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Hey HR Leaders!

I’ve been questioning a lot about the workplace lately. Do we really need to overhaul everything for Gen Z? Is working until 70 becoming the new norm? And if return-to-office mandates aren’t boosting collaboration, what’s the point?

This edition dives into the biggest workplace debates right now and separates fact from fiction.

Upcoming in this issue 📰

• 🏢 Gen Z at Work: Not Everything Needs To Change

• 🏦 Is 70 the New Retirement Age? What HR Needs to Know

• 🏢 Return-to-Office Mandates Aren’t Delivering on Their Promises

• 🚀 Case Study | How Sentinel Group Transformed Workplace Culture Through Management Training

🏢 Gen Z at Work: Not Everything Needs To Change

Read the full 679-word article here

I’ll admit—I was expecting something revolutionary about Gen Z’s approach to work. A complete rewrite of corporate norms, a radical shift in job expectations.

Sure, they’re digital natives, glued to their screens, and passionate about social values. But when it comes to career goals? They want the same things as the generations before them: career growth, flexibility, and meaningful work.

Key Insights

• 📈 Career growth remains king – Gen Z quits jobs due to lack of career development, just like millennials and young boomers, per McKinsey data.

• 🏡 Flexibility is non-negotiable – The top reason Gen Z stays at a job? Work-life balance, the same reason millennials stick around.

• 📱 Social media makes or breaks perceptions – Nearly 40% of Gen Z makes career decisions based on social media, versus only 4% of baby boomers.

• 🎭 Authenticity wins over exaggeration – A company’s online image should reflect its real culture—misleading portrayals can backfire when new hires experience the truth.

🧓Is 70 the New Retirement Age? What HR Needs to Know

Read the full 782-word article here

When Social Security set the retirement age at 65 in 1935, most people didn’t even make it that far. Fast forward to today, and we’re living longer, working later, and watching retirement age creep upward yet again. Could 70 be the next milestone?

For HR professionals, this means preparing employees for delayed retirements, strategic benefit planning, and shifting financial realities.

Key Insights

• 🏢 HR must prepare employees – Encourage hybrid retirement strategies like phased retirement, 401(k) planning, and gig work to navigate an uncertain Social Security future.

• 📈 Retirement age is rising – Full retirement age hits 67 in 2025, and projections suggest 70 could be next, thanks to longer lifespans and economic pressures.

• 💸 Claim early, lose big – Filing for Social Security at 62 means a 30% benefits reduction, while waiting until 70 maximizes payouts.

• 🌎 The U.S. might follow global trends – Japan and Denmark have already extended retirement flexibility, signaling a shift that could reach American policies soon.

🏢 Return-to-Office Mandates Aren’t Delivering on Their Promises

Read the full 762-word article here

Despite CEOs pushing for in-person work, data shows that hybrid and remote employees actually report feeling more collaborative, connected, and innovative than their office-bound peers.

If companies want real benefits, they need to rethink how they foster collaboration, mentorship, and engagement—regardless of where employees work. Simply mandating office attendance without improving workplace conditions won’t move the needle.

Key Data:

• 🤝 Collaboration isn’t about location – Only 49% of in-office workers feel collaborative, compared to 51% of remote and 55% of hybrid employees.

• 🔗 Connectivity isn’t higher in the office – Hybrid workers report the highest sense of connection (72%), compared to 66% in-office and 65% remote.

• 💡 Innovation thrives outside the office – Just 47% of in-office employees feel innovative, trailing behind 51% remote and 54% hybrid workers.

• 📚 L&D needs a boost – Only 52% of hybrid, 45% of in-person, and 43% of remote employees feel they have strong learning and mentorship opportunities.

🚀 Case Study | How Sentinel Group Transformed Workplace Culture Through Management Training

Read the full 780-word article here

When Fallon Carpenter took over HR at Sentinel Group, I imagine the challenge felt overwhelming. No management training. A reactive HR approach. Leaders dodging tough conversations. She knew change wasn’t just necessary—it was critical.

So, she got to work. Sentinel went from disengaged employees to an 80% engagement rate and a tenure of nearly 9 years—a rarity in financial services.

How they did it? Empowering managers. For HR leaders looking to drive lasting change, Carpenter’s approach proves that investing in people isn’t just good for culture—it’s a game-changer for business.

Key Takeaways

• 📊 HR needs to make a business case for change – Carpenter emphasizes that HR professionals must quantify impact and confidently advocate for people-first policies.

• 🏡 Flexibility only works if employees feel safe using it – Expanding paid parental leave led to more fathers taking time off, proving that permission matters just as much as policy.

• 🤝 Consistency builds trust – Sentinel’s leadership program, running since 2017, helped land them on the Boston Globe’s Best Places to Work list—twice.

• 💡 Strong managers = engaged employees – Before leadership training, managers avoided tough conversations. Now, their scores have risen, boosting overall company engagement to 80%.