September 24, 2026

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Hello there! First, HR came for Gen Z’s office etiquette (or apparent lack thereof). Now, the people department is coming for their…iced coffees?

That’s the case for at least one recruiter who recently went viral on TikTok after calling out Gen Z job applicants for showing up to interviews with iced coffees in hand. Doing so, she argued, makes it seem like the interview is simply a “stop on your list of errands for the day.”

We’ll withhold judgment, as long as you show up with an extra iced coffee to share.

In today’s edition:

🔍 Figure it out

✅ State of the industry

⚖️ Legislative lowdown

—Courtney Vinopal, Adam DeRose

TOTAL REWARDS

Ready or not

Stacks of cash in different amounts appear in thought bubbles above people's heads.

Francis Scialabba

Under new pay transparency legislation that took effect on June 7, employees in the European Union have the right to request information about their pay.

When employers receive these requests, they must provide details on the employee’s individual pay level, as well as average pay levels for workers doing comparable work, including a breakdown by gender.

Employers must answer these requests within two months, although some EU countries have put more stringent requirements in place (in Poland, for example, companies have a month to respond).

One month after the EU Pay Transparency Directive still went into effect, HR leaders overseeing compliance with the law were still figuring out how to comply with the right to information provision, according to a recent survey fielded by pay equity software platform Syndio.

For more on how HR leaders are responding to the EU Pay Transparency Directive, keep reading here.—CV

Sponsored By LHH

A competitive edge for…whatever’s next

Salaries are shifting. Skills gaps are widening. And—you guessed it—AI’s rewriting the rules of work. What does it all mean?

Well, we don’t have all the answers, but LHH knows you need a workforce strategy that lasts. Their Salary Guide gives you data-backed benchmarks and actionable insights across industries and regions so you can start building one today.

What’s inside:

salary benchmarks across industries and functions
insights on benefits, flexibility, and purpose
guidance for building a workforce ready for tomorrow

But data’s just the starting point. LHH Recruitment Solutions delivers interim, permanent, and executive talent across functions + levels. With LHH’s flexible model and practitioner-led expertise, you go beyond just knowing the market—you hire for it.

Powered by science, technology, and proprietary data analytics, LHH’s approach is crafted to align with business strategies and cultures—delivering powerful, sustainable, and measurable impact. The Salary Guide’s got the same special sauce.

Read it here.

TECH

Safeguards? What safeguards?

Morning Brew Inc.

HR Brew’s survey found 43% of HR departments have an existing AI governance framework in place, and another 29% are working on building one now. But 17% of respondents aren’t sure whether a governance framework exists at all, and 11% have no plans to create one.

“At present, we are still learning about all the ways we can incorporate AI into our systems, and learning more about what to look out for regarding data privacy and managing inaccurate information,” one respondent told HR Brew.

It’s a common theme, according to compliance and employment law experts. Organizations are excited (and expected) to participate in the ongoing AI transformation, but the guardrails and governance policies are trailing behind.

Andrew Adams, partner with DarrowEverett, told HR Brew that as companies have moved toward greater AI adoption, most transformation plans have lacked compliance and training components.

For more on the state of AI readiness in HR, keep reading here.—AD

Sponsored By Paycor

Engaged to the profits. Employee engagement can improve everything from your employer brand to productivity to profits. But if you want to improve engagement levels, you need to measure them first. Learn which specific metrics HR should track to measure engagement in real time with Paycor’s latest article.

work perks

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: $131.5 million. That’s how much DoorDash owes New York City after officials found the delivery company didn’t pay, or underpaid, some 264,000 workers who contracted with the platform. (the New York Times)

Quote: “Over the last quarter, we hired 30 people…Pretty much every single person who jumped on a call said it was because they saw us on LinkedIn.”—Gabriella Garcia, chief people officer at employee management startup Warp, on how incentivizing current employees to post about the company on social media is helping attract new hires (Fortune)

Read: Amazon recruiters are seeking to hire former employees—including ones who were laid off by the e-commerce giant—into new roles with its AI and cloud computing businesses. (Business Insider)

Keep on keepin’ on: Everything’s changing, but you can still stay ahead in talent recruitment and retention. LHH’s Salary Guide gives you data-backed benchmarks and actionable insights across industries and regions so you can build a workforce strategy that lasts.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}

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Written by Courtney Vinopal and Adam DeRose

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