Tech CHROs expect layoffs to ease up this year, according to a recent survey of approximately 100 HR executives by SoftBank Vision Fund, a venture capital firm. While 62% of CHROs said they reduced their headcount over the past 12 months, just 20% “expect to have layoffs in the remainder of 2023.”

The CHROs said their next challenge is figuring out how to effectively manage workers in an environment that looks very different than it did three years ago, with many companies still adjusting to hybrid arrangements, and tech firms pulling back on many of the perks they offered to workers during the early days of the pandemic.

“Manager effectiveness” was ranked as the “top area of focus” this year by the CHROs surveyed; 39% identified it as their main priority. Around one-quarter (24%) said “change management” is their top concern, while 18% said they’re most focused on “culture.”

CHROs face management challenges. The rapidly changing world of work poses a challenge for companies when it comes to managing their employees, Michelle Aylott, CHRO at SoftBank Investment Advisers, told HR Brew via email.

As a result, “companies are placing a premium on management expertise as they recognize that effectively managing the workforce is an increasingly difficult task,” she said.

Keep reading.—CV

HR pros and L&D folks spend loads of time finding, developing, and building workplace courses from scratch. But what if there was a way to lighten that load—with AI?

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With AI Create, you can design a new course in seconds (seriously, try it) by entering a single prompt. Topics include emotional intelligence in leadership, setting priorities and managing workload, and preventing unconscious bias, to name a few.

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Working fewer days for the same compensation still feels like a pipe dream for most, but some companies across various countries are now trying out the four-day workweek.

Where in the world? One of the latest countries to dabble in the practice is Portugal, where the government announced a four-day workweek trial funded by the government, reported CNBC.

The experiment will take place over the next six months, with 39 employers trying it out. Workers will be paid their usual salary, but will only work 80% of their usual hours and be expected to deliver the usual amount of work. The Portuguese government is conducting the experiment in partnership with 4 Day Week Global, which advocates for companies and governments to try the model and spearheaded the successful 2022 experiment in the UK.

The Portuguese trial aims to “measure the impact of reduced work time on the physical and mental health of workers,” according to Birkbeck, University of London, which is involved in the study via coordinator and Birkbeck academic Pedro Gomes.

“Portugal is taking another step in the future of work. The four-day workweek pilot project assumes work-life balance as critical to attract workers and to improve productivity and innovation. The best companies are the ones who guarantee that they are providing space for talent and for fulfillment of workers,” Ana Mendes Godinho, Portugal’s minister of labor, said in a statement.

Satellite view. Portugal’s move comes hot on the heels of neighboring Spain, which is providing a financial incentive to companies with fewer than 250 employees, Reuters reported in April.

Keep reading.—KP

Here at HR Brew, we’re interested in learning more about how people work, and how the way they work is changing. With that in mind, we’re asking professionals to tell us about their desk setups. What are you proud of in your workspace? Do you keep mementos with you? Introduce us to your emotional support animal/plant/action figure. If you want to show us your desk, you can submit your story here!

Summer Paurus works out of the headquarters of Vehrs Distributing, an 85-person alcohol distributor based in Spokane, Washington. Though she has some support from parent company Epic Wines & Spirits, which acquired Vehrs in 2020, Paurus is an HR team of one.

Speaking from her office, where she’s required to work five days a week, Paurus shared how she set up her desk and why it was crucial for her to think about the experience of visitors in that space.

Tell us about your desk setup.

I try my best to make sure my office at work is a warm and inviting space for both myself and those who may need to visit.

I have pictures of all of my family and animals on my walls so I’m reminded of what’s keeping me going most days.

I put up different decor on my office door and window, depending on the month and time of year, and try to keep encouraging messages displayed along with warm lamps and plants, and I have a small USB essential oil diffuser, too.

Keep reading.—AK

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: The unemployment rate remained steady in June, ticking down 0.1% to 3.6%. (BLS)

Quote: “Companies both don’t have a firm grasp of the implications of letting individual employees engage in such a powerful technology, nor do they have a lot of faith in their employees’ understanding of the issues involved.”—Joseph B. Fuller, professor at Harvard Business School, on the difficulties of creating workplace policies on generative AI use (the Washington Post)

Read: Workplaces that try too hard to be nice could be sacrificing quality communication. (CNBC)

Lead the dis(course): EdApp’s AI Create lets HR pros develop a workplace course in seconds by simply entering a topic, ranging from unconscious bias to presentation skills. Try it for free.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}