The EBN Dispatch

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/ford-hr-head-admits-we-have-failed-in-amid-confusion-over-return-to-office-emails/articleshow/124386719.cms

https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/it-takes-screenshots-every-10-minutes-employee-shocked-by-new-office-software-101759737902421.html

https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/employees-checkmate-management-after-their-bathroom-breaks-were-secretly-tracked-rs-44-lakh-faced-by-company/articleshow/124385019.cms

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/08/google-adds-limits-to-work-from-anywhere-policy-that-began-in-covid.html

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.forbes.com/sites/rachelwells/2025/10/08/3-ai-certifications-you-need-to-put-on-your-resume-in-2025/

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://fortune.com/2025/10/07/goldman-sachs-interview-process-hiring-sharran-srivastaa-39-interviews/

https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/remote-employees-remain-highly-productive-a-new-survey-says/91248497

https://fortune.com/2025/10/07/hiring-managers-gen-z-ready-for-work-careers-jobs-unemployment-ai-skills-based-us-college-degree-crisis/

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

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

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/

)

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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #TalentStrategy #RTO #HRLeadership #EVP #AIGovernance

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://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianbridgwater/2025/09/17/workday-tracks-evolution-of-human-agentic-resources/

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://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-acquisition/ai-is-changing-the-game-why-recruiters-need-to-think-like-consultants

https://aimagazine.com/news/workday-ai-research-reveals-enterprise-talent-drain-crisis

Productivity Without Pink Slips

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/17/duolingo-ceo-how-ai-makes-my-employees-more-productive-without-layoffs.html

https://www.reuters.com/technology/online-marketplace-fiverr-lay-off-30-workforce-ai-push-2025-09-15/

https://www.engadget.com/ai/fiverr-is-laying-off-250-employees-to-become-an-ai-first-company-215730063.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2025/09/14/small-business-technology-roundup-microsoft-copilot-does-not-improve-productivity-and-openai-makes-chatgpt-project-free/

https://fortune.com/2025/09/15/zoom-ceo-eric-yuan-three-day-workweek-ai-automation-human-jobs-replaced-future-of-work/

Carrots Beat Command-and-Control

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/17/amazon-invests-1-billion-to-raise-worker-pay-lower-health-care-costs.html

https://www.hrdive.com/news/most-workers-would-trade-salary-to-work-with-close-friends-kpmg-finds/760363/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2025/09/16/how-to-overcome-overqualified-or-salary-range-biases-when-job-hunting/86120260007/

https://www.businessinsider.com/consulting-changes-workforce-impact-business-world

https://www.inc.com/phil-rosen/ai-outlook-labor-jobs-market-investing-career-engineers-artificial-intelligence-business/91240002

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

https://www.wired.com/story/hundreds-of-google-ai-workers-were-fired-amid-fight-over-working-conditions/

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/14/australian-workers-commonwealth-bank-data-being-gathered-by-employers-ittle-privacy-protection

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/telcos-media-tech/Tech-in-Asia/ai-talent-war-pushes-us-firms-asias-outsourced-coders

https://www.peoplematters.in/news/organisational-culture/after-9000-layoffs-novo-nordisk-ends-remote-work-for-staff-43535

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/global/agoda-axes-50-singapore-staff-warns-them-not-report-govt-agencies-or-lose-their-severance-pay

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#FutureOfWork #EmployerBranding #TalentStrategy #AIatWork #HRLeadership #EVP #WorkplaceTrust

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://www.reuters.com/business/novo-nordisk-slashes-9000-jobs-slim-down-fierce-weight-loss-drug-battle-2025-09-10/

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fifth-consecutive-month-microsoft-layoffs-102009142.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/11/microsoft-ceo-nadella-says-company-must-rebuild-trust-with-employees.html

https://citywire.com/asia/news/goldman-sachs-to-lay-off-3-of-staff-at-global-headquarters/a2473769

https://www.businessinsider.com/rto-mandates-driving-workers-quit-helping-employers-avoid-layoffs-2025-9

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://fortune.com/2025/09/07/silicon-valley-gen-z-tech-industry-jobs-dissappearing-millennials-ai-automation-careers-older-workforce/

