Posts

Stop Overengineering Your Onboarding — Here’s What New Hires Actually Need

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  Every year, companies add more bells and whistles to onboarding: 📊 50-slide presentations 🎯 Vision statements 📜 Company history deep-dives 🏅 Gamified quizzes 🍕 Virtual meet-and-greets And yet, six months later, many of those same new hires are disengaged, overwhelmed, or already updating their resumes. Why? Because most onboarding programs are built for optics, not outcomes. The Real Purpose of Onboarding New hires don’t join your company to memorize your mission statement. They want to figure out: What’s expected of me? Who can help me? How do I succeed here? In other words: Clarity. Connection. Confidence. Where Onboarding Usually Fails 1️⃣ Information overload We dump endless policies, org charts, and acronyms on people who are already mentally maxed out. 2️⃣ Culture as a performance We parade executives, share polished culture videos, but skip the unspoken norms that really shape daily work. 3️⃣ One-size-fits-all templates An engineer, a ...

HR’s Biggest Blind Spot: Managing Managers

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  Ask any HR leader what keeps them up at night, and you’ll hear familiar answers: Retention Engagement DEI Talent pipelines Compliance But there’s one area that quietly fuels all these problems — and too often gets overlooked: Managers. The Frontline Problem No One Wants to Name Middle managers are the real architects of employee experience. They control: Daily workloads Feedback (or lack thereof) Team culture Development opportunities How policies actually get applied Yet, many companies assume that being a strong individual contributor automatically translates into being a strong manager. Spoiler: it doesn’t. HR’s Silent Assumption HR often creates programs for “employees” and “leadership”— and leaves managers floating somewhere in the middle. We train frontline employees on policies. We coach executives on vision. But managers? They get a two-day seminar and a few slide decks. Then we wonder why teams burn out, engagemen...

The HR Balancing Act: Protecting People Without Policing Them

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  HR is walking a tightrope. On one hand, employees want to feel protected, supported, and genuinely heard. On the other? The moment HR enters the room, many employees tense up—worried that what they say will be documented, judged, or worse, weaponized. How did we get here? And more importantly—how do we fix it? Let’s talk about the identity crisis modern HR is facing—and what it takes to evolve from policy enforcer to trust builder. 👀 Why HR Gets Side-Eyes At its core, HR is meant to advocate for people. But in reality, many employees see HR as the company’s “internal police”—not a safe space. That perception didn’t come from nowhere. Investigations that go silent. Well-being programs rolled out while layoffs loom. Reports of harassment that get buried or deflected. It’s no wonder employees second-guess HR’s motives. What should be a source of support often feels like surveillance. But here’s the kicker: Employees do want structure. They do want fairness. ...

Ghosting in Recruitment: What It Says About Your Employer Brand

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  In today’s job market, ghosting isn’t just something candidates do. Employers are doing it too—and it’s leaving a trail of resentment, bad reviews, and a seriously damaged reputation. Whether it’s disappearing after an interview, failing to send feedback, or never acknowledging an application at all, recruitment ghosting sends a message loud and clear: “We don’t value your time.” 👻 When You Ghost, They Talk Job seekers talk—on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Reddit, and TikTok. One bad experience can echo across platforms, especially when it feels like a pattern. Ghosting tells candidates: Your internal communication is a mess You lack basic professionalism You don’t respect the humans behind the résumé And if that’s how you treat people before they’re on payroll? Imagine what they assume about working there. 🧠 It’s Not Just a Courtesy—It’s Strategic Every touchpoint in the hiring process shapes your employer brand . That rejection email you didn’t send? That’s bran...

Resume Obituaries: How Gen Z Is Turning Their Termination Into a Movement

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  Gen Z isn’t just redefining how we work—they’re flipping the script on how we leave work, too. Welcome to the era of the “resume obituary.” Equal parts mic drop, exit memo, and public therapy session, these posts show up on LinkedIn, TikTok, or even Tumblr. And they don’t whisper—they shout . “Today, I was let go from [ Sapient HR ]—and here’s why I’m not mad about it.” They’re raw. They’re real. And people are reading them. Not Just Oversharing—It’s Intentional At first glance, these posts might feel like digital venting sessions. But dig deeper, and you’ll find purpose. Gen Z is using resume obituaries to: Own the story – Instead of letting the company define their exit, they flip the narrative. “I didn’t get fired—I stood up for myself.” Expose workplace dysfunction – Many use their farewell to highlight toxic leadership, burnout culture, or discrimination. Showcase their values – It's less “goodbye job” and more “hello, future employer who gets me.” ...

Why Your Employee Retention Strategy Isn’t Working (And What You’re Getting Wrong)

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  Every company talks a big game about “ employee retention .” Dashboards. Turnover reports. Stay interviews. But let’s be honest—most of it is just noise covering a much bigger issue: Your retention strategy is built on outdated, broken assumptions. And when the foundation is shaky, no number of perks, ping pong tables, or pizza parties is going to stop your best people from walking out the door. ❌ Assumption #1: “People Leave for Better Pay” Sure, salary matters—but it’s rarely the only reason someone quits. More often, they’re leaving because of: No room to grow Terrible managers Burnout and constant stress A toxic or psychologically unsafe culture Handing out raises without fixing these core issues is like slapping a fresh coat of paint on a cracked wall. It might look better—but it won’t hold. ❌ Assumption #2: “If They’re Not Complaining, They’re Happy” Silence isn’t a sign of satisfaction. It’s usually a red flag. When employees stop giving feedback...

Why Your Employee Retention Strategy Is Built on Broken Assumptions

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By [Your Name] | In partnership with SapientHR Let’s talk about a dirty little truth in HR: Everyone claims to care about employee retention. But most retention strategies? They're built on wishful thinking and outdated assumptions. Companies are throwing dashboards, pulse surveys, and stay interviews at the problem—while ignoring the deeper cracks beneath the surface. No surprise then, when people keep walking out the door. 🚨 Broken Assumption #1: “People Leave for More Money” Sure, money matters. But it’s rarely the whole story. What really drives resignations? Stagnant growth Bad bosses Burnout from unrelenting pressure A toxic culture with zero safety to speak up Throwing a raise at someone who’s already checked out is like slapping a fresh coat of paint on a crumbling building. It might look fine for a minute—but the structure’s still broken. 🚨 Broken Assumption #2: “If They’re Not Complaining, They’re Fine” Silence is not the sound of satisfacti...