October 01, 2026

Presented By

Howdy, neighbor…and colleague? It turns out proximity matters, in the office and down the block.

Recent research analyzing US Census records found childhood next-door neighbors were 10% more likely to work in the same occupation 30 years later compared to other residents on the same street.

The next time you’re in the market for a new job, why not check in with your old next-door neighbor? That’s provided your relationship wasn’t ruined by an intense game of Four Square back in the day, of course.

In today’s edition:

👋 Here to help

💸 Follow the money

⚖️ Legislative lowdown

—Kristen Parisi, Mikaela Cohen, Courtney Vinopal

HR STRATEGY

Take care

Collage of people struggling with mental health.

Hannah Minh

Roughly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the US will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetime. Some survivors never ask for help, even from those closest to them, including friends and coworkers.

Employers can have an important role to play in reducing stigma and supporting employees who are or have experienced abuse, according to trauma experts who spoke with HR Brew.

“It’s a conversation for employers because it is impacting your workplace and your workforce already, regardless of whether or not you’re talking about it,” Stephanie Lemek, founder of The Wounded Workforce, which provides trauma-informed organizational training, and a survivor of domestic violence, told HR Brew.

For more on how HR can increase awareness, provide training, and offer survivors security, keep reading here.—KP

Sponsored By Deel

Hiring’s gone global. Are your bags packed, HR?

Global hiring takes more than posting jobs internationally. It requires a plan that accounts for labor laws, time zones, and local market realities. Oui, c’est vrai.

If you need a map, Deel’s Strategic Planning Guide for Global Recruitment explores how your team can align recruitment processes, hiring managers, and branding with long-term business goals.

Get practical guidance for coordinating hiring across regions and time zones without losing speed or quality. Even learn how to write job descriptions and postings that support international recruitment. And if you need help digesting compliance considerations and labor laws, Deel’s got those covered, too.

Whether you’re dipping your toe into first-time international hiring or scaling an established global team, this guide is ready to answer your questions.

Give it a read.

TECH

AI or the h(AI)ghway

human and AI robot looking at growth in chart

Getty Images

What’s the definition of insanity? Something about doing something over and over again and expecting different results?

AI spending may be on its way to meeting that criteria. Roughly half (52%) of business leaders will continue investing in the tech even if the AI bubble bursts, according to a recent Accenture report, and only 10% think there’s a “significant” AI bubble.

“AI investment and conviction holds,” Karalee Close, Accenture’s global lead of talent, told HR Brew. “[There’s] a real shift in the realization that it’s not a bubble, and to get the real value, you really need to dig deeper into the people and workforce topics.”

For more on how business leaders are investing in AI as it changes the workforce, keep reading here.—MC

Sponsored By Paradox, a Workday Company

Hiring is a business strategy. Gap Inc.’s Steve White says hiring should start with one question: How does this business make money? That means looking beyond basic metrics and asking how recruitment can support growth. On The Frontlines podcast, White shares how Gap uses Paradox to minimize hiring bottlenecks, schedule interviews, and improve the candidate experience. Listen here.

work perks

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Just 67% of service industry workers have access to paid sick days, compared to 93% of workers in management and professional roles. (National Partnership for Women and Families)

Quote: “Why are you using Slack to build your nuclear Manhattan projects?”—Mohan Pedhapati, an independent researcher, described his reaction to raising security concerns with OpenAI (the New York Times)

Read: Looking to get a job at SpaceX? Arrive prepared to talk about your accomplishments, and don’t feel bad about coming off as smarter than the recruiter. Oh, and don’t rule out that your résumé will get read by founder Elon Musk himself. (Bloomberg)

Going international: Deel’s Strategic Planning Guide for Global Recruitment explores how your team can align recruitment processes, hiring managers, and branding with long-term business goals overseas. Take a look.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}

Jobs

More focus, less fluff. CollabWORK filters out the noise and delivers jobs that actually match what HR Brew readers are looking for. Click here to see the full board of curated roles.

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Written by Kristen Parisi, Mikaela Cohen, and Courtney Vinopal

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