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- š§² Retaining Top Performers Into 2026, New Burnout Link, Youth Jobs Slump - Dec 15, 2025
š§² Retaining Top Performers Into 2026, New Burnout Link, Youth Jobs Slump - Dec 15, 2025
Keeping your stars without breaking the bank, an emerging link in employee burnout, rising youth unemployment, and more workforce news to jumpstart your week...
Hello, HR Strategists! š Between policy juggling and talent wrangling, one thingās clear: keeping your top performers into 2026 is the real KPI. Letās talk about retention moves that make stars stayāwithout burning out HR.
On todayās agenda:
š” Cutting support tickets
š©āš¼ Youth jobs slump
TODAYāS CULTURE CUE
ā 10-Min Retention Huddle - Ask managers to thank one top performer publicly this week and ask one question: āWhat makes you stay?ā Capture insights and act on one small fix.
THE HR SPOTLIGHT
š§² 2026 Retention Radar: Keeping Your Stars Without Breaking the Bank
High performers donāt usually quit loudly ā they disengage quietly, update LinkedIn, and leave HR wondering what changed. According to iHireās 2025 Retention Report, 82ļ¼ of employees are actively or passively exploring new opportunities. As 2026 approaches, letās remember that retention isnāt about flashy perks, but smarter, human-centered strategies that truly support employees.
š The real deal ā Stay interviews are underused: the same report reveals that only 30.5ļ¼ of employers regularly ask employees why they stay. High performers often leave due to unclear growth, weak recognition, or poor communication, not pay.
š” What HR can do āTransparent career paths and consistent micro-recognition are cheaper than raises ā and more powerful. Traditional perks alone wonāt cut it if your budgetās tight; what keeps talent isnāt always $$$, itās meaningful experience and connection:
Stay interviews (not just exit ones) - Hold short, regular check-ins focused on engagement, growth, and friction points.
Career-path transparency - Share clear frameworks so top talent sees how they can grow, even sideways.
Micro-recognition culture - Build daily habits of appreciation (kudos, shout-outs, quick thank-yous). Small effort. Big loyalty.
Retention doesnāt need a big budget ā just intention, clarity, and a little HR magic.
 | WEEKLY GOODY |
TOGETHER WITH iSPRING
š”The Customer Training Gap HR and T&D Can Close
When customers donāt feel confident using your product, the entire organization pays the price: support requests rise, CSMs handle repeated queries, and renewals drop.
Interactive guided training can change this. Download a free guide on how to build customer education that speeds up proficiency and improves the entire post-sale experience.
THE HR PULSE
š©āš¼ UK Youth Jobs Slump ā HR Grapevine
Whatās unfolding: A PwC report highlights rising youth unemployment and inactivity, posing long-term talent pipeline challenges for organizations.
Why it matters: HR teams must rethink early-career recruitment, develop internship and mentorship programs, and strengthen skill-building initiatives to secure the next generation of talent.
š¬ Hollywood Union Alarm ā Los Angeles Times
Whatās unfolding: Major studios including Netflix and Paramount are triggering union concerns over potential mergers and restructuring, alarming Hollywood labor groups.
Why it matters: HR professionals need to anticipate workforce anxieties, review communication strategies, and ensure that employees feel heard during organizational shifts to maintain engagement.
š TSA Union Battle ā GovExec
Whatās unfolding: The TSA plans to limit its employeesā union activities despite a court order blocking such actions, stirring legal and labor tensions.
Why it matters: HR leaders should monitor employee sentiment and union relations closely, as enforcement actions could impact morale, retention, and compliance with labor laws.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP
 | HR Kenjo |
 | AIHR |
COMPLIANCE CORNER
āļø Employerās āGood Faithā Defense Cracks ā National Law Review
Whatās unfolding: Courts are increasingly scrutinizing employer attempts to use āgood faithā defenses to avoid liquidated damages in wage disputes.
HR implications: HR should ensure payroll compliance, audit wage practices, and educate managers on timely and accurate payments to mitigate legal exposure.
šµ H-1B Fee Fight ā Reuters
Whatās unfolding: California and other states are challenging the proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee, arguing it could block skilled foreign workers from entering the U.S. workforce.
HR implications: HR leaders should track visa-related changes closely, update recruitment plans for international talent, and ensure compliance with evolving immigration policies to avoid hiring disruptions.
š„ļø Palantir Talent Tussle ā HR Grapevine
Whatās unfolding: Palantir expanded its lawsuit against former employees and a startup CEO for allegedly poaching talent and taking confidential data.
HR implications: HR must reinforce non-compete and confidentiality agreements, strengthen offboarding processes, and monitor potential talent risks to protect intellectual property.
TREND WATCH
š¼ Autonomy at Work: The Emerging Burnout Link
Digesting the data: A recent report highlights that lack of career autonomy ā the ability for employees to shape their roles, make decisions, and influence their professional paths ā is strongly linked to workplace burnout.
Data from workforce indexes show that when workers feel they donāt control their own careers or daily tasks, burnout rates spike, with studies linking autonomy declines to higher emotional exhaustion and disengagement. Employees who perceive greater influence over their work experience lower burnout, higher motivation, and greater adaptability, while those with limited autonomy report more stress and job strain.
Empowering workers through autonomy isnāt just feelāgood rhetoric ā itās grounded in emerging research showing that control over oneās role significantly affects wellābeing and retention.
Outlook for HR: For HR professionals, this trend underscores a pressing talent challenge: work design matters as much as compensation. As burnout continues to strain organizations, HR must champion job autonomy as a core retention strategy by incorporating flexible role structures, clearer decision authority, and meaningful participation in career planning.
Fostering autonomy helps reduce burnout, improves engagement, and positions companies as desirable employers amid tight labor markets ā but it requires intentional role redesign, manager training, and ongoing dialogue with employees about how they want to grow.
UPCOMING EVENTS
 | Dec 16, Virtual - Gartner |
 | Jan 27, In-Person (Atlanta, GA) - From Day One |
HR TECH WATCH
š§ A Review of Personio: AllāInāOne HR Hub
Why we selected it: Personio is a popular HR management platform for midātoālarge teams that centralizes core HR tasks like payroll, recruiting, onboarding, and time tracking into one intuitive system.āÆ
Key features:
Allāināone HRIS suite ā handles employee lifecycle from hire to retire.
Automated workflows ā streamline tasks like approvals, onboarding, and PTO requests.
Employee selfāservice portal ā easy access to payslips, time off, and documents.
Reporting & analytics ā builtāin tools for workforce insights (with room to grow).
Pros:
| Cons:
|
HRAddict rating: ā
ā
ā
ā
ā 4.3
Choose Personio for a unified, automationādriven HR platform that simplifies core HR processes and scales with your teamās growth.
This is an independent review using aggregated insights and publicly available data.
BREAKROOM
SMART READS
š„ Effective Video Training Examples for Corporate Training
š Tattoos in the Workplace: Policies & Tips
š” Building a Remote Work Culture: Essential Tips
QUICK POLL
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