💼 1 in 4 job candidate profiles might be fake by 2028

Hey HR Pros!

Deepfakes, AI agents, and impersonation scams are no longer fringe threats they’re targeting your helpdesk, your hiring process, and even your leadership team.

As fraud tactics evolve, HR sits squarely in the line of fire.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🔍 91% of hiring managers expect challenges in 2026

• 💼 1 in 4 job candidate profiles might be fake by 2028

• 📈 “Handling change well” is now the #1 engagement driver

• 🧑‍💼 HR Insights from Payoneer’s CPO

💪 Start the year with confident HR tech decisions

January usually means new priorities, new budgets, and a very real question: Do we have all the right HR tools in place?

If you’re exploring new HR software this year, SSR’s HR Software Advisor can help you make sense of the market without endless vendor demos and sales pitches. They will understand what you’re trying to solve, then guide you toward HR tools that make sense for you and your employees.

Think of it as a sanity check for your 2026 HR tech plans, backed by conversations with thousands of HR leaders.

 📰 Latest in HR News

• ‘Reverse discrimination’ was an enduring 2025 workplace trend

• Boston Dynamics is training an AI-powered humanoid robot to do factory work

• A new lawsuit accuses Spotify of race-based discrimination

• 17-year Abbott employee sues, alleges firing over approved FMLA use

🔍 91% of hiring managers expect challenges in 2026

In the latest survey of U.S. hiring decision-makers, optimism is unmistakable. Headcount growth is set to hit record highs, and companies are casting wider nets into new markets and emerging skill areas.

But the confidence is met with a warning: most employers say they’re not sure where they’ll find the people, or the skills, to power that growth.

Here’s what’s shifting behind the sunny outlook.

Key Insights for HR Leaders

• 🔍 91% of hiring managers expect challenges in 2026
  AI complexities (46%) and qualified talent shortages (40%) are top concerns, far outweighing compensation-related issues.

• 🧠 Skills now matter more than degrees or resumes
  Half of employers say applicants lack the right experience; 26% struggle to evaluate informal or self-taught skills, even if candidates show potential.

• 🧳 Contingent work is no longer a backup plan
  83% of employers are turning to contingent staff in 2026—up significantly from earlier this year—as a flexible fix for skill gaps.

• 📉 Fewer employers cite pay or benefits as dealbreakers
  Only 19% cite uncompetitive pay as a barrier, down from last year, signaling a mindset shift toward capability over compensation.

Read the full 607-word article here

💼 1 in 4 job candidate profiles might be fake by 2028

As HR leaders adopt more tech-forward hiring and communication systems, fraudsters are doing the same, only faster, and with fewer rules.

This year, impersonation scams powered by AI and deepfakes are expected to surge, putting HR departments at the frontlines of a growing cybersecurity threat.

From fake job candidates to AI agents hijacked for access, the lines between human and machine are blurring, and with billions already lost to scams, the cost of complacency is rising fast.

Key Insights HR Leaders Need to Watch

• 🎭 Deepfake attacks are exploding — 8 million online in 2025
  That’s up from just 500,000 in 2023, making impersonation scams faster, cheaper, and far more convincing than ever before.

• 💼 1 in 4 job candidate profiles will be fake by 2028
  Gartner predicts a surge in hiring fraud, as identity checks lag and AI helps scammers scale bogus applications worldwide.

• 🤖 Hijacked AI agents can bypass human oversight
  Once inside a system, malicious agents can deploy software or extract data, all while looking like a trusted internal user.

• 🔐 HR helpdesks are now key targets in scams
  Fraudsters are posing as employees or contractors to trick IT into resetting passwords or granting unauthorized access.

Read the full 764-word article here

You Are Invited To: The 401(k) Compliance Checkup

HR LOLs

📈 “Handling change well” is now the #1 engagement driver

Stability has become the new employee benefit.

For the first time in a decade, engagement is no longer fueled by how valued or included people feel, it’s about whether they trust leadership to navigate change.

As market uncertainty, reorgs, and layoffs reshape daily work, employees are shifting from emotion-based expectations to performance-focused questions: Can this company survive? Will I grow with it?

A new dataset spanning 20 million survey responses confirms a massive flip in engagement drivers — with implications for HR teams leading through transformation.

Key Insights from Survey

• 📈 “Handling change well” is now the #1 engagement driver
  This metric hit its highest rank ever, eclipsing emotional factors like belonging, which dropped to #4 in 2025 after a decade at #1.

• 🧭 Confidence in senior leadership now ranks #2
  Up from outside the top five pre-2021, leadership trust has emerged as a key engagement predictor in today’s performance-driven climate.

• 🪴 Employees crave purpose, not perks
  When employees see their work contributing to company progress, trust and engagement scores jump by more than 40 points.

• 🗣️ Input drives retention — 3.5x more likely to stay
  Workers who feel heard in decision-making are significantly more loyal, reinforcing the role of two-way dialogue in engagement strategy.

Read the full 789-word article here

🧑‍💼 HR Insights from Payoneer’s CPO

At Payoneer, Chief People Officer John Davis is combining local nuance, people-first leadership, and emerging technology to build a culture that scales without losing its human core.

Key Insights for HR Leaders

• 🌐 “Global consistency, local flexibility” is Payoneer’s workforce model
  Work-from-home policies vary by region, tailored to market competition and cultural expectations — not enforced from the top down.

• ⚙️ AI adoption starts with trust, not tech
  Davis emphasizes experimenting with AI in high-confidence areas like talent sourcing, while ensuring upskilling and transparency throughout.

• 🧩 Employees stay engaged when they’re involved
  Drafting and testing change policies with stakeholders — not for them — helps reduce resistance and boost alignment during rollouts.

• 💬 Output over input fuels autonomy
  Davis prioritizes outcomes over hours worked, helping foster a culture of trust, adult-to-adult accountability, and sustainable performance.

Read the full 1,021-word article here