When Sherri Manning was attending law school in the early 1990s, she did not expect her path would lead her to the world of HR.

Sure, she had always been interested in what makes the workplace tick, having started her law career specializing in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and benefits law. She also spent three years drafting legislation around health insurance and pension benefits. But as much as she enjoyed the legal profession, she realized that she was meant to be in HR.

“The thing that inspired me to make a career transition…is the desire to see things from beginning to end,” said Manning, now the chief people officer (CPO) at Olo, a company that helps businesses scale their online ordering and delivery services. “As an attorney, people will drop problems on your desk, and your job is to solve problems and to consult with a company. In HR, I get to do everything from designing the idea to rolling it out and seeing the impact that it has on the business and in people’s lives.”

Keep reading.—AS

If you think technology is evolving quickly, take a look at customer expectations. Today’s customers demand speedy, exceptional, round-the-clock-service—and companies are scrambling to find the tech that can deliver.

While traditional AI has its limitations, generative AI presents a unique and powerful opportunity to transform how businesses do customer service. And the execs agree: In a 2023 study conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value, 75% of surveyed CEOs believe the organization with the most advanced generative AI will have a competitive advantage.

Coupled with a personalized strategy tailored to enterprise needs, generative AI can help businesses increase productivity, improve personalized support, and encourage growth.

Check out these 5 exciting use cases to see how generative AI can change the game in customer service—and how you can get started today.

Recruiting the best talent is typically a top priority for HR. Employers spend a lot of time and effort getting the right people through their doors—but what about making sure they stay there?

Christina Janzer, SVP of research and analytics at Slack, recently connected with HR Brew to discuss why organizations should focus more of their energy on employee retention.

What drives a great employee experience, and why should executives invest time and energy into creating a great work experience?

Oftentimes, you hear people talk about things like employee perks like free food in the office or workout classes or things like that. Those are important parts of the conversation, but I think it’s a really small part.

When I think about a great employee experience, I think about enabling people to do the best work of their careers. So, that means valuing people’s contributions, that means trusting people to do their best work, it means building connections and making sure that people feel connected to one another. It means trusting people, and it also means supporting mental and physical well-being. All of that together is what is going to ensure that people can do the best work of their lives. And that’s what’s going to accomplish great business goals. When you think of it like that, you really start to understand that a great employee experience actually really drives productivity.

Keep reading.—AS

Remote workers vying for a promotion may find that the role they’ve been eying has gone to an in-office counterpart.

The majority (87%) of CEOs plan to reward employees who work in the office by giving them “favorable assignments, raises, or promotions,” according to KPMG’s recently released CEO Outlook Survey of 1,325 chief executives.

While KPMG’s survey respondents value office attendance, they also said that DE&I efforts should be prioritized, with 66% reporting that DE&I progress is moving too slowly. Yet in-office mandates and rewards could impede those efforts.

Laura Morgan Roberts, associate professor of business administration at the University of Virginia, told HR Brew that employees from marginalized populations often face hurdles to career advancement. RTO rewards could only further exclude these workers from mentorship, coaching, or access to promotions.

“We know from research that members of marginalized and underrepresented groups, because they feel less included at work, are less enthusiastic about spending time in the office when it’s unnecessary,” she said.

Keep reading.—KP

Exceeding expectations. Customer demands are high, and customer service is now the #1 generative AI priority for CEOs. With features like conversational search and personalized recommendations, let IBM show you how to treat customers right.