About a decade ago, understanding DVR and on-demand might’ve felt difficult. A mother (not mine!), perhaps, relied on her adult children to come over to set up recordings or teach her how to rent movies on the TV. You (not me!) spent several years teaching her to master that remote, until it finally clicked.

Then came the streaming apps. All those skills navigating an incredibly complicated remote now rendered useless. New sleeker ones from Siri and Alexa replaced the SUV-size ones, and we’re back to square one. Maybe we just read books by candlelight, Mom.

Tech changes. Skills needed to master that tech changes. Life goes on.

Right now, technological advancements—especially in AI—are changing the way talent leaders and learning and development (L&D) pros are thinking about skills in the workforce. Skills are relevant for shorter periods of time, making it advantageous for companies to focus on a new skilling strategy: the T-shape.

Keep reading here.—AD

But to make that future a reality, a simpler, faster, and more human approach to hiring needs to happen today.

Don’t miss Indeed FutureWorks this Sept. 26 to hear unique perspectives on better hiring from the likes of Trevor Noah (yes, you read that right), Indra Nooyi (former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo), and other thought leaders in the space.

Throughout the deeply educational and interactive event, you’ll learn how to apply skills-first hiring to reach and retain untapped talent pools, discover new AI tools to help you solve your current challenges, and much more.

Claim your free virtual ticket.

New Jersey employers that use their employees’ immigration status as a means to retaliate against them for raising concerns about potential labor law violations will be subject to fines under a new law.

The law, which was signed by the state’s Lt. Governor Tahesha Way on Aug. 8, is intended to make immigrant workers more comfortable coming forward if they believe their employer is violating employment laws, such as paying less than the minimum wage.

Under the legislation, employers cannot threaten to reveal an employee’s immigration status, or report their immigration status to the authorities, as a means of covering up labor violations present in their own business. Employers who violate the law more than twice can be fined up to $10,000. The law went into effect immediately.

Zoom out. The number of unauthorized US workers grew from 7.4 million in 2019 to 8.3 million in 2022, according to Pew Research data, with unauthorized immigrants representing 7% of New Jersey’s workforce. The state has enacted several other laws strengthening protections for immigrant residents this year.

Keep reading here.—CV

We chat 1:1 with HR pros about their career journeys. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to share your story with us.

After graduating from high school, Karen Hall joined the US Air Force in 1987. Her first job was serving food in the dining hall.

“I started out working on the line because I was a new person, but I wound up taking over the order of supplies, making sure we had everything,” Hall told HR Brew. “I’m bossy, so I guess that kind of helped. Two older brothers, and [I’m] the only girl in the family in like 76 years…so I had to be bossy.”

After leaving the Air Force in 1989 when she had her first child, Hall worked several ad hoc jobs in various factories and doctor’s offices before joining sewing manufacturer LACorp in Lebanon, Virginia, as an HR personnel in 2015. She shared how her varied work experience taught her valuable HR lessons.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What lessons did you learn while working in the dining hall that stick with you today?

Organization. Everything had to have a place, and everything had to be in its place…If you’re in food service, you can’t just let food sit around…That’s kind of carried over into the HR thing, because you can’t let things sit. Insurance forms have to be filled out…Anything that happens has to be done in a timely manner.

Keep reading here.—MC

Mental health matters. Anyone can benefit from therapy, especially your teams. Did you know BetterHelp Business lets companies offer access to therapy as a workplace benefit? Yep, the world’s largest 100% online therapy service, conveniently provided to your employees. Strong minds = strong lives. Give your employees the care they deserve.