A TalentLMS and BambooHR survey found 39% of new hires have second thoughts about their jobs during onboarding, despite 73% being satisfied with the process. The top challenges are adjusting to company culture and feeling overwhelmed by information, according to the report, which suggests employers create more opportunities for human interaction and cultural immersion.

Hybrid and remote work environments introduce unique communication challenges, particularly if leaders rely on one-way, written communication, writes Gloria St. Martin-Lowry, the president of HPWP Group. Improve communication by continuously seeking feedback on communication preferences and adjusting strategies to meet the evolving needs of distributed teams so information flows effectively and teams feel connected, St. Martin-Lowry suggests.

A survey by Aon reveals only 19% of employers globally are prepared for pay transparency laws, with most focusing on compliance instead of strategic use. The survey found 21% of companies publish salaries for all job postings. "Organizations that fail to act face risks not only in compliance, but in their ability to attract, retain and engage talent," says Lisa Stevens, Aon's chief administrative officer.

Razan Akrouk, chief people and sustainability officer at GMG, advocates for a rebranding of HR to better reflect its evolving role in business. Akrouk integrates marketing principles into HR to treat employees as consumers, drive business excellence and improve employee engagement. Akrouk also emphasizes the need for organizational agility and sees AI as a tool to improve human interactions.

A report from General Assembly finds 82% of HR professionals in the US and UK are using AI in their daily work, with tasks such as analyzing employee feedback and writing job descriptions, but only 30% have received job-specific training. HR leaders are asking for more AI training to harness the full potential of the technology.

Constant Contact Vice President of Talent and Engagement Steve Winkel says the company's recruitment strategy emphasizes a strong applicant tracking system, job-market awareness and prepared hiring managers. The company uses data-driven strategies such as A/B testing to engage candidates, Winkel adds.

Empathy has become a watchword for leaders lately, but Jeffrey Hull and Margaret Moore, in their book, "The Science of Leadership: Nine Ways to Expand Your Impact," argue that compassion is a better goal because it leads to action to alleviate suffering instead of simply wanting to understand. Cultivate compassion by pausing to be mindful of our shared human experience, being present with others, listening to them and setting aside judgment or trying to fix the problem for them, Hull and Moore write.

Organizations are increasingly embedding diversity and inclusion into core values instead of treating them as compliance issues, with companies such as Microsoft and Salesforce exemplifying this approach, writes Silke Mischke, senior leadership adviser at IMD and EPFL. Leadership plays a crucial role by modeling vulnerability and creating psychologically safe spaces, writes Mischke, who adds employers should address systemic barriers to support diverse leadership.