025/06/05/anthropic-ai-automate-jobs-pretty-terrible-decade/
Grads + Entry-level freeze: 🔗 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/02/business/jobs-market-college-graduate-economy 🔗 https://www.reuters.com/business/procter-gamble-cut-7000-jobs-over-two-years-2025-06-05/ 🔗 https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/corporate-layoffs-companies-making-job-cuts.html 🔗 https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-hiring-white-collar-recession-jobs-tech-new-data-2025-6
Networking & Quiet Firing: 🔗 https://www.businessinsider.com/networking-important-new-job-economy-ai-2025-6
Wellness ≠ Culture: 🔗 https://www.fastcompany.com/91343512/why-the-ai-age-makes-11-meetings-redundant-ai-11-meetings
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#FutureOfWork #EntryLevelJobs #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #AIinWorkplace #PaperCut #CareerStrategy | |||
| [01 JUN] PAPER CUT — Gen Z Opts Out, HR Goes Stealth, Entry-Level Jobs Vanish | 31 May 2025 | 00:03:02 | |
Gen Z would rather scrub hospital floors than code in a surveillance-heavy tech culture. Entry-level roles are evaporating. HR and DEI are going stealth to survive. And oddly enough, Unilever’s ice cream factory workers have more job security than most knowledge workers.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts. Here’s what’s really going on at the edge of work.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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📌 Sources & Links:
Gen Z says “No thanks” to Big Tech: 🔗 https://fortune.com/2025/05/28/gen-z-tech-jobs-healthcare-workplace-trust/ 🔗 https://www.vox.com/future-of-work/24093495/gen-z-open-office-backlash 🔗 https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-zs-problem-with-office-jobs-and-their-search-for-meaning-2025-5
Entry-level tech jobs vanish: 🔗 https://www.businessinsider.com/entry-level-tech-jobs-hard-find-gen-z-2025-5 🔗 https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-raises-performance-expectations-post-layoffs-2025-5 🔗 https://futurism.com/amazon-training-ai-only-coders 🔗 https://www.ndtv.com/business/ibm-has-replaced-8-000-jobs-with-ai-report-5466840
HR & DEI reset mode: 🔗 https://www.hcamag.com/us/news/general/dei-goes-stealth/486759 🔗 https://www.hcamag.com/ca/news/general/hr-leaders-confident-but-cautious/486873 🔗 https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/hr-magazine/hr-tech-trends-2025 🔗 https://fortune.com/2025/05/26/mckinsey-layoffs-5000-jobs/
Economic freeze, warm scoop: 🔗 https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_918540/lang–en/index.htm 🔗 https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volvo-layoffs-19-billion-reset-2025-05-28/ 🔗 https://www.ft.com/content/8304b664-3fd3-4cfc-933d-987ed0e6b7e3
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#FutureOfWork #GenZWork #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #AIFuture #WorkplaceReality #PaperCut #DEI2025 #RemoteWork #TalentStrategy #WorkNews2025 #Layoffs2025 | |||
| [25 MAY] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 24 May 2025 | 00:04:26 | |
Straight talk on talent, tech, and the future of work. This week: AI layoffs, consulting chaos, performance reviews as layoff prep, and Gen Z opting out. Your employer brand’s next big test isn’t just retention, it’s relevance.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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🔗 SOURCES & LINKS
AI Ate My Job Workday AI hiring discrimination lawsuit – CNN https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/17/tech/workday-ai-hiring-lawsuit/index.html Microsoft algorithmic layoff story – Economic Times IBM replaces 8,000 with AI, then rehires – Indian Defence Review JPMorgan urges managers to resist hiring – TOI TikTok layoffs by memo – Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-layoffs-done-by-email-employees-asked-not-to-return-2024-5
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Consulting Crisis + Bonus Cuts Deloitte cuts bonuses, scales hiring – Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/05/20/deloitte-bonus-cuts-job-freeze/ Big Four under AI threat – Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-disrupting-big-four-accounting-firms-deloitte-kpmg-2024-5
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Performance Reviews, Layoffs, and HR Irony Meta increases “below expectations” ratings – Business Insider Meta HR manager laid off – Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-lays-off-hr-manager-performance-review-fears-2024-5
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Remote Wins, Gen Z Opts Out Remote work beats office mandates – The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/may/19/remote-working-productivity-mental-health Gen Z turning NEET – Fortune https://fortune.com/2024/05/22/gen-z-dropouts-neets-labor-shortage-quit-culture/
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#employerbranding #futureofwork #talentstrategy #layoffs #aiworkplace #genzworkforce #paperCut | |||
| [18 MAY] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 17 May 2025 | 00:03:49 | |
Silicon Valley wants to replace all human workers? That’s not a headline, it’s a business model.
