🍫 Hershey’s Sweet New HR Move

Hey HR Pros!

Hershey’s latest HR appointment highlights how even legacy brands are leaning on leaders with a focus on digital transformation, while fresh data shows employees are increasingly willing to trust AI — sometimes more than their human managers. Both stories point to the same reality: the future of work will be defined by how organizations balance people, technology, and trust.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🤖 New Report | 34% employees would quit if their employer banned AI

• 📈 New Data | The Hidden Costs of Workplace Misconduct

• 🍫 HR Strategy | Hershey’s Sweet New HR Move

• 🎙️ Featured Podcast: The Future of Employee Wellness Programs With Dr. Jessica Sharp

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 📰 Latest in HR News

• Only 1 in 4 front-line workers think senior leaders understand their work

• As government pressure against DEI grows, companies go quiet

• Duolingo CEO Defends Its AI-First Strategy Against Backlash Once More

• Revealed: Industries leading in part-time remote job offers

🤖 New Report | 34% employees would quit if their employer banned AI

Source: Read the full report

The workplace is entering uncharted territory as artificial intelligence reshapes how employees interact with leadership, policy, and even each other.
I came across a striking survey where nearly half of workers said they trust AI more than their colleagues, and more than a third would prefer an AI manager to a human one.
At the same time, rules around AI use are blurry — and many employees admit they’re willing to bend or even break them if it makes their jobs easier.

Key Insights

• 📊 Workers put surprising trust in AI — 45% said they trust AI more than coworkers, while 34% would quit if their employer banned AI.

• 🔒 Policy-breaking is common — 52% would ignore AI rules for efficiency, with 28% feeding sensitive or proprietary data into AI systems.

• ⚖️ Leadership is conflicted — Half of executives prefer AI managers, yet 34% can’t tell AI agents from humans and 38% don’t know what one is.

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Generational and industry divides — 58% of security professionals trust AI more than peers, while half of Gen Z see ChatGPT as a friend.

Read the full report

📈 New Data | The Hidden Costs of Workplace Misconduct

Source: read the full 446-word article here

Internal fraud isn’t as visible as a ransomware attack, but the toll it takes on businesses is just as damaging.

New data shows how misuse of company funds, time, and resources has quietly become the most common form of workplace misconduct — costing organizations money, time, and trust in leadership.

Key Findings from the Report

• 💰 Misuse tops the list — 67% of companies reported misuse of funds, followed by misuse of time/resources (65%) and inventory theft (46%).

• 📉 Financial and emotional impact — Businesses lose an average of $9,000 per incident, while 70% of leaders say the fraud was committed by someone they trusted.

• 🛡️ Company responses — Employers reacted with surveillance software (43%), restructuring teams (41%), reducing access to data (37%), and adding background checks (35%).

• 🔒 Employee dishonesty bonds underused — Though 35% adopted bonds after fraud, 78% remain unprotected, with most admitting they had never heard of them.

😄 Comic Relief (HR Edition)

🍫 HR Strategy | Hershey’s Sweet New HR Move

Source: read the full 321-word article here

Leadership transitions often signal a shift in priorities, and Hershey’s latest appointment makes that clear.
The company has named a new Chief Human Resources Officer, bringing in a seasoned leader with deep expertise in modernizing HR through technology and transformation.

Key Takeaways

• 👩‍💼 Natalie Rothman appointed CHRO — With 25+ years of HR leadership, she will report directly to Hershey’s president and CEO Kirk Tanner.

• 🤖 Focus on HR tech transformation — At Inspire Brands, she led modernization efforts with automation and AI to boost efficiency and workforce management.

• 🔄 Cultural change expertise — Her tenure at Advance Auto Parts included driving capability-building initiatives and advancing HR processes with tech-enabled solutions.

• 📈 Board-level influence — Rothman serves on boards for Udemy and Pearce Services, and advises Emory’s Goizueta Business School and New Mountain Capital.

🎙️ Featured Podcast: The Future of Employee Wellness Programs With Dr. Jessica Sharp

While you go about your day, plug in to today’s featured podcast below: