- HRAddict
- Posts
- ⚙️ Hybrid Workplace Design, 50 Essential Policies, McKinsey's AI Test - Jan 16, 2025
⚙️ Hybrid Workplace Design, 50 Essential Policies, McKinsey's AI Test - Jan 16, 2025
Engineering hybrid work for performance, the HR policy power pack, testing AI skills in hiring, and more for this week’s HR buzz...
Hiya, HR Rockstars! 🤘 With hybrid work still evolving (and calendars still packed), we’re breaking down what Hybrid Work in 2026 really looks like—what’s sticking, what’s shifting, and what HR needs to rethink next.
On today’s agenda:
 | WEEKLY GOODY |
THE HR SPOTLIGHT
⚙️ Engineering Future-Ready Hybrid Work for Performance
Hybrid work is no longer about where people work—it’s about how flexibility shapes performance, promotions, and career paths. In 2026, employees expect hybrid models to support balance and growth, not trade one for the other.
🤔 The Situation: Hybrid Work Keeps Evolving
Hybrid work remains the preferred model for most employees, influencing job satisfaction, productivity, and career decisions. But inconsistent policies and visibility gaps risk creating uneven experiences across teams.
💡 What HR Can Do: Design Hybrid With Intent
Design hybrid with purpose: Anchor in-office days to collaboration and decision-making, not desk-sitting.
Protect promotion fairness: Audit promotion, performance, and pay data to spot proximity bias early.
Train managers for hybrid leadership: Equip leaders to manage outcomes, not attendance, across locations.
Clarify career paths: Document how growth, mentorship, and advancement work in a hybrid environment.
When hybrid is intentional—not improvised—it supports retention, performance, and trust. And yes, fewer calendar debates too.
WEEKLY STEAL
🗂️ Start 2026 With Clean, Compliant HR Policies
Starting the year strong means getting ahead on handbooks, performance cycles, and compliance updates—without the scramble.
The Complete HR Policies Bundle gives you 50 ready-to-use, professionally crafted policies covering conduct, DEI, hybrid work, performance, and compliance. Customize, deploy, and stay organized while setting the tone for a smooth year ahead.
Promo ends Jan 19 midnight, EST.
TODAY’S CULTURE CUE
🎉 Friday Highlights: Lift Team Spirits — End the week on a high note by sharing team achievements in a 10-min roundup and celebrating small successes together.
THE HR PULSE
📉 Job Application Volume Slips — HR Executive
What’s unfolding: Online job applications declined for the first time in over a decade as employers rely more on recruiter outreach and referrals. Passive applying is losing ground to proactive sourcing.
Why it matters: HR teams should strengthen outreach, referrals, and employer branding instead of waiting for applications to roll in.
🤝 AI Adoption Hits a Wall — GovExec
What’s unfolding: Workforce shortages and security concerns are stalling AI adoption, with many organizations stuck in pilot mode. Skills gaps remain a major blocker.
Why it matters: Lead reskilling efforts and clarify AI governance to help organizations move from experimentation to real impact.
🤖 McKinsey Tests AI Skills in Hiring — HR Grapevine
What’s unfolding: McKinsey is testing AI-assisted interviews and deploying 20,000 AI agents to support its workforce. Candidates are now assessed on how they work with AI.
Why it matters: HR leaders may need to rethink hiring criteria, as AI collaboration skills become part of the modern job requirement.
WEEKLY GOODY
📝 Master Clear, Concise HR Meeting Minutes
Stop scrambling to capture key points and action items—our HR meeting minutes template keeps every discussion organized and on track. Track decisions, assign follow-ups, and make every meeting count.
Never miss a beat ⏱️
RESOURCE ROUNDUP
 | Living HR |
 | HR Kenjo |
COMPLIANCE CORNER
⚖️ Suit Over Criminal’s Business License Renewal — Fox News
What’s unfolding: A Massachusetts town is being sued for renewing a business license tied to a convicted sex offender who later harmed an employee.
HR implications: HR leaders should reassess background checks, third-party risk, and workplace safety oversight to reduce legal exposure.
📄 Harassment Settlement Backfires — HCA Mag
What’s unfolding: A sexual harassment settlement ended up costing the claimant after a later suit, highlighting risks in poorly worded releases.
HR implications: HR should ensure settlement language and indemnity clauses are clear to prevent future legal exposure.
🧠 NYC Adds Mental Health to Safety Training — NatLaw Review
What’s unfolding: NYC now requires construction safety training to include mental health and substance-use awareness.
HR implications: Employers must update training programs and compliance timelines to meet the new requirement.
UPCOMING EVENTS
 | Feb 10-11, In-Person (Brussels, Belgium) - CHRO |
 | Feb 19, Virtual - HR Morning |
BREAKROOM
SMART READS
😬 How to Deal With Difficult Employees
📝 Notetaker Apps Rewiring Recruitment Workflows
🌱 Cultivating a Culture of Ethics & Compliance
Reply