August 14, 2026

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Happy Friday. You know what’s kind of chic? Signing off early every Friday for the rest of the summer 😎. While that’s probably not realistic, we have a few weeks left to test the waters.

In today’s edition:

✒️ (Ink)orporated

💰 Business of Benefits

📖 Word of the day

—Mikaela Cohen, Courtney Vinopal, Adam DeRose

recruitment & retention

Tit for tat(too)

Photo collage close-up of a person getting a tattoo that reads

Illustration: Shannon May, Photo: Adobe Stock

Nothing in life is guaranteed, except death and taxes…and maybe landing an interview with an employer after getting a tattoo?

At least that’s what Jordan Zietz, co-founder of AI startup LemonLime, guaranteed prospective candidates. Zietz offered interviews to anyone who got a tattoo at a party in July, Business Insider reported. He later issued an apology on LinkedIn, saying that he was wrong to take this approach.

His proposition feels antithetical to the progress that many workplaces have made to foster belonging and inclusivity, Laura Mazzullo, owner of NYC-based recruitment firm East Side Staffing, told HR Brew.

“We’ve wanted to move away from conformity, and, so, a tattoo that everyone would have is like the opposite of that,” Mazzullo said. “It’s like a robotic, conformist thing. It’s like saying you have to dress this way, or you have to look this way, or your appearance has to be this way.”

For more on how a gimmicky recruiting tactic went wrong, keep reading here.—MC

Sponsored By Workday

Look right under your nose

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guiding recruiters to the next-best steps
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personalizing internal recommendations

Get guidance for filling your open roles while staying in control every step of the way. See how responsible, transparent AI can help you find great talent.

total rewards

The Business of Benefits

A collage showing employees taking advantage of health and wellness benefits.

Brittany Holloway-Brown, Photos: Adobe Stock

For more than a century, the American Society for Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) has advocated on behalf of workers in the music industry—namely songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers. The organization is in the business of aggregating copyright licenses and returning the revenue back to artists to ensure they’re paid fairly for their work, CEO Elizabeth Matthews told HR Brew.

When Matthews first became CEO in 2015, she spent a lot of time talking to the organization’s head of HR, “about what we could do to really lift morale, to create happier employees…employees that deeply understood that they were working here in service of others, of those creators who really need people out there in the wide, wide world advocating for them.”

A company-wide volunteering day came out of these conversations. Since 2016, the organization has allowed every employee to take a day away from work to volunteer during an event called “ASCAP Notes the Cause.” ASCAP partners with New York Cares, a volunteer organization, on the initiative.

For more on ASCAP’s company-wide volunteering day, keep reading here.—CV

Sponsored By Paradox, a Workday Company

Less tiring hiring. The latest episode of Frontline, brought to you by Paradox, a Workday company, highlights how AI can remove the “dead space” where candidates drop off. This highlights how automation should protect human judgment, rather than replace it. Listen to the podcast here for all the insights.

tech

What is an AI copilot?

AI hand and human hand with coffee cups.

Illustration: Anna Kim, Photo: Adobe Stock

AI copilots are tools that use large language models (LLMs) to help users interact with large sets of information and data within a platform—or across an entire enterprise tech stack. AI copilots use conversational language to address human questions without requiring a human expert, and help users complete tasks by offering suggestions or explaining content.

Do I need AI training to use copilots? AI copilots generally don’t require any technical expertise. However, prompt engineering skills can maximize efficacy when engaging with a copilot to ensure the results best address the issue or query. Unlike agentic AI, humans direct their activity. While AI copilots don’t make decisions on a person’s behalf, they can significantly help inform human decisions with the right prompting.

Why do AI copilots matter to HR pros? Many AI copilots are generative AI tools built right into enterprise software platforms. HR teams and their employees encounter AI copilots in many common workplace tools—from Microsoft 365 to BambooHR, from Workday to Canva, and many more. AI-powered copilots use LLMs to help human users leverage structured and unstructured data within an enterprise platform.

For more on AI copilots, and why they matter to HR, keep reading here.—AD

Sponsored By ezCater

Let’s do lunch smarter. During the workday, finding something to eat shouldn’t feel like a feat. ezCater helps you get professionally prepared food delivered for any occasion. Plus, they make it easy to see, track, and manage every order and dollar. Get a taste of the good lunch.

work perks

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Several New Jersey cities and school districts have accrued nearly $50.5 million in debts owed to employees’ health programs. (New Jersey Monitor)

Quote: “As strong as our city is, it’s only as strong as our workers are…Organized labor works.”—John Whitmire, Houston’s mayor, on recent legislation that will raise wages for more than 35,000 unionized airport workers across the city (Houston Public Media)

Read: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) workers are under scrutiny for allegedly using government databases for personal reasons, like tracking family members and romantic interests. (WIRED)

Great talent is everywhere: AI can help you find talent both inside and outside your organization. Workday HiredScore AI breaks it all down in From Talent Bottleneck to Talent Engine. Fill your roles faster.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}

Quiz

What do you know?

Amelia Kinsinger

The week’s biggest HR stories, now in quiz form. Test yourself on the latest headlines in DEI, hiring trends, workplace strategy, and more in a quick, competitive challenge built for HR pros. Challenge your coworkers and see how your score stacks up!

Ace the quiz

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Written by Mikaela Cohen, Courtney Vinopal, and Adam DeRose

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☕ A tattoo for your troubles