Spotify’s new CHRO Anna Lundström is stepping into the role during a fairly rosy period for the streaming giant. For the first time since it was launched in 2008, the Stockholm-based company was profitable for an entire year in 2024. A few rockier periods preceded this achievement, though, including layoffs that affected 17% of the company’s workforce in 2023.

Lundström, who has been with Spotify for nine years, officially took over as CHRO in April, replacing Katarina Berg. She said her team is now focused on hiring “homegrown talent” for open roles, as well as preparing the workforce for the AI age.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Lundström addressed how her team uses AI, Spotify’s pivot to focus on inclusion, succession planning, and other hiring priorities.

For more insights from Spotify’s CHRO about the biggest issues on her plate, keep reading here.—CV

Right now, some HR leaders can’t see the forest for the trees when it comes to their talent acquisition strategy.

Net employment expectations fell for the third quarter of 2025 as ongoing economic uncertainty continues to fuel employers’ reluctance to commit to hiring plans, a new survey of 6,000 US employers from staffing firm ManpowerGroup found. While it’s understandably difficult to strategize with ever-changing global trade policies, getting caught up in the turmoil also comes with its own set of ramifications, one expert told HR Brew.

Lowered expectations. US organizations’ net employment outlook for the third quarter, or July through September—calculated by subtracting plans for layoffs from hiring expectations—fell to 30%, down from 34% in the prior quarter, according to ManpowerGroup’s survey.

More specifically, 44% of employers expect to increase recruitment, while another 39% plan to maintain their current staffing levels, 14% expect to decrease their ranks, and 3% are unsure.

For more on how economic uncertainty is clouding the hiring outlook for employers, keep reading here.—PM

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: 49%—that’s the number of Gen Zers that think their bosses “don’t appreciate” the benefits AI tools can have in the workplace. (HR Dive)

Quote: “Workplace mental health is one of the most underappreciated yet critical areas we could intervene on…We were just starting to get some strong support from all the players involved…This administration has blown that apart.”—Thomas Cunningham, a former senior behavioral scientist at NIOSH, on how federal agencies are facing an employee mental health crisis (CBS News)

Read: Some employers, sensing increased leverage in the current labor market, are letting job applicants know that candidates who value work-life balance need not apply. (the Wall Street Journal)

Retirement benefits? Great. But what about the financial stress employees feel before they turn 65? On July 22, Aditi Shankar from Multiply Mortgage will join HR Brew to share how companies are helping employees manage debt, buy homes, and feel more secure at every stage of life. Register now—don’t miss out on the chance to hear how forward-thinking companies are expanding financial wellness efforts.