💻️ A staggering 85% of employees still don’t have an ROI-positive use case for AI

Hey HR Pros!

AI use is up, but real impact is lagging far behind. Most employees know how to prompt, but few know how to turn AI into results.

A new report reveals why the proficiency gap is widening, where companies are falling short, and what HR needs to do now to turn experimentation into ROI.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🛠️ Nearly 40% of AI time savings vanish to rework

• 🧑‍💼 49% still plan to add staff, but with focus on AI, cloud, and data-ready talent

• 🌞 Summer Fridays: The low-lift, high-impact culture move HR needs now

• 💻️ A staggering 85% of knowledge workers still don’t have a meaningful, ROI-positive use case for AI

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🛠️ Nearly 40% of AI time savings vanish to rework

Read the full report here

AI is finally delivering what it promised: time savings. But for many HR teams, that saved time doesn’t translate into better work, just more of it.

If HR leaders want to capture the real value of AI, it’s not about speed. It’s about what happens with the time AI frees up.

Key Insights

• 🛠️ Nearly 40% of AI time savings vanish to rework: That’s hours lost to fixing tone-deaf or inaccurate content—nearly 1.5 weeks per employee per year.

• 🧑‍💼 Young HR pros do the most double-checking: 46% of those aged 25–34 experience the highest levels of AI-related rework, despite being the most frequent users.

• 📉 Skills training isn’t reaching the right people: While 66% of leaders say it’s a priority, only 37% of high-AI users see actual training access.

• 🔄 The best orgs reinvest in people, not just tech: High-performing companies are 2x more likely to redirect AI time savings into skill-building and connection.

🧑‍💼 49% still plan to add staff, but with focus on AI, cloud, and data-ready talent

Download the report here

As Q1 2026 unfolds, it’s clear the tech hiring landscape is shifting gears. The pace hasn’t stopped, but it’s definitely slowed — and not because companies aren’t hiring. They are.

But the mindset has changed: employers are getting sharper, not faster, in how they approach tech talent.

Key Takeaways

• 📉 U.S. tech hiring outlook drops below global average: Net Employment Outlook hits 33%, down 10 points from last quarter and 19 year-over-year.

• 🎯 Employers shift from volume to precision hiring: 49% still plan to add staff, but with focus on AI, cloud, and data-ready talent.

• 💡 Upskilling tops strategy list for closing gaps: 32% prioritize developing internal talent, followed by tapping underrepresented talent pools (26%).

• 🌍 Emerging markets lead in hiring optimism: Brazil (58%), Peru (51%), and India (50%) outpace the U.S., reflecting diverging global momentum.

read the full 519-word article here

Free Webinar Coming Up: The Talent Magnet Effect

🌞 Summer Fridays: The low-lift, high-impact culture move HR needs now

There’s a growing pressure on organizations to find flexibility that doesn’t sacrifice productivity. And for many HR leaders, Summer Fridays are emerging as a low-risk, high-impact way to test the waters.

As burnout rises and retention gets tougher, a small seasonal shift could offer major long-term returns.

Key Takeaways

• 🗓️ Summer Fridays reduce burnout and boost motivation: Offering time off on Fridays helps employees reset, without requiring full PTO or complex leave planning.

• 🔧 Multiple flexible formats make adoption easy: From half-days to once-a-month Fridays off, policies can be tailored without disrupting business needs.

• 🧠 Employees are reluctant to take PTO — this helps: Built-in time off reduces guilt, creating a culture that normalizes rest instead of punishing it.

• 📊 Pilot programs can test broader flexibility goals: Summer Fridays serve as a soft launchpad for evaluating the feasibility of four-day workweeks.

read the full 1,050-word article here

💻️ A staggering 85% of knowledge workers still don’t have a meaningful, ROI-positive use case for it

Most employees know how to prompt AI. But prompting isn’t the problem anymore — it’s knowing what to do with AI that actually drives business value.

Even in high-tech functions like engineering and product, the majority aren’t applying AI to the most obvious tasks. For HR leaders, this reveals a critical disconnect: companies are tracking AI adoption, not AI impact.

🔍 Key Insights

• ⚠️ 97% of workers are still stuck at beginner level: Only 3% are using AI to meaningfully enhance workflows or generate real productivity gains.

• 📉 Time saved is minimal — or nonexistent: 68% of employees save less than 4 hours per week with AI; 24% save none at all.

• 🧩 Employees lack use case clarity, not prompt skills: 85% of knowledge workers don’t have a value-driving AI use case; 25% never use AI at work.

• 🚫 ICs are under-resourced for AI transformation: They get the least access, support, and training — despite having the most automatable work.

read the full 1,830-word article here