Mind Share Partners and Qualtrics saw shifts in perspectives on workplace mental health over the course of administering the Mental Health at Work Report, conducted in 2019, 2021 and 2023, concluding that business has made strides in acknowledging mental health and that ultimately employees want "mentally healthy cultures." The five strategies emerging from the most recent report include prioritizing comprehensive culture change, paying attention to root causes rather than focusing on quicker fixes such as meditation apps and sustaining a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Shifts in job market trends mean identifying the number of interview rounds is up for debate: One round might not be enough, but 12 is probably too many. This article looks at why some organizations expect double-digit rounds of interviews and what can be done to craft fewer, more productive rounds. From the job candidate's perspective, too many rounds of interviews could be a red flag about the organization. If a dozen people need to sign off on the process for making a hire, how many people need to sign off on strategic decisions or crisis response maneuvers? 

The AI race is on as job seekers search and companies try to find the best candidates, writes Chalmers Brown, Due's chief technology officer. "If employers want to find the right candidates for their jobs, they need to start providing the details on job descriptions," Brown asserts. "That way, seekers using AI can find them in the first place."

US employers plan to increase their salary budgets for nonunionized employees by 3.9% next year, down from this year's 4.1%, and their 2024 budgets for merit pay increases by 3.5%, down from 3.8% in 2023, according to a Mercer survey, which points out the increases are still higher than they were before the pandemic. "If the labor market continues to stabilize and inflation cools further as we move toward the end of the year, compensation pressures are likely to continue to decline," says Lauren Mason, senior principal for career at Mercer.

Protests against back-to-the-office mandates have created the phenomenon of "coffee badging" -- that is, visiting the office for a quick cup and a chat, while their electronic badge shows they were there. In the meantime, remote workers feel increasingly alienated as their bosses monitor their activities with software, or even with GPS devices.

Some 18% of remote workers globally have not disclosed to their employer that they've worked abroad in the past year, according to a SAP Concur report. In addition, the research found that 69% of HR leaders say to implement work-from-anywhere policies would require significant process change and 59% say it leads to increased burnout and stress among the HR team.

Omni Atlanta Hotel Centennial Park is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Career Closet, a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative that provides employees with an opportunity to "shop" for free work attire, ultimately removing obstacles to success. "I don't want anyone to lose their job because they don't have the right clothes," said Guest Relations Manager and DEI leader Jackie Duncan.

He's 8 feet tall with a pumpkin for a head, but don't let Target's entry into larger-than-life Halloween yard decorations fool you -- he's no jack-o-lantern; his name is Lewis. TikTokers can't get enough of Lewis, who not only spooks but speaks such lines as "Trick-or-treat, all you creepy crawlers" and "I fear nothing, night or day, except a strong breeze to make me sway."