This week on Paper Cut:
🤖 AI: Eliminate as Many Humans as Possible 🧱 Middle Management Gets the Axe 📉 Global Confidence Collapses 🚫 Gen Z Opts Out of Leadership
As tech elites pitch an AI-powered world with no humans required, the workforce is left wondering: where do we fit in? From sweeping layoffs to a quiet rebellion against the ladder, this week’s headlines are a masterclass in future-of-work disruption.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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🔗 Links From This Episode
🤖 AI: Eliminate as Many Humans as Possible • The Guardian: Silicon Valley wants to replace all human labour • GitHub CEO: Humans still matter (for now) https://thenewstack.io/github-ceo-on-why-well-still-need-human-programmers/ • Amazon: New human jobs in an AI world https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/11/amazon-offers-peek-at-new-human-jobs-in-an-ai-bot-world/ • Alibaba: AI will be the backbone of operations in 3–5 years
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🧱 The Middle Cuts: Career Purgatory Gets the Axe • Amazon CEO: Cut middle managers who “fingerprint everything” • More middle managers facing layoffs https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/working-life/leadership/more-middle-managers-are-being-laid • TD Magazine: Middling Returns—The middle manager dilemma https://www.td.org/content/td-magazine/middling-returns • Microsoft: Global 3% headcount reduction https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/microsoft-to-cut-3-of-jobs-worldwide/
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📉 Global Layoffs & Confidence Collapse • Nissan to cut 20,000 jobs globally • Reuters: 10,000+ job cuts at Nissan confirmed • Panasonic to cut 10,000 roles globally • Burberry announces 1,700 job cuts • S&P Global: Labour market risk outlook
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🚫 Gen Z to Leadership: “Hard Pass” • Gen Z opts out of management to protect mental health
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💼 Looking for jobs in employer branding, HR, or recruitment marketing? Browse our job board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #Layoffs #AIJobs #GenZ #EVP #TalentStrategy #MiddleManagement #PaperCut | |||
| [11MAY] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 10 May 2025 | 00:03:13 | |
📉 Layoffs, AI Disruption & HR Disconnect – This Week in Work
From fresh layoffs to leadership trust slumps, the headlines are spinning—but we’re here to slice through the noise. In this week’s Paper Cut, we cover:
✂️ Job cuts rising across PwC, Panasonic, Telefónica and more 🤖 AI replaces HR teams, streamlines ops—and unsettles leadership 👩💻 Gender gaps emerge in GenAI adoption among HR leaders 🔥 Burnout spikes, trust dips, and remote workers fight for autonomy
If you work in HR, employer branding, or recruiting, this one’s essential viewing.
📰 Subscribe to the Paper Cut newsletter – it’s free: https://ebn.to/sub25 📍 Follow Employer Branding News on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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🔗 Links From This Episode
✂️ Job Cuts & Economic Wobble • Canada adds jobs but unemployment rises: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-09/canada-adds-7-400-jobs-unemployment-jumps-to-6-9 • Panasonic to cut 10,000 jobs: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Electronics/Panasonic-to-cut-10-000-jobs-in-major-restructuring • Panasonic battery profit up 39%: • Telefónica could cut 5,000 roles: • PwC to slash 1,500 jobs: https://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/news/pwc-slash-1500-jobs/ • US jobs outlook (JPMorgan): https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/outlook/economic-outlook/jobs-report-april-2025 • Changing jobs is risky in 2025:
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🤖 AI: From Buzzword to Budget Line • IBM replaces HR staff with AI: • CrowdStrike cuts 500, cites AI efficiency: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/09/crowdstrike-to-cut-jobs-and-use-ai • CEOs fear being replaced by AI: https://fortune.com/2025/05/09/ceos-fear-losing-jobs-ai-survey/ • Alternate take on AI job impact: https://www.thestreet.com/technology/legendary-tech-expert-has-unexpected-view-of-ai-impact-on-jobs
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👩💻 The GenAI Gaps & Gender Questions • Gender gap in GenAI adoption (HR leaders): https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/gender-gap-in-gen-ai-use-includes-hr-leaders-report/535156 • CHROs prepare for AI redeployment:
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🔥 Trust, Burnout & Remote Work Realities • Burnout mentions on Glassdoor hit new high: https://www.hrdive.com/news/burnout-mentions-on-glassdoor-soar-past-pre-pandemi/747592/ • Leadership trust tied to company health: https://www.hrdive.com/news/leadership-trust-barometer-company-health/747654/ • Spotify’s HR chief on WFH autonomy:
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🧠 For jobs in employer branding and recruitment marketing: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #Layoffs #AIinHR #Burnout #GenAI #RemoteWork #PaperCut #TalentAttraction | |||
| [04MAY] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 03 May 2025 | 00:04:45 | |
TRUST IS TANKING RTO resentment, AI anxiety, and DEI dysfunction: welcome back to Paper Cut after a two-week Easter hiatus. This week, we’re diving into a volatile talent landscape where managers are getting squeezed, middle-aged employees are targeted, and tech workers are being paid to do nothing (sometimes literally).
✂️ Layoffs hit older workers hardest and severance packages keep headlines juicy 🤖 AI replaces jobs, rewrites roles, and reshapes education 🏢 RTO continues to divide leadership and staff 📉 Employer trust is crumbling under hypocrisy and hollow platitudes 🧠 DEI takes another public hit
Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly analysis on the headlines shaping HR, employer branding, and the future of work. 📰 Subscribe to the Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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🔗 Links From This Episode
✂️ Layoffs, Severance & Ageism • Goldman Sachs offers $80K severance amid layoffs: • Americans brace for more job cuts: https://www.newsweek.com/americans-brace-layoffs-jobs-market-2057975 • Employees in their 40s top layoff list, CEO warns: • Middle managers under fire at big tech firms:
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🤖 AI Job Disruption & Future of Work • AI replacing contract workers at Duolingo: https://www.theverge.com/news/657594/duolingo-ai-first-replace-contract-workers • AI’s impact on job security: • How AI is redefining education and employment:
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🏢 Return to Office Drama • WFH workers seen as less promotable: • Companies that ended remote work now struggling to hire: https://glassalmanac.com/companies-that-ended-remote-work-are-struggling-to-fill-vacancies/ • Google sends harsh message post-layoffs: https://www.thestreet.com/employment/google-sends-a-harsh-message-to-employees-after-layoffs
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🏆 Employer Branding vs Reality • Apple tops list of Singapore’s best employers: • LVMH quietly cuts workforce amid growth: https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/luxury/lvmh-moet-hennessy-workforce-cuts/
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📉 DEI Under Fire (Again) • Trump touts new “system of merit” to replace DEI: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/05/01/trump-dei-system-of-merit/83394689007/ • “Deport Every Illegal” DEI tweet from the White House: https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1918336139200741381
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💼 Looking for jobs in employer branding, HR, or recruitment marketing? Browse our job board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
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#EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #HRNews #AIJobs #WorkplaceTrends #DEI #Layoffs #RTO #PaperCut #HRTech #Leadership | |||
| [13APR] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 12 Apr 2025 | 00:03:57 | |
This week on Paper Cut: Google tops LinkedIn’s “Best Employers” list… while laying off staff. Microsoft’s doing the same. So is LinkedIn just measuring vibes now? Meanwhile, a Gen Z challenger emerges, AI continues its desk-clearing spree, and a wave of job market weirdness rolls through the US, UK, and China.
📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter – it’s free: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
🔗 Links From This Episode
🏆 Top Employers? Really? • LinkedIn’s top employers list 2025: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/10/linkedins-best-companies-to-work-for-in-2025.html • Google lays off hundreds in Pixel and Android teams: • Microsoft mulls more job cuts targeting non-coders: https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-mulls-more-job-cuts-managers-non-coders-2025-4 • Microsoft fires engineers protesting layoffs: • Google allegedly pays AI hires to “do nothing”: https://wccftech.com/google-paying-ai-workers-a-year-salary-for-doing-nothing/
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📱 A Gen Z Challenger to LinkedIn • Students launch AI-driven LinkedIn rival: https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-series-gen-z-professional-network-ai-texting-2025-4
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🤖 AI Is Still Coming for Jobs • Shopify CEO: Prove AI can’t do your job: • AI likely to replace these 3 professions: • Jobs most at risk over next 20 years:
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🇨🇳 The China Slowdown Begins? • Some Chinese companies quietly reducing workloads:
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💼 Signals From the Global Talent Market • “People-first” HR gaining traction: https://www.hrdive.com/news/people-first-hr-2025/744922/ • US employee confidence creeps upward (barely): • UK sees biggest rise in job seekers since 2020 (Business Times): • UK labour market cooling (Economic Times):
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🧠 For jobs in employer branding and recruitment marketing: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
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#EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #AIJobs #LinkedInLogic #GenZ #PaperCut #HRTrends #WorkCulture | |||
| [06APR] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 05 Apr 2025 | 00:04:01 | |
Revenge quitting. AI reshaping roles. DEI rebrands, not retreats. This week on Paper Cut, we unpack the chaos with sharp insights on where talent, trust, and tech collide:
✂️ Job cuts spike again—yes, again ⚡ Revenge quitting is rising (and it’s personal) 🤖 AI isn’t just evolving roles—it’s erasing them 📉 Strategy is shifting from hire-hire-hire to retain-and-survive 📣 DEI gets a makeover, but not a burial
Stay informed. Stay sharp. Stay subscribed.
📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter – it’s free: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
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🔗 Links From This Episode
✂️ Layoffs + Strategy Pivots • March layoffs surged as ‘DOGE’ budget cuts take hold: • Canada sheds 33,000 jobs as global trade jitters intensify: • Japan hikes starting salaries to compete for talent: • Why your employer brand needs to get agile: https://recruitingheadlines.com/building-an-agile-employer-brand-strategy-in-times-of-uncertainty/
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😤 Revenge Quitting & Workforce Fallout • Revenge quitting is on the rise—yes, it’s a thing: • Fed employees being targeted by foreign governments:
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🤖 AI + Tech Talent Tectonics • LinkedIn launches new AI-powered recruiting tools: https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-acquisition/linkedin-ai-powered-tools • AI reshapes hiring strategies across APAC: • The end of programming jobs as we know them?: https://fortune.com/2025/03/17/computer-programming-jobs-lowest-1980-ai/ • Pentagon ditches HR software overhaul project: https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/24/pentagon_abandons_hr_software_overhaul/
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🛡️ Cybersecurity, DEI & Cultural Crossroads • UK firms scramble to fill cybersecurity roles: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news-features/uk-firms-cybersecurity-recruitment/ • In the Trump era, companies rebrand DEI—not kill it: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/30/in-trump-era-companies-are-rebranding-dei-efforts-not-giving-up.html • US gov bans romantic/sexual relationships with Chinese nationals:
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🎯 Perspective + Trends • Work-life balance? LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman says: “Laptop after dinner”: • Work-life balance “isn’t for startups”—Reid Hoffman on hustle culture: • Why HR’s future looks like marketing’s past: https://www.fastcompany.com/91300902/why-hrs-future-looks-like-marketings-past
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🧠 Jobs in employer branding + recruitment marketing: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
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#EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #RevengeQuitting #AIJobs #TalentTrends #DEI #HRStrategy #PaperCut #Layoffs2025 #WorkCulture #Newsletter | |||
| [30MAR] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 29 Mar 2025 | 00:03:27 | |
Layoffs. AI disruption. RTO tug-of-war. Gen Z may finally be slowing down the job-hopping. This week on Paper Cut, we dig into:
✂️ Massive restructures at Mercedes, EY, and IBM 🤖 Bill Gates warns most jobs won’t survive AI—but some might 🏢 RTO mandates ramp back up, but talent isn’t biting 🚪 Gen Z shifts gears—less hopping, more holding 📊 JPMorgan tweaks DEI language, and the UK Spring Statement drops
Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly updates on the trends shaping the future of work. 📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
🔗 Links From This Episode
✂️ Restructures & Layoffs: The Quiet, the Loud, and the Generous • Mercedes-Benz offers severance to 30,000 employees: • EY plans massive restructure post-split: • IBM quietly lays off thousands:
