Fifty-seven percent of US and Canadian employees said they feel stressed each day, a spike of eight percentage points since 2020, and significantly higher than the 43% global number, according to a Gallup report. The survey found 62% of female employees in the US and Canada feel stress on a daily basis, compared with men at 52%.

An anonymous CEO talks about why they wouldn't mandate vaccines for their workforce, despite thinking it's a reasonable thing to do, and how having both vaccinated and unvaccinated employees is going to lead to problems for employers. "You have to treat your employees like adults, and therefore the only appropriate policy, as I see it, is to be honest and authentic about the distinction -- medically and public health-wise -- between a vaccinated and unvaccinated employee," the CEO says.

Workplace coach Lauren Brody in this interview talks about what employers can learn about the current return to workplaces from the negotiations that happen when parents return from parental leave. Flexibility, empathy, patience and a willingness to experiment all will be needed by leaders as they negotiate new working arrangements, and a caregiving stipend offers a nonbiased way to support all workers, Brody advises.

Apprenticeship programs such as Los Angeles Southwest College's HireLAX offering helps young people launch their construction careers while ensuring the industry gains diverse talent, Chuck Harrington and Sean McGarvey write. They note that the Biden administration would be wise to advance similar programs and training opportunities, as "the future of our nation's infrastructure depends on it."

Additional unemployment checks are a lazy excuse for employers unable to attract talent, writes Roberta Matuson, who advises leaders to focus on flexibility, more diverse hiring, a seamless application process and better benefits. "Now's the time to take stock of the reality of your situation and take bold steps to attract the right talent for your organization," Matuson writes.

When I coached club soccer, our head coach, Analiese, quickly realized that recruiting players from the local area was going to be tough. Larger, more well-funded clubs with better connections to college coaches naturally drew the top players. The rest of us were left to fight over the remaining talent. It was a constant battle.

So we switched gears and began recruiting players from a city about 20 miles away. We spent our weekends driving 1 to 2 hours to tournaments to scout them. It paid off. We picked up several talented players, including a nimble-footed midfielder and an acrobatic goalkeeper. When they made their debut on the field, I saw other coaches look at them puzzled. “Where did you get them?” We just smiled coyly -- and started winning games.

Are you recruiting from the same places and fighting with other employers over the same pool of people? Follow the advice in today’s HR Leader story. “Consider looking for talent where others aren’t digging. Be willing to dig a little deeper, and you’ll find some real gems out there,” writes Roberta Matuson. She’s right. Finding talent right now means looking where others aren’t. Winning starts there.

What kinds of stories interest you? People and culture stories? HR task stories (benefits, compensation)? Let me know! And send this link to other HR leaders who can benefit from this brief.