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

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianehamilton/2025/09/06/why-employees-prefer-ai-over-their-managers-the-impact-on-leadership/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracylawrence/2025/09/09/why-your-company-picnic-wont-fix-your-work-culture/

Place, Product, and Perception

https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-send-employees-back-to-office-rto-remote-work-2025-9

https://www.businessinsider.com/cbre-announces-building-experience-lab-annie-dean-office-design-2025-9

https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/how-did-an-employee-get-clues-that-layoffs-in-his-company-are-coming-soon-he-could-sense-from-his-managers-behaviour-he-just-ghosted-us/articleshow/123734166.cms

https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/lifestyle/job-hugging-what-uk-jobs-employment-b2823073.html

https://qz.com/careers-most-vulnerable-in-a-recession

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#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #RTO #Consulting #WorkCulture #TalentStrategy

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/salesforce-lays-off-4000-employees-ceo-marc-benioff-says-ive-reduced-support-staff-from-9000-heads-to-about-5000-because/articleshow/123631907.cms

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reshapes company culture to restore urgency and discipline

https://www.ainvest.com/news/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-reshapes-company-culture-restore-urgency-discipline-2509/

Amazon’s strict phone policy stirs employee concerns over trust and control

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/culture-reset-turns-personal-amazons-strict-phone-policy-stirs-employee-concerns-over-trust-and-control/articleshow/123709779.cms

Amazon asks staff to report personal use of work phones as cost cutting deepens

https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/amazon-asks-staff-to-report-personal-use-of-work-phones-as-cost-cutting-drive-deepens-80180.htm

Unilever to review its top 200 roles under turnaround strategy

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/unilever-review-top-200-roles-under-turnaround-strategy-2025-09-03/

Office Rules, Talent Gravity

Paramount to mandate five-day return to office from January, internal memo says

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/paramount-mandate-five-day-return-office-starting-january-memo-says-2025-09-04/

Amazon’s strict RTO policy is costing top tech talent

https://africa.businessinsider.com/news/amazons-strict-rto-policy-is-costing-it-top-tech-talent-according-to-internal/syr3et6

Community reaction and internal chatter on Amazon RTO

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45132093

Regional and suburban shared workspaces boost productivity for WFH

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-03/shared-workspaces-regional-suburban-wfh-option-productivity/105680458

Want staff back at their desks? Make the office less boring

https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/want-your-staff-back-at-their-desks-maybe-make-the-office-less-boring-20250901-p5mrfi

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

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2025/08/26/signs-of-the-rising-job-hugging-trend-and-5-ways-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

https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/academics-raise-alarm-over-suspected-ai-use-in-deloitte-report-20250822-p5mp0f

⸻

#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #RTO #OrgDesign #WorkCulture #TalentStrategy

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

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

Chapters

Links

Speakers

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

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📌 Sources & Links:

Surveillance Season 2

Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/banking/hsbc-plans-major-global-expansion-of-office-staff-surveillance-documents-show

News.com.au: https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/above-simply-automating-major-company-to-roll-out-aipowered-hr-personas/news-story/dc959391e7c876a3ddd9ac4995ddae11

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

T&D World: https://www.tdworld.com/utility-business/news/55311234/global-study-warns-of-growing-engineering-talent-gap-in-energy-transition

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

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

Economic Times: https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/us/microsoft-eyes-remote-work-crackdown-office-return-could-be-imminent-heres-what-it-means-for-staff/articleshow/123282023.cms

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

finews.com: https://www.finews.com/news/english-news/68850-ubs-stellenabbau-integration-cs-ziele-mitarbeitende-finanzplatz-schweiz-swiss-finance-place-2

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

The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/14/ai-artificial-intelligence-jobs-cleaning-construction-hospitality-australian-report

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/

CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/13/amazon-aws-ceo-the-most-important-skill-you-need-to-succeed-in-ai-age.html

Culture Aftercuts

Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/91371839/why-workplace-friendships-are-fading-and-why-that-matters-to-the-bottom-line-workplace-friendships

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