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- ↔️ Skill Gaps You’ll Feel by Q3
↔️ Skill Gaps You’ll Feel by Q3
Also: HR efficiency sprint, jobless boom + what's shaping work this week...
Hey there, People Pros! 🌟 Ever notice how skill gaps don’t show up on calendars… but somehow hit by Q3? Let’s get ahead of the talent crunch now, before ‘urgent upskilling’ becomes your fall motto.
On today’s agenda:
⚡ HR efficiency sprint
😢 Employees crying at work
TODAY’S CULTURE CUE
🧩 15-Minute Skills Gap Pulse — Ask managers to list 3 critical skills their team will need by Q3 — then have team members self-rate confidence (1–5). Review gaps and flag priority upskilling areas.
THE HR SPOTLIGHT
↔️ Skill Gaps That’ll Hit You Hard by Q3 (If You Don’t Make a Move)
If Q1 feels calm, don’t get too comfortable. By Q3, the pressure points in your workforce will be harder to hide. The skills gap isn’t looming — it’s loading. And HR will feel it first.
🚧 The Situation - Recent research shows skills gaps in U.S. workplaces are noticeably wider now than a year ago — with only 6–7％ of hiring managers saying they currently have the people they need for high‑priority work and, nearly two‑thirds saying AI‑generated applications have complicated talent assessment. All these will eventually show:
AI literacy among modern workers is still insufficient
Cross-functional collaboration is lagging
Data fluency gaps persist
Succession gaps hide in plain sight
💡 What HR Can Do
Build AI confidence company-wide. Offer practical, role-based AI learning — not just policy decks.
Create cross-team exposure. Use project rotations and task forces to strengthen collaboration muscles.
Upskill for data conversations. Teach leaders how to question, interpret, and act on workforce data.
Stress-test your succession plan now. If someone left tomorrow, who’s truly ready?
Skill gaps rarely explode overnight — they compound quietly. The earlier HR plans, tests, and upskills, the stronger the bench, and the smoother the rest of the year becomes.
WEEKLY STEAL
⚡ HR Efficiency Sprint: The Excel Bundle for Easier Reports
HR teams don’t need more tools — you need smoother workflows.
This week, save half on our Excel Analytics Template Bundle. It includes 20+ practical templates built for everyday HR reporting — the kind that actually gets used.
✔ Headcount tracking
✔ Turnover analysis
✔ Clear, leadership-ready KPI dashboards
No new systems to learn. No complex setup. Just structured, ready-to-use Excel designed for busy HR teams.
If reporting feels more manual than strategic, this can help you simplify the process — and get time back for the work that matters most.
Community promo ends March 1
FLASH VOTE
How do you find our STEALS? |
THE HR PULSE
😢 Nearly 40％ Have Cried at Work — Yahoo News
What’s unfolding: A recent survey found 39％ of employees have cried at work, highlighting rising stress and emotional strain on the job.
Why it matters: Workplace wellbeing directly impacts retention and performance. HR should reassess support systems and equip managers to address burnout early.
🤖 Meta Trims Equity as AI Spend Climbs — HR Grapevine
What’s unfolding: Meta reduced employee stock grants by about 5％ while ramping up AI investment.
Why it matters: Compensation shifts can affect morale and retention. HR leaders should communicate transparently and evaluate total rewards strategy.
💼 Workforce Approach Recalibrated — Biz Journals
What’s unfolding: Cincinnati employers are dealing with rising healthcare costs, AI-driven job changes, tighter compliance, and labor shortages. Leaders are being urged to adopt a more integrated, data-driven people strategy.
Why it matters: Siloed HR approaches are losing ground. Aligning workforce data, benefits, and talent planning can improve agility and cost control.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP
 | Paycor |
 | Leaveboard |
COMPLIANCE CORNER
⚖️ DEI Orders Under Fire — HR Law Watch
What’s unfolding: Appellate courts are challenging DEI executive orders, leaving legal enforcement uncertain.
HR implications: Federal contractors should monitor developments and ensure compliance to avoid liability.
📜 FLSA Waivers Upheld — NatLawReview
What’s unfolding: A Washington court ruled FLSA rights can be waived via contract in certain cases.
HR implications: HR must review agreements carefully and consult counsel before relying on waivers.
🧁 Perfetti Van Melle Sued Over Background Checks — HCAMag
What’s unfolding: Perfetti Van Melle faces a class action after allegedly rescinding a job offer without giving the applicant a chance to dispute findings.
HR implications: Background checks start a process, not end it. HR must follow FCRA and state rules carefully, giving applicants time to review and respond, to avoid class-action exposure.
FUTURE FOCUS
💥 Jobless Boom: AI Speed Shock Ahead
What’s emerging: Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr warns that while AI integration currently looks gradual, rapid adoption could outpace workforce adaptation, potentially leading to significant displacement and “jobless boom” scenarios. Early signals already show some AI‑exposed roles facing employment declines, even as productivity gains roll out.
Why it matters: HR pros need to anticipate not just tech roll‑outs but real workforce disruption. Preparing talent strategies now can prevent reactive scrambling later and protect both people and productivity.
How it will impact HR: Departments will need to prioritize reskilling, data‑informed workforce planning, and clear change communication to help employees transition alongside technology. Teams should also track industry adoption trends and adjust role design and talent pipelines accordingly.
UPCOMING EVENTS
 | Mar 7-12, In-Person (Port Canaveral, FL) - HR Cruise |
 | Mar 9-10, In-Person (San Francisco, CA) - SHRM |
BREAKROOM
SMART READS
💪 100+ Employee Motivation Quotes
💔 How to Write a Rejection Letter
📋 When an Employee Resigns: Tips & Checklist
📬 Missed Monday’s issue, ‘Internal AI Use Policy’? Read it »
—Created with care by Vivienne Ravana
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