🤖 68% of new hires used AI in their first 90 days

Hey HR Pros!

Pay may be leveling out, but the pressure on HR is anything but.

With 2026 salary budgets holding steady at 3.4%, companies are moving from reactive increases to intentional compensation strategies. It's no longer about spreading raises evenly — it’s about rewarding impact, retaining critical talent, and making every dollar count.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🤖 68% of new hires used AI in their first 90 days

• 🧭 84% of millennials with a clear career path are satisfied at work

• 📋 Amazon’s new performance review system: Prove your impact or fall behind

• 💵 Pay raises plateau: Why 2026 will be a year of smarter salary strategy

Relatable? Yeah.

Finding the right HR software often sounds simple until you actually start looking. Suddenly it’s dozens of tools, nonstop demos, vague pricing, and no clear answer on what will actually work for your team.

At some point, the problem isn’t a lack of options, it’s decision fatigue. 🫠 

SSR’s free HR Software Advisor service exists for that moment. Instead of spending weeks comparing tools, you get a clear path forward based on what your team actually needs right now, including access to modern, AI-powered HR software worth a closer look!

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• The Eightfold AI lawsuit is another reminder of the pitfalls of using AI in hiring

🤖 68% of new hires used AI in their first 90 days

The first 90 days on the job are no longer just about desk set-ups, intro meetings, and shadowing seasoned coworkers. They’ve become a proving ground for artificial intelligence, and new hires are driving the change.

In remote and hybrid environments where face time is limited and first impressions matter, AI tools are filling a subtle but significant role: helping employees ask the "dumb" questions, fill training gaps, and ramp up performance without raising a hand or pinging a manager.

Key Insights

• 📊 68% of new hires used AI in their first 90 days, with hybrid employees leading at 78% — blending digital and human support seamlessly.

• 🙋‍♂️ 44% of employees turned to AI first when stuck, compared to only 25% who asked a colleague and 20% who asked a manager.

• 🧠 66% of new hires used AI-generated content without disclosing it, subtly shifting workplace communication norms and training reliance.

• 🧭 Despite AI’s rise, 46% still trust their manager more to guide their first 90 days — but 49% now trust AI just as much or more.

read the full 814-word article here

🧭 84% of millennials with a clear career path are satisfied at work

Millennial knowledge workers are broadly satisfied, but many are watching the market, weighing their options, and planning their next move based on growth, not just pay.

What’s rising to the top isn’t just compensation, but whether their current company is actively investing in their AI readiness, learning pathways, and long-term potential.

Key Insights

• 🧭 84% of millennials with a clear career path are satisfied at work — clarity, not just cash, drives retention and confidence.

• 🤖 61% are actively learning AI, with 75% of directors and 77% of satisfied employees upskilling to stay ahead of automation disruption.

• 🔁 54% believe they can grow internally, and 81% of that group report high job satisfaction — but 39% feel overlooked for internal roles.

• 📉 49% would start job hunting if the market improved — loyalty isn’t fading, but it’s conditional on opportunity and visible investment.

read the full 1,057-word article here

Free Webinar Coming Up: The Talent Magnet Effect

📋 Amazon’s new performance review system: Prove your impact or fall behind

As performance season rolls around, a growing number of companies aren’t just asking how you work — they want to know what you’ve done.

Amazon has sharpened its approach. Corporate employees are now required to list three to five specific accomplishments in their annual performance review.

Key Insights

• 🛠️ Employees must list 3–5 accomplishments with clear examples, shifting from values-based reviews to measurable, impact-driven self-assessments.

• 📈 Forte review results directly impact pay, factoring in peer feedback, leadership principles, and job-specific skills for an “Overall Value” rating.

• 🏢 Return-to-office mandates, org cuts, and pay changes all reflect Amazon’s bigger cultural pivot: discipline, visibility, and results over potential.

• 💡 Innovation still counts, even when outcomes fail — employees are encouraged to share risks taken, not just wins, to reflect growth mindset.

read the full 618-word article here

💵 Pay raises plateau: Why 2026 will be a year of smarter salary strategy

After years of volatility, salary budgeting is settling into a new rhythm. Pay increases in the U.S. are expected to hold steady at 3.4% in 2026 — the same rate as last year.

Leaders are no longer throwing money at inflation or turnover. Instead, they’re taking a strategic, data-informed approach: aligning rewards to impact, prioritizing skill development, and reinforcing internal equity.

For HR pros, the salary budget is no longer just a spreadsheet, it's a tool for shaping workforce behavior, value, and outcomes.

Key Takeaways

• 📉 62% of employers kept budgets unchanged, while only 6% increased and 21% decreased them — signaling a cautious, cost-conscious environment.

• 🎯 Pay is being targeted, not spread evenly — employees driving financial results, innovation, or efficiency are getting a bigger slice of the pie.

• 🔄 Voluntary turnover fell to 10.1%, as companies doubled down on retention tactics like upskilling, wellness benefits, and flexible work models.

• 🏛️ Stronger governance is in play, with organizations using more sophisticated compensation data and segmentation to ensure fairness and impact.

read the full 625-word article here