Job seeker Jaye West endured some odd, frustrating interviews with AI bots before finally landing a face-to-face interview with the hiring manager of a local company. West's experience is not unique. The rapid adoption of AI tools in job hunting and hiring is creating challenges, irritation and distrust among job seekers and recruiters. AI helps streamline applications, but it also complicates finding genuine candidates as applicants use the technology to enhance their materials and even disguise their identities.

Emphasizing behavioral integrity in leadership results in several positive outcomes, says S. Chris Edmonds, such as increased employee performance, retention and a willingness to embrace change. "The only way every leader and team member will embrace word-deed alignment in your work culture is for senior leaders to model the organization's valued behaviors themselves and hold every formal leader accountable for doing the same," notes Edmonds, an executive consultant with The Purposeful Culture Group.

Despite a relatively low unemployment rate of 4.1%, the influx of federal workers into the job market due to layoffs could strain this stability. The ability of these workers to find new employment will depend significantly on their skill compatibility with available private sector roles.

B2B brands are increasingly leveraging employee-generated content to enhance reach and engagement on social media, finding that content from employees often outperforms brand-generated content due to social media algorithms favoring individual posts. Companies such as iScanner and Omnisend have seen an increase in engagement on platforms such as LinkedIn and TikTok from employee content, highlighting its effectiveness in showcasing company culture and product insights.

Gossip in the workplace can erode trust, morale and productivity, functioning as a form of bullying, writes Jason Walker, an associate professor at Adler University. Employers have a legal obligation to intervene when gossip creates a hostile environment, writes Walker, who recommends cultivating a respectful culture by implementing clear policies, encouraging open dialogue and providing training on communication and conflict resolution.