Exit Interview By Patrick Donegan #111

For some time, I’ve been looking for one “source” that curates modern takes on HR Tech, perspectives from the people who build it, and its impact on enterprise — something that’s tailor-made by professionals for decision-makers.

I never found it — so I decided to build it.

Every week, I’ll be sharing fresh insights on tech platforms, design, data, and the future of work — straight to your inbox.

My Thoughts?

Do you remember barely ten years ago when people were of the opinion that you needed a degree for any job other than flipping burgers? ??

That was never true. Workers have always been capable, but social stigma and a lack of strategic training programs often kept them out of high-value careers. It wasn’t until this unprecedented talent shortage that we started investing time and capital into programs and institutions that prepare people for more than just jobs—but career paths without the financial barrier of attending university. ???

?Now, the playing field is leveling, and its impact on the future job market might change the game entirely. The nonprofit SkillUp, which provides comprehensive career and social capital training to workers without college degrees, ?? has just announced the launch of a?career platform?specifically for workers without degrees. With SkillUp’s flagship career training program and dozens of companies desperate for hardworking talent, I see this as a recipe for nothing but success.?

We are witnessing a turning of the tide in how we think about preparing for the future. Primary education has become?more focused?on teaching students about technology by using technology (EdTech ?? ?? ??) and giving them the skills essential for a productive life in today’s economy. And now, this willingness to adapt and innovate is influencing adult education programs. However small the steps, this is momentum in the right direction.

Tech Innovation at Work

In what may be a foreshadowing that one day AI may just need its own dedicated section, let’s take a look at what AI ?? ?? is up to lately:

• Treating mental illness:?AI language models, like ChatGPT, are being used to provide talk therapy. There are currently several?chatbot-based apps??? designed to use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to offer customized guidance and help reduce symptoms of common mental illnesses like anxiety and depression more consistently than a real therapist. Though far from being ready to treat patients with anything beyond common advice, chatbot therapy will likely prove to be a game changer for more accessible mental health. And could even be used by organizations as a scalable mental health benefit. ????
• Detecting breast cancer: Medical researchers and AI developers in Hungary are in the process of testing programs that use AI to read mammograms and detect abnormalities, with early results showing that the technology has the potential to reduce radiologist workloads by?at least 30%.??? ?? Though some medical professionals are concerned about the future of their careers, many are ready to welcome the technology for the sake of their personal well-being and the health of their patients. ?? ??
• Reading minds:?Japanese researchers are applying familiar AI tools to?translate brain signals into images. ?? In a recent study, text-to-image generative AI used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of four people. Two separate AI models then processed the scans to translate brain signals into images with an 80% accuracy rate — meaning they were eerily discernable. For now, the expensive and bulky imaging equipment limits the number of research opportunities, but it opens the door to further understanding one of the?last true mysteries of medical science?— dreams. ?? ?????

The Changing Workplace

Even though our daily work lives have returned to a dependable routine, one thing that remains prominently absent from many office employees’ day-to-day lives is their work spouse. ?? ?? ?? ?? ????Journalists for WSJ have spent several months?chronicling the experiences of workers’?struggling to maintain relationships with their office besties as a result of teams going hybrid or remote. While it may seem trivial from an outside perspective, the work-spouse relationship is an imperative part of the employee experience for many workers, offering support, camaraderie, and understanding in a way friends and real romantic partners may not be able to. For leaders of remote and hybrid teams, it’s therefore important to prioritize high-quality in-person time and events that foster these interpersonal relationships in their native setting. ??

As we discuss often in this newsletter, human-centric workplaces are the way of the future. And as companies have invested more in professional development and high-quality experiences, the more technical understanding of what employees are worth is becoming a prominent question for stakeholders and legislative bodies. ?? ?? To shed light on this complex and evolving area, a new?Harvard Law School?study?has been released documenting the impact of the 2020 amendment to the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) ?? ??, requiring publicly traded companies to disclose details about their human capital resources and risks within their annual 10-K filings. The paper details why and how companies used human capital data before and after the new requirements and how the new reporting guidelines fit alongside other reporting means, like required disclosures to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Above all, the study demonstrated that, while the first year of Regulation S-K carried an 85% compliance rate, prior to which no publicly traded company included a section in their 10-K dedicated to human capital, the guidelines are still in need of significant development if we want to achieve meaningful, uniform data.

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