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🤖 Agentic AI & Gates’ “AI-Proof” Jobs • Bill Gates on AI replacing most jobs: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/26/bill-gates-on-ai-humans-wont-be-needed-for-most-things.html • Gates says coding, clean energy, and biology are AI-proof: • Deloitte and EY launch agentic AI platforms: https://www.businessinsider.com/deloitte-ey-launch-agentic-ai-platforms-big-four-competition2025-3
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🏢 RTO Round 873 – Still a Fight • RTO push intensifies 5 years after WFH boom: • London firms struggle with vacancies, blame WFH expectations:
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🚪 Gen Z – From Hopping to Holding? • Gen Z job-hoppers shift toward stability: https://fortune.com/2025/03/20/gen-z-job-hopping-salary-difference-low-loyalty-career-strategy/ • 2 in 5 tech workers have still quit recently: https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/24/2_in_5_techies_quit/
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📊 DEI Gets Tweaked, Policy Gets Practical • JPMorgan modifies DEI strategy under pressure: https://www.hrdive.com/news/jp-morgan-doi-dei-changes/743707/ • UK Spring Statement 2025 – Employer reactions: https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/spring-statement-2025-hr-and-employers-react
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🧠 For jobs in employer branding and recruitment marketing: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
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#EmployerBranding #FutureOfWork #GenZ #Layoffs #AIJobs #DEI #RTO #PaperCut #HRTrends | |||
| [23MAR] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 22 Mar 2025 | 00:02:56 | |
Welcome to Paper Cut, your weekly source for sharp insights in employer branding, talent attraction, and HR.
This week, we’re diving into: ✂️ Mass layoffs across EY, Siemens, and Morgan Stanley—but workers aren’t buying the usual narrative 🔒 Reports of tech industry blocklists that quietly blacklist laid-off employees 🧠 HR is finally getting strategic, shifting from firefighting to future-proofing ⚡ The return of ‘hardcore’ culture in tech—is burnout making a comeback?
Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly updates on the trends shaping the future of work. 📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
🔗 Articles Mentioned in This Episode:
✂️ Layoffs Everywhere, But the Vibe Is Different • Morgan Stanley Layoffs – Channel News Asia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/morgan-stanley-layoffs-improve-operational-efficiency-us-trump-tariffs-5009636 • Siemens Cuts 6,000 Jobs – The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/germanys-siemens-to-cut-over-6000-jobs-worldwide • EY Layoffs & Consulting Sector Tension – City A.M.: https://www.cityam.com/as-ey-plots-mass-layoffs-are-kpmg-deloitte-and-pwc-next/ • Layoff Narrative Shift – CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/16/a-vibe-shift-around-layoffs-is-happening-across-the-workforce.html
🔒 Blacklisted by the Algorithm? • Blocklists at Major Tech Companies – Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-employees-block-lists-widespread-job-seekers-2025-3
🧠 HR Gets a Strategy Upgrade • HR’s Strategic Pivot – HR Dive: https://www.hrdive.com/news/hr-strategic-role/742912/ • SHRM: HR Focuses on Existing Talent – HR Dive: https://www.hrdive.com/news/hr-shifts-focus-from-recruiting-to-existing-talent-shrm/742935/
⚡ Tech’s Toxic Comeback? • ‘Hardcore’ Culture Returns to Tech – Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-industry-amazon-microsoft-meta-google-companies-intensity-hardcore-2025-3
💼 Looking for a Job in Employer Branding? • EB Jobs Board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
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| PAPER CUT - Brains, Bots, and the HR Plot Twist | 07 Dec 2025 | 00:06:19 | |
This week’s Paper Cut slices through AI agent hype, labour market whiplash, hybrid headaches, and the growing trust tax at work. No fluff, just the context HR and employer brand leaders need to act with confidence.
This episode cuts through the spin to give HR, TA, and employer brand leaders the signal they actually need. We connect AI agents, uneven labour data, hybrid policy shifts, and rising privacy concerns into one clear story about trust, skills, and staying power.
Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
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Sources & Links:
Agents, Anxiety, and the AI Reality Check https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-releases-ai-agents-it-says-can-work-for-days-at-a-time-79c82902
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2025/12/people-outsourcing-their-thinking-ai/685093/
Labor Market Mirage: Sunny Data, Stormy Feels
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/03/us-private-payroll-jobs-decline-november
https://www.aol.com/finance/companies-announced-more-71-000-124809294.html
Hybrid, Happiness, and the House Rules
https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/wellbeing/has-the-freedom-of-hybrid-work-made-us-happier
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/01/meta-instagram-rto-return-to-office.html
https://www.thestreet.com/employment/leaked-memo-reveals-metas-harsh-work-policy-change
Culture, Privacy, and the Trust Tax
https://www.wsj.com/style/fashion/office-attire-changes-history-e6e9147b
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/580803/gen-z-workers-least-happy-40-percent-dread-going-to-work
https://theconversation.com/ai-promises-efficiency-but-its-also-amplifying-labour-inequality-258772
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-adaptive-mind/202511/the-culture-gap-no-one-talks-about
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #AIandWork #HybridWork #TalentStrategy #WorkplaceCulture #PrivacyAtWork #LaborMarket | |||
| [16MAR] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 15 Mar 2025 | 00:03:27 | |
Welcome to Paper Cut, your weekly dose of sharp insights in employer branding, talent attraction, and HR.
