🙎 Humans Hired to Clean Up AI's Mess

Hey HR Pros!

While AI was expected to replace creative jobs, it’s now creating a new kind of work: fixing its own mess. From rewriting robotic blog posts to redrawing glitchy logos, freelancers are being hired not to compete with AI — but to clean up after it.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 🧠 AI Still Needs Us: Humans Hired to Clean Up AI's Mess

• 🤝 Walmart x OpenAI: What HR Needs to Know About This Collab

• 🎙️ Today’s Featured Podcast: Should I Hire for Culture or Capability?

• 🧩 How These 2 Companies Are Redefining Remote Work

Is It Time to Update Your HR Software?

Remember when your HR software actually felt like a good fit? Fast forward a few years… not so much.

Signs It Might Be Time to Update Your HR Software:

• ❌ Workarounds and manual steps keep piling up

• ❌ Employees are frustrated with outdated workflows

• ❌ Upgrades cost more but still don’t solve core issues

• ❌ The system no longer scales with your growing team

Switching software doesn’t have to feel like a gamble. With the right matches in hand, you can move forward knowing the next tool will support your team instead of holding it back.

Here’s the fix: SSR’s free HR Software matching service will match you with vendors that actually fit your needs and budget. Whether you’re replacing an HRIS, ATS, Payroll, LMS, or another system, we’ll connect you to the solutions that actually address your pain points.

 📰 Latest in HR News

• Sociable: LinkedIn expands company page and recruiter verification

• Paramount mandates 5-day-a-week return to office ahead of major cost cuts

• The US August Job Report Has Many Takeaways for HR to Evaluate

• Is money enough? Tesla offers Musk a near $1-trillion package

🧠 AI Still Needs Us: Humans Hired to Clean Up AI's Mess

AI was supposed to automate everything — but it turns out, someone still has to make the output look human. From graphic designers to writers, gig workers are finding new kinds of demand: cleaning up the mess AI leaves behind.

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🎨 AI work is creating “fix-it” gigs
  Freelancers now specialize in polishing AI content — fixing design, text, or code that falls short of client expectations.

• 💸 It pays less, but takes more time
  Rewriting or redrawing AI output can be slower than starting from scratch — but many take the work to pay the bills.

• 📈 Creative gig demand is rising, not falling
  Fiverr reported a 250% surge in niche creative gigs, from emotional speeches to children’s book illustrations — all human-touched.

• 🤖 AI tools still lack adaptive learning
  MIT data shows 95% of GenAI pilots deliver zero ROI — largely because these systems don’t retain feedback or improve over time.

read the full 1,040-word article here

🤝 Walmart x OpenAI: What HR Needs to Know About This Collab

Source: Walmart

Walmart is investing heavily in AI — not just in tech infrastructure, but in its people.

The company is partnering with OpenAI to launch associate-facing tools powered by ChatGPT and is building a certification program that equips employees with practical AI fluency.

It’s a signal that AI is moving out of IT departments and into the breakroom — and HR leaders should take note:

• 👩‍🏫 AI upskilling is not optional
  Walmart is building internal certifications to train employees on AI tools — turning AI literacy into a core workplace skill.

• 📍 AI is being embedded across job functions
  With different AI agents for associates, partners, and customers, roles may evolve fast — HR needs to map future competencies now.

• 📈 The ROI will be long-term, not instant
  Walmart admits AI hasn’t boosted sales yet — but it's investing anyway. HR must prepare for delayed but deep workforce impacts.

• 🏢 AI strategy now includes org structure
  Hiring an EVP of AI Acceleration shows this isn’t just tech adoption — it's executive-level transformation HR will help operationalize.

read the full 474-word article here

😄 Comic Relief (HR Edition)

🎙️ Today’s Featured Podcast: Should I Hire for Culture or Capability?

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

🧩 How These 2 Companies Are Redefining Remote Work

As office foot traffic climbs back to nearly 80% of pre-pandemic levels, many companies are tightening their hybrid policies or calling employees back full-time.

But two organizations — Workleap and ezCater — are proving there's another way to scale: by doubling down on remote-first cultures and designing intentional in-person moments, not mandates.

Here’s how they’re doing it:

Workleap: From In-Office Culture to Borderless Collaboration

Headcount: ~400
HQ: Montreal
Model: Remote-first with twice-yearly onsite gatherings

Workleap transitioned from a hyper-local, in-office company (complete with full-time barista) to a fully remote model that now hires across Canada and the U.S.
Employees can even live abroad up to five months a year.

Strategy 1: Redesign in-person time with purpose

Instead of recurring office days, Workleap hosts two major onsite events per year, flying in all employees for strategic planning, workshops, and social connection.
Leaders may gather more frequently to tackle complex problems in person.

Strategy 2: Stay flexible — even with flexibility

Initially rigid about keeping all meetings fully remote-friendly, Workleap later relaxed this stance. Leaders learned that some in-person time, when done right, can unlock collaboration — without undermining remote-first values.

ezCater: Building Culture with Optional In-Person Time

Headcount: ~850
HQ: Boston
Model: Remote-first with monthly optional gatherings

ezCater lets employees work from anywhere, anytime — no required days in-office, even for local staff.

Strategy 1: Implemented ezTogether Weeks

During ezTogether Weeks, employees engage in team-building, informal meetings, and fun — capitalizing on Boston’s social scene to make attendance worthwhile.

Strategy 2: Flatten hierarchy, boost access

Leaders intentionally sit with employees during gatherings — fostering informal chats about work and life, reinforcing transparency and accessibility.

read the full 1,250-word article here