Move over, Boomers and Gen Xers. Millennials and Gen Zers are ready to take over.

Nearly 80% of the global workforce will be made up of millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha by 2034, according to the World Economic Forum. And this year, millennials surpassed Gen X as the largest share of managers for the first time in the US, Glassdoor research found.

“Every time there’s a new generation that enters the workforce, there’s always this shift of style,” said Matt Poepsel, VP and godfather of talent optimization at talent software company the Predictive Index. “Even when Boomers entered…They were saying, ‘What do we do about this manager who’s showing up with bell-bottom jeans and mutton chops?’”

Now that millennials have transitioned into leadership and managerial roles, and Gen Zers are right on their heels, people leaders will need to adjust strategies to cater to their differences and preferences.

For more on how HR can prepare the next generations of leaders, keep reading here.—MC

With the labor market cooling, experts have said that now is the best time for employers to invest in their existing employees. The only problem is that companies aren’t actually doing that.

That’s according to recent research from Workday. Despite a modest increase in hiring demand in the first half of this year, internal hiring and promotion rates have actually fallen.

Hiring demand was up 6% year over year in the first half of 2025, down slightly from the 7% YoY increase in the first half of 2024, according to Workday’s internal data and external surveys. However, internal hiring fell 8% YoY, and only 30% of all hires in June were internal. Additionally, promotion rates fell in 10 of the 11 industries tracked by Workday; manufacturing was the only one to see an increase in promotions.

“It is pretty rare for 10 industries to see a promotion recession all at the same time,” said Phil Willburn, VP of people analytics, insights, and experiences at Workday. “That was very surprising to me in our latest data.”

For more on what HR can do to reverse this trend, keep reading here.—PM

Corporate all-hands meetings will probably have a slide about employer health insurance this year, because health insurance costs are going to be a hot topic. Get ready, because employers—and employees—will have to figure out how to cover a cost spike.

Employer coverage is expected to increase an average of 9.2% to 9.5% in 2026, the biggest increase in 15 years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It’s the fourth consecutive year of significant increases, putting more strain on employers. The rising costs are attributable to lingering inflation, as hospitals ask for higher prices; the popularity of expensive GLP-1s; and the need for more healthcare services, as rates of cancer, cardiovascular problems, and musculo-skeletal issues climb among working age people, according to the Journal.

Aging workers are also staying in jobs longer and accessing more telemedicine, which is all adding to ballooning medical care costs, the New York Times reported. And of course we can’t forget tariffs, which are affecting prices of medical devices, supplies, and drugs.

For more on how employers are looking to cut costs, keep reading on CFO Brew.—JK

The pandemic elevated CHROs to the CEO’s inner circle. But as labor markets cool, cost-cutting returns, and AI takes center stage, their influence is at risk of slipping. Many executives still don’t see HR as a strategic partner—and those who wait to be asked may miss the moment. See how top HR leaders are redefining their role to stay at the table.