64% of employees want top roles, but 43% have no growth opportunities

Hey HR Pros!

This week’s edition spotlights a sharp disconnect in the modern workplace: employees are more ambitious and tech-curious than ever, but many feel stuck in roles that don’t evolve with them.

Meanwhile, attitudes toward AI have shifted dramatically. Fear of replacement has given way to fear of missing out, with employees eager to adopt AI tools—but often left unsupported by organizations slow to implement them.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🎙️ Today’s Featured Podcast: A New Approach to Onboarding

• 🤔 What’s Your Take? Case Study on Employer Branding: Cracker Barrel’s Logo Whiplash

• New Data | Climbing Nowhere: Why Ambitious Employees Feel Stuck at Work

• 🤖 From AI Fear to AI FOMO: What Workers Want Now

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• Amazon sets deadline for aligning Whole Foods workers’ benefits

• Turnaround Troubles: Nike Layoffs Come for 1% of Its Corporate Workers

• Why Coinbase's CEO fired engineers who didn't adopt AI

🎙️ Today’s Featured Podcast: A New Approach to Onboarding

☕️ Grab a cup of coffee and plug in to today’s featured podcast:

🤔 What’s Your Take? Case Study on Employer Branding: Cracker Barrel’s Logo Whiplash

I’ve seen a lot of brand makeovers go sideways, but what happened at Cracker Barrel last week might go down as a textbook case in how not to rebrand a legacy icon.

Here's how it unfolded:

What Was the Strategy? Cracker Barrel launched a new, minimalist logo—ditching the image of “Uncle Herschel” and the words “Old Country Store.” This was part of a larger modernization push: revamping stores with lighter paint, modern furniture, and an eye toward attracting younger customers.

Results & Consequences: 

• Customers revolted. Social media lit up with criticism, and even Donald Trump weighed in, urging the company to reverse the change.

• Cracker Barrel’s stock plummeted over 10%, wiping out its year-to-date gains in just days.

• Rival chain Steak n’ Shake pounced, calling the rebrand “a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.”

The Fix: Apology and Reversal

• Facing growing pressure, Cracker Barrel apologized and scrapped the new logo just days after unveiling it.

• They reinstated the old design, reaffirming their commitment to nostalgia, rocking chairs, and Americana decor.

• They also promised to “keep testing, learning and listening”—but with heritage front and center.

read the full 643-word article here

😄 Comic Relief (HR Edition)

New Data | Climbing Nowhere: Why Ambitious Employees Feel Stuck at Work

SurveyMonkey’s latest study of 3,500+ U.S. full-time workers reveals a workforce torn between wanting more and getting less. Growth opportunities feel scarce, promotions are elusive, and side hustles aren’t a trend—they’re a financial lifeline.

Gen Z is the most driven generation yet, but also the least satisfied. And across the board, people are working while sick, checking emails at parties, and using AI without telling anyone—because the playbook for success keeps changing, and no one’s handing out copies.

Key Insights from the Report:

• 📈 Ambition is high, but 43% say growth opportunities are low
  Nearly half of workers—especially experienced ICs—feel stuck, and Gen Z is the least satisfied generation in the workforce.

• 💸 72% have or are considering a side hustle
  Financial pressure is everywhere: from saving for goals to just covering basic expenses, workers are looking beyond the 9-5 to stay afloat.

• 📱 85% get work messages outside hours—and most respond
  Despite 78% saying they have good work-life balance, 65% believe sacrificing personal time is key to success, and fear of judgment keeps them “always on.”

• 🤖 1 in 5 use generative AI without telling their managers
  “Shadow AI” is real—and managers do it more than individual contributors, underscoring how fast tech is outpacing workplace policy.

read the full 617-word article here

🤖 From AI Fear to AI FOMO: What Workers Want Now 

Employees are no longer dreading AI but racing to adopt it, hoping it will unlock productivity, promotions, and more meaningful work.

But while employee enthusiasm is skyrocketing, company adoption is lagging—creating what some experts call a “hidden talent gap” that could cost companies their best people.

Key Takeaways:

• 📉 Nearly 40% of employees wish AI tools were more available at work, fearing their company will fall behind if it doesn’t catch up.

• 🚀 90% of daily generative AI users say it boosts productivity, improving not just speed and accuracy, but also creativity and engagement.

• 🧠 70% want to grow their own AI skills, especially Gen Z and Millennials who see AI proficiency as key to staying relevant.

• ⚠️ 4 in 5 AI “power users” are actively job-hunting, frustrated by companies failing to implement AI in strategic, skill-building ways.

read the full 1,001-word article here