This week, we’re diving into: 🚨 Mass layoffs hit their highest level since 2020—who’s next? 📊 The job market is starting to look like the 1990s dot-com bubble—should we be worried? 🤖 AI is officially replacing civil servants—governments are automating jobs 🌍 China’s workforce is shrinking for the first time in years—how will it impact global hiring? 💼 An HR manager pulls off an insane $2.2M fraud scheme—and gets away with it for 8 years
Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly updates on the trends shaping the future of work. 📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
🔗 Articles Mentioned in This Episode:
🚨 Layoffs Are Back—And They’re Big Job Cuts Hit Highest Level Since 2020 – NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/doge-onslaught-pushed-layoff-announcements-highest-point-2020-rcna195082 Big Four Employees Fear Job Cuts – SightsInPlus: https://sightsinplus.com/news/layoffs/pwc-kpmg-ey-and-deloitte-employees-fear-job-cuts/
📊 Job Market Déjà Vu: A Dot-Com Boom Repeat? Is the Job Market on the Edge of a 1990s-Style Crash? – MarketWatch: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/americas-job-market-is-eerily-similar-to-the-1990s-dot-com-boom-should-we-be-worried-604d5d6c
🤖 AI Is Coming for Civil Service Jobs AI Set to Replace Civil Servants Under New Government Plan – The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/12/ai-should-replace-some-work-of-civil-servants-under-new-rules-keir-starmer-to-announce?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌍 Global Employment Shifts—Winners & Losers China’s Workforce Declines for the First Time Since 2020 – Staffing Industry News: https://www.staffingindustry.com/news/global-daily-news/employment-in-china-forecast-to-fall-for-first-time-since-2020-report Australia Pushes for Reproductive Leave in National Reform – News.com.au: https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/unions-nsw-pushes-for-reproductive-leave-in-national-employment-standard-reform/news-story/b3f57926e91d65dc1b8b1297b9fba386
🎭 HR Fraud of the Decade? HR Manager Fakes 22 Employees for 8 Years—And Gets Paid – Hindustan Times: https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/hr-manager-creates-22-fake-employees-logs-perfect-attendance-for-over-8-years-to-steal-18-crore-101741759765550.html
💼 Looking for a Job in Employer Branding? EB Jobs Board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
👍 Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more insights every week! #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #FutureOfWork #PaperCut | |||
| [09MAR] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 08 Mar 2025 | 00:02:42 | |
Welcome to Paper Cut, your weekly dose of sharp insights in employer branding, talent attraction, and HR.
📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
This week, we’re diving into: 🚨 New York is hiring laid-off federal workers in an aggressive recruitment push 📊 The February jobs report shows steady employment but signs of a hiring slowdown 💰 AI salaries are skyrocketing, but can companies afford to keep paying these premiums? 🏢 Return-to-office mandates aren’t really about collaboration—so what’s the real reason? 🔥 A recruitment campaign goes viral for telling people not to apply
Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly updates on the trends shaping the future of work.
🔗 Articles Mentioned in This Episode:
🚨 New York’s Unexpected Hiring Spree NYC Tries to Hire Laid-Off Federal Workers – CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-trying-to-hire-federal-workers-cut-by-doge/ New York State Campaigns to Recruit Terminated Federal Workers – Brooklyn Eagle: https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2025/03/03/new-york-state-campaigns-to-recruit-terminated-federal-workers/
📊 The Job Market: Strong, but Shifting February Jobs Report Preview – CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/06/economy/us-jobs-report-february-preview/index.html
💰 AI Talent Is Getting Expensive Employers Paying Premiums for AI Skills – HR Dive: https://www.hrdive.com/news/employers-pay-premiums-for-ai-skills/741556/ The Rising Cost of AI Talent – ScienceDirect: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162525000733
🏢 Return-to-Office: The Real Story The Real Reasons Companies Are Forcing Workers Back – Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspremuzic/2025/02/28/the-real-reasons-companies-are-forcing-you-back-to-the-office/
🔥 Viral Employer Branding Moment ‘Don’t Work Here’ Campaign Goes Viral – Entrepreneur: https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/dont-work-at-anduril-recruitment-campaign-goes-viral/487992
💼 Looking for a Job in Employer Branding? EB Jobs Board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
👍 Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more insights every week! #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #FutureOfWork #PaperCut | |||
| [02MAR] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 01 Mar 2025 | 00:03:16 | |
Welcome to Paper Cut, your weekly dose of sharp insights in employer branding, talent attraction, and HR.
This week, we’re diving into: 🚀 Elon Musk’s cryptic ‘Doge Email’ sends federal employees into chaos 🔥 DEI remains under fire, as Google employees challenge leadership and companies adapt to political pressure 🏢 Hybrid work mandates tighten at Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG 📈 Female board representation reaches record highs, but is it real progress or just optics?
📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
🔗 Articles Mentioned in This Episode:
🚀 Musk’s ‘Doge Email’ Shakes Up Washington Musk’s Email Sparks Federal Employee Chaos – The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/us/politics/elon-musk-email-doge-federal-workers-trump.html Musk Calls ‘Doge Email’ a Pulse Check – Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/musk-tells-cabinet-doge-email-pulse-check-workers-warns-us-go-bankrupt-without-action.amp
🔥 DEI: Holding the Line or Under Fire? Google’s Heated All-Hands Meeting on AI & DEI – The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/12/google-all-staff-meeting-ai-dei How C-Suites Are Reacting to Trump’s DEI Orders – HR Dive: https://www.hrdive.com/news/csuites-react-to-trump-dei-orders/741116/ Companies Maintain DEI Commitments Despite Political Pressure – Littler: https://www.littler.com/publication-press/press/companies-largely-maintain-inclusion-equity-and-diversity-commitments-amid
🏢 Hybrid Work: The Big Four Firms Are Making a Move Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG Tighten Hybrid Work Policies – Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/deloitte-ey-pwc-kpmg-hybrid-work-policies-return-office-rto-2025-2
📈 A Win for Female Leadership Women’s Representation on FTSE 100 Boards Hits a New High – HR Magazine: https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/new-rise-in-female-representation-on-ftse-boards
💼 Looking for a Job in Employer Branding? EB Jobs Board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
👍 Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more insights every week! #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #FutureOfWork #PaperCut | |||
| [23FEB] Paper Cut - Weekly Employer Branding Headlines | 22 Feb 2025 | 00:03:43 | |
Welcome to Paper Cut, your weekly dose of sharp insights in employer branding, talent acquisition, and HR.
This week, we’re diving into: 🔴 CEOs are quitting at record rates as leadership shake-ups accelerate 🏢 Hybrid work tensions flare up after JPMorgan’s leaked audio ⚖️ The EEOC cracks down on hiring bias, putting employers on notice 🤖 AI is reshaping hiring, from screening candidates to recruiting fighter pilots 🌏 China is doubling down on AI talent, fueling a global tech competition 📉 Major layoffs hit banking and automotive, with HSBC and Continental making big cuts
📰 Sign up for the Paper Cut newsletter - it's free: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
🔗 Articles Mentioned in This Episode:
🔥 Leadership Shake-Ups & Hybrid Work Tensions CEO Turnover Surges – Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/ceo-c-suite-rising-turnover-trends-human-resources-hr-response-2031493 Global CEO Turnover Index – Russell Reynolds: https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/insights/reports-surveys/global-ceo-turnover-index JPMorgan Leaked Audio on Hybrid Work – Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-02-19/jamie-dimon-leaked-audio-takes-jpmorgan-backward-on-hybrid-work
⚠️ Employment Policies Under Pressure EEOC Cracks Down on Anti-American Hiring Bias – HR Dive: https://www.hrdive.com/news/employers-on-notice-eeoc-anti-american-bias/740373/ UK Employers Slash Jobs as Taxes & Wages Rise – BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg7gewqevqo
🤖 AI is Reshaping Hiring & Talent Wars AI Screening Candidates Before Recruiters See Them – Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2025/02/how-to-get-hired-when-ai-does-the-screening China’s Military Uses AI for Pilot Recruitment – Dimsum Daily: https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/chinas-pla-air-force-harnesses-ai-to-revolutionise-pilot-recruitment-for-2025/ China’s AI Talent Demand Surges – Global Times: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1328588.shtml
✂️ Layoffs Hit Banking & Automotive HSBC Cuts Jobs to Focus on Asian Wealth Markets – Nikkei Asia: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Finance/HSBC-to-cut-jobs-as-bank-shifts-to-building-Asian-wealth-hubs Continental Cuts 3,000 Automotive Jobs – Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/continental-cut-3000-jobs-rd-automotive-branch-2025-02-18/ More Job Cuts Across Multiple Sectors – Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/69311f82-99aa-40dc-8935-50bbf0044eea
💼 Looking for a Job in Employer Branding? EB Jobs Board: https://jobs.employerbranding.news/
👍 Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more insights every week! #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #FutureOfWork #PaperCut | |||
| PAPER CUT - The Overcapacity Era: AI, Layoffs and the Culture Recession | 29 Nov 2025 | 00:05:51 | |
The overcapacity era is here. We cut through hype versus headcount and map the moves that keep your employer brand credible when AI agents rise, entry routes shrink, and culture confidence slides.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin and gives HR and employer brand leaders the context and checklists they actually need. No fluff, just facts and practical moves.
Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
SOURCES & LINKS
Overcapacity is a strategy, not a surprise https://www.straitstimes.com/business/allianz-to-cut-up-to-1800-jobs-due-to-ai-advances-says-source
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/hp-cut-thousands-jobs-due-ai-adoption-5490266
https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/26/workday_cross_selling/
Agents are useful, inside
https://fortune.com/2025/11/25/why-ai-wont-take-your-job-partnership-agents-robots-mckinsey/
https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/26/workday_cross_selling/
The culture recession is here
https://hbr.org/2025/11/leaders-assume-employees-are-excited-about-ai-theyre-wrong
https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/23/bossware_monitor_remote_employees/
https://www.fastcompany.com/91433435/great-leaders-boost-motivation-quiet-quitting
https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-employees-open-letter-artificial-intelligence-layoffs/
Policy whiplash: rules, dress codes, and rankings
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/dei-changes-benefits-workplace-04f0adb8
https://www.businessinsider.com/shrm-johnny-taylor-dei-workplace-lawsuits-layoffs-2025-11
https://www.efinancialcareers.co.uk/news/unemployment-uk-graduates
⸻
#HR #EmployerBrand #FutureOfWork #PeopleStrategy | |||
| [23 NOV] PAPER CUT - Pink Slips, Quiet Scripts, and RTO Flip-Flops | 22 Nov 2025 | 00:04:58 | |
This week’s Paper Cut looks past the headlines on layoffs, AI checklist hiring, hybrid confusion, and culture awards to ask what they really signal about trust.
This edition of Paper Cut from Employer Branding News cuts through the spin to give HR, talent, and employer brand leaders the context they actually need. Clear patterns, practical implications, no fluff.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Layoffs In A Trust Recession
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/11/18/big-tech-layoffs-ai/
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/new-layoff-tactics-bring-new-blunders-beefbf56
https://hbr.org/2025/11/how-leaders-can-build-stakeholder-trust-in-uncertain-times
https://employerbranding.news/2025-layoffs-employer-brand-outlook/
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/life/science/2025/11/19/csiro-restructure-minister
The AI Arms Race vs Hiring’s Doom Loop
https://www.thehill.com/opinion/technology/5609124-ai-agents-fail-real-work/
Remote Reality: Rights, Rituals, and Surveillance
https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/1118/1544498-remote-work-consultation/
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/remote-work-pandemic-coworkers-productive-b2865519.html
The Optics Economy: Lists, Standards, and Pay Power
https://dailyhive.com/canada/canada-top-100-employers-2026
https://www.thehill.com/lobbying/5605658-job-market-salary-negotiations/
https://www.theeverygirl.com/gen-z-career-minimalism-trend/
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #Layoffs #RemoteWork #AI #TalentStrategy #WorkplaceCulture #Compensation #Recruiting | |||
| [16 NOV] PAPER CUT - Commutes, Cuts & Credibility | 16 Nov 2025 | 00:05:16 | |
Office rules stiffen, AI agents start delivering, and the labor story splits. Here is how to keep credibility when everyone else is playing optics.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
RTO With Consequences
https://www.fastcompany.com/91439545/what-companies-are-getting-wrong-about-rto
https://www.dutchnews.nl/2025/11/dutch-employers-are-getting-tougher-about-working-from-home/
The Layoff Signal Is Noisy
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/layoffs-spreading-across-industries-careers-233117569.html
https://www.reuters.com/business/verizon-cut-about-15000-jobs-wsj-reports-2025-11-13/
https://fortune.com/2025/11/10/economy-bad-low-hire-fire-labor-market-recession-levels-ubs/
https://www.cityam.com/uk-businesses-accelerate-layoffs-amid-ai-surge-and-legislative-uncertainty/
https://www.iamexpat.de/career/employment-news/one-third-companies-germany-cut-jobs-2026
https://www.techspot.com/news/110139-new-data-shows-companies-rehiring-former-employees-ai.html
https://www.marketplace.org/episode/2025/11/11/more-labor-market-blues
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/11/09/small-business-owners-hiring-uncertainty/
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/11/mark-cuban-job-hunting-advice-i-give-my-kids-in-age-of-ai.html
Agents, Tracking, Fair Measurement
https://www.wired.com/story/all-my-employees-are-ai-agents-so-are-my-executives/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-begin-to-see-a-return-on-ai-agents-671d830d
https://thewalrus.ca/workplace-surveillance/
https://www.financialpost.com/fp-work/howard-levitt-employers-virtual-interviews
Culture That Operates
https://www.economist.com/business/2025/11/10/how-hr-took-over-the-world
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/ibm-change-management-phil-gilbert-leadership-failure/91242714
https://www.fastcompany.com/91438481/conde-nast-fires-four-for-confronting-hr-the-internet-reacts
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRTrends #RemoteWork #AIAgents #PeopleAnalytics #TalentStrategy #Layoffs2025 | |||
| [09 NOV] - PAPER CUT - Count the Cuts, Ditch Ultimatums, Fix the Middle | 08 Nov 2025 | 00:06:30 | |
This week we cut through the noise: AI layoffs get counted, CEOs flirt with ultimatums, hybrid needs better managers, and HR turns into a growth engine.
📰 Subscribe: https://ebn.to/sub25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
Layoffs Go Transparent: Start Counting AI https://www.challengergray.com/blog/october-challenger-report-153074-job-cuts-on-cost-cutting-ai/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jobless-boom-ai-economy-labor-market-corporate-profits-layoffs/ https://www.techspot.com/news/110139-new-data-shows-companies-rehiring-former-employees-ai.html
Culture Ultimatums: Agree Or Quit https://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-dei-ai-remote-work-culture-agree-quit-2025-11 https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-vp-jamie-siminoff-hiring-promoting-ai-usage-2025-10 https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/30/tech/amazon-layoffs-andy-jassy-ai-culture
Degrees Or Deliverables? The Skills Reset https://fortune.com/2025/11/06/gen-z-success-work-hard-skills-demand-ai/ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/opinion/gen-z-work.html https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/how-socioeconomic-status-shapes-workplace-success
Hybrid Isn’t The Villain. Management Is. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/hybrid-work-is-not-the-problem-poor-leadership-is/ https://theconversation.com/home-vs-office-working-why-it-doesnt-have-to-be-a-battle-267084 https://fortune.com/2025/11/05/kpmg-new-office-building-hybrid-model-manhattan-tim-walsh/
HR, Meet Revenue: Be The Engine https://hbr.org/2025/10/your-transformation-cant-succeed-without-a-talent-strategy https://hrexecutive.com/hr-is-in-the-drivers-seat-for-transformation-3-opportunities-to-take-charge/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/leadership/article-the-missing-engine-hrs-role-in-accelerating-business-growth/ https://www.fastcompany.com/91434452/agile-employer-brands-win-in-a-world-of-constant-change https://www.inc.com/benjamin-butler/meet-the-2025-power-partners-in-hr-people-operations/91244465
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRStrategy #GenZWork #HybridWork #Layoffs #AIatWork #TalentStrategy #EX #PeopleLeadership | |||
| [02 NOV] PAPER CUT - The Freeze, The Bot, The Backlash | 01 Nov 2025 | 00:05:41 | |
Starter jobs are turning into agent workflows while boards rediscover layoffs and RTO. We cut through noise and show what to fix now: rebuild the first rung, make hybrid a system, and narrate change like adults.
