📣 This Japanese method could be the missing link in your communication strategy

Hey HR Pros!

In a time when collaboration is strained and silos run deep, one deceptively simple framework offers a proven path forward.

This Japanese model (Ho-Ren-So) isn’t about hierarchy or micromanagement — it’s about consistent, real-time dialogue that keeps teams aligned and engaged. If your workplace is feeling disconnected, this might be the structure you didn’t know you needed.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 📣 This Japanese Method Could Be the Missing Link in Your Communication Strategy

• 👥 When AI Is Biased, So Are We: What HR Must Learn From This Study

• 🕵️ What HR Can Learn From the Rise of the ‘Ghost Job’ Economy

• 📣 92% of Young Workers Want Purpose — Not Promotions

💬 HR Leaders on SSR’s Advisor Service

 📰 Latest in HR News

• Klarna says AI drive has helped halve staff numbers and boost pay

• Zoom buys BrightHire to transform the future of hiring

• Nike ends perk that gave employees a week off for wellness

• Back online and on alert: What employers must do now as the government shutdown ends

📣 This Japanese Method Could Be the Missing Link in Your Communication Strategy

In today’s increasingly fragmented workplaces—marked by hybrid schedules, shrinking teams, and a post-layoff sense of disconnect—the challenge isn’t just getting work done. It’s getting it done together.

That’s why I found this Japanese communication-first framework (Ho-Ren-So) so compelling: it’s a structured approach that emphasizes continuous updates, coordination, and consultation between employees and managers.

Unlike many Western norms that prioritize independence, this method encourages ongoing interaction to keep everyone aligned in real time. For HR professionals navigating fractured communication, low engagement, and flattened hierarchies, this offers a clear, process-driven path back to genuine collaboration.

Key Insights

• 🔄 “Ho” emphasizes proactive reporting — Employees give consistent updates throughout projects, reducing surprises and keeping senior leaders fully informed.

• 📞 “Ren” promotes real-time coordination — Cross-functional updates are shared immediately, preventing delays caused by siloed work or after-the-fact reporting.

• 🧠 “So” builds consultative habits — Workers are encouraged to seek input during tasks—not after—fostering shared accountability and better decision-making.

• 🛠 Gradual adoption can boost cohesion — Rolling out this model in phases helps rebuild mentorship, restore connection, and improve communication clarity across teams.

read the full 674-word article here

👥 When AI Is Biased, So Are We: What HR Must Learn From This Study

In a large-scale hiring simulation involving 528 participants, researchers tested how people responded to biased AI suggestions when choosing equally qualified candidates from different racial backgrounds.

Key Insights

• 🤖 People mirrored moderate AI bias almost exactly — When AI showed racial preference, participants reflected that preference over 80% of the time during hiring simulations.

• 🧪 Bias dropped 13% with pre-hiring bias training — Starting with an implicit association test helped participants resist biased AI recommendations and choose more fairly.

• 📄 Even AI-written resumes played a role — Researchers used generated resumes to maintain control—highlighting the new normal of AI-influenced hiring materials.

• 🔍 Bias awareness alone wasn’t enough — Participants recognized extreme bias but still followed AI suggestions nearly 90% of the time, proving awareness doesn’t equal action.

read the full 843-word article here

HR LOLs

🕵️ What HR Can Learn From the Rise of the ‘Ghost Job’ Economy

Hiring metrics look strong on the surface — millions of open roles, resumes pouring in, active job boards. But dig deeper, and a troubling pattern emerges: a significant share of job postings never result in actual hires.

In what’s now being called the “ghost job economy,” open roles linger online with no intention of being filled, misleading job seekers, confusing policymakers, and eroding trust in the hiring process.

For HR professionals, it’s a critical wake-up call: not only are candidates growing skeptical of your listings, but your data may be skewing internal decisions too.

Key Insights

• 📉 1 in 3 listings led nowhere in June 2025 — Over 2.2 million U.S. job postings resulted in zero hires, distorting labor market signals and job seeker expectations.

• 🏥 Ghost jobs cluster in key sectors — Education, government, financial services, and healthcare all posted 44–60% more openings than actual hires.

• 📊 The gap isn’t new — it’s structural — Since 2021, 28–38% of monthly U.S. job listings haven’t led to a hire, even as hiring demand cooled.

• ⏳ Some gaps are strategic, not sinister — Delayed approvals, talent pipelining, and labor shortages also contribute to the rise in unfulfilled postings.

read the full 1,013-word article here

📣 92% of Young Workers Want Purpose — Not Promotions

It’s not the first time a younger generation entering the workforce has been met with eye-rolls and accusations of entitlement.
But this time, the scrutiny of Gen Z has collided with a perfect storm: rising workplace distrust, evolving job values, and the democratization of digital skills.

For HR leaders, the question isn’t whether Gen Z needs to adapt.
It’s whether your company culture is ready to meet them where they are.

Key Insights

• 🔁 The “lazy Gen Z” narrative mirrors past generational bias — Millennials faced identical criticism before becoming today’s managers, revealing a predictable pattern of intergenerational tension.

• 💡 Gen Z values smart work over long hours — Many use AI tools to streamline tasks and avoid burnout, challenging traditional notions of effort and productivity.

• 📉 Institutional distrust shapes workplace expectations — After witnessing mass layoffs and broken promises, Gen Z expects transparency, flexibility, and fairness from employers.

• 📊 Purpose drives retention — 89% of Gen Z workers say meaning matters in their jobs, a shift employers must prioritize to stay competitive.

read the full 1,077-word article here