This week’s Paper Cut slices through the spin to give HR and employer brand leaders the insight they actually need. No fluff, just facts.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links:
The Freeze Cracks: From Hoarding to Cuts
Amazon, UPS layoffs show a labor market recalibration (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-ups-layoffs-labor-market-jobs-economy/ )
Amazon To Lay Off 15 Percent Of HR Employees After Jassy Said AI Will ‘Reduce Our Total Corporate Workforce:’ Report (https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/2025/amazon-to-lay-off-15-percent-of-hr-employees-after-jassy-said-ai-will-reduce-our-total-corporate-workforce-report )
Laid-off Amazon workers turn to TikTok and LinkedIn (https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-amazon-workers-turn-to-tiktok-and-linkedin-2025-10 )
Applied Materials to lay off Bay Area workers after export rule (https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/applied-materials-bay-area-layoff-trump-admin-rule-21127552.php )
Amazon to announce sweeping corporate job cuts starting Tuesday (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/27/amazon-to-announce-sweeping-corporate-job-cuts-starting-tuesday.html )
Amazon Plans New Layoffs (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/technology/amazon-layoffs.html )
AI Eats the First Rung
Vercel trained an AI agent on its best salesperson. Then it cut the 10-person team down to 1. (https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-agent-entry-level-sales-jobs-vercel-2025-10 )
Ex-McKinsey consultants are training AI models to replace them (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-30/ex-mckinsey-consultants-are-training-ai-models-to-replace-them )
Goldman Sachs to employees in memo: Expect more rounds of job cuts (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/goldman-sachs-to-employees-in-memo-expect-more-rounds-of-ai-led-job-cuts-its-become-increasingly-clear-that/articleshow/124583565.cms )
Chipmakers are slapping ‘golden handcuffs’ on workers to meet AI demand (https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-amd-broadcom-chipmakers-employee-retention-ai-boom-2025-10 )
AI won’t take our jobs. Silicon Valley’s automation theater has to end. (https://fortune.com/2025/10/27/ai-wont-take-our-jobs-silicon-valley-automation-theater-has-to-end/ )
JPMorgan and Goldman are hiring for AI (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/jpmorgan-chase-goldman-sachs-ai-hiring.html )
RTO, Hybrid, and the Attendance Arms Race
Jamie Dimon renews push to get workers back to offices (https://qz.com/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-renews-return-to-office-push )
Toptal CEO: Companies are getting hybrid wrong. Here’s the 80/20 model. (https://www.businessinsider.com/toptal-ceo-companies-getting-hybrid-wrong-80-20-model-2025-10 )
Why I worry about government meddling in WFH (https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/why-i-worry-about-government-meddling-in-wfh-20251030-p5n6fb )
America’s New Normal for White-Collar Jobs (https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/americas-new-normal-for-white-collar-jobs-85440ca5 )
Morale, Burnout, and the Narrower Funnel
Employee Discontent Is on the Rise. Here’s What to Do About It. (https://hbr.org/2025/10/employee-discontent-is-on-the-rise-heres-what-to-do-about-it )
We’ve Talked About Burnout for Decades. Here’s How to Finally Solve It. (https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/weve-talked-about-burnout-for-decades-heres-how-to-finally-solve-it/91257438 )
At least 4 in 5 tech talents could face limited opportunities as job market cools (https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/least-4-5-tech-talents-could-face-limited-opportunities-job-market-cools )
Amazon makes cold move that raises nationwide workplace fears (https://www.thestreet.com/employment/amazon-makes-cold-move-that-raises-nationwide-workplace-fears )
General Motors lays off hundreds of engineers on Microsoft Teams (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/general-motors-lays-off-hundreds-of-engineers-on-microsoft-teams-says-its-not-your-performance-its/articleshow/124824468.cms )
Meet America’s Best Employers for Engineers 2026 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelpeachman/2025/10/28/meet-americas-best-employers-for-engineers-2026/ )
⸻
#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #HRStrategy #AIatWork #HybridWork #Layoffs #EVP | |||
| Your Employer Brand Can’t Be a Slogan Anymore | PAPER CUT | 15 Feb 2026 | 00:04:35 | |
Employer branding is becoming operational. The winners are building systems that hold up under scrutiny: shared ownership across HR and marketing, real accountability when leaders misbehave, hiring that doesn’t manufacture friction, and AI adoption that improves work instead of expanding it.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25 🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25 ⸻ 📌 Sources & Links: Employer branding and HR demand https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/employer-branding-is-the-new-marketing-imperative/ https://www.hcamag.com/asia/news/general/hr-job-demand-lags-20-behind-pre-pandemic-levels/565106
Leadership misconduct and HR accountability https://www.hrdive.com/news/when-leaders-misbehave-hr-responsibility/812009/
Hiring friction and talent shortages https://www.hrdive.com/news/hr-leaders-facing-self-inflicted-skills-talent-crises/811691/ https://telanganatoday.com/linkedin-study-reveals-talent-shortages-ai-hiring-trends-in-india
AI job swap and workplace impact https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/what-happens-workplaces-embrace-ai
The Cut List https://www.thestreet.com/employment/major-tech-firm-quietly-lays-off-hundreds-in-ai-related-shakeup https://www.businessinsider.com/google-offers-exit-packages-to-some-business-unit-employees-2026-2 ⸻ #EmployerBranding #HR #TalentAcquisition #Recruiting #Leadership #Culture #AI #FutureOfWork #PeopleOps | |||