July is here, the sun is aggressively hot, and the 4th might be the perfect excuse to eat your weight in hot dogs (or, if you're me, hide inside with AC). āļø
If your laptop overheats before you do, thatās not PTO, BTW.
But fear not! If this AIR FRYER WEATHER has you feeling exhausted, your midweekāØmood boost!āØis here to slap some sense into you (gently, with love)!
We got all the greatest hits today: Gen Z, AI, 401ks, and DEI.
š¤ Gen Z employees say they rely on AI for emotional intelligence
The TL;DR: Gen Z workers are leaning hard on AI for workplace emotional intelligenceā¦interpreting tone, drafting replies, and even navigating conflicts. While many find it boosts confidence, AI can also reinforce biases and discourage personal accountability, since it lacks human nuance. AI canāt replace empathy, but itās clearly becoming Gen Zās go-to "work therapist."
My POV: This isnāt just about efficiency, itās about how the next gen is learning workplace communication. If AI is their primary feedback loop, we risk a workforce thatās fluent in chatbot diplomacy but stunted in REAL, ACTUAL human resolution!
Time to ask: Are we training managers to bridge the gap, or leaving employees to outsource emotional labor to robots? The latter is a dumpster fire waiting to happen, just saying!
šļø Mic Drop Moment:
āWe're in a system built for long-term financial security... but no one handed us the manual.ā
On the mic this week: Breene Murphy is the President of Carbon Collective, a firm known for sustainable 401k solutions and not putting people to sleep while talking about finance. Inspired by his grandmotherās legacy in environmental advocacy, Breene blends finance, climate action, and creative writing (yes, really) into his mission to help people invest smarter. Heās also a former advertising pro, a dad of two, and the kind of finance nerd who throws rollover parties for fun.
Pin this:
HR leaders are often legal fiduciaries on 401k plans and might not even know it.
You canāt build a strong culture without long-term financial security baked in.
Most employees donāt understand their 401k benefitsā¦AND NO ONE IS TEACHING THEM.
Financial literacy isnāt just a personal issue, itās an HR strategy!
My H*ly Sh*t Moment: Thereās over $1.65 trillion sitting in stranded 401k accounts, aka money people earned and then forgot about! Excuse me while I collect my jaw off the floor.
Stat: Approximately 63% of people say they currently prioritize DEI when choosing a company to work at!
My spiral: To put it bluntly, DEI is just good business, period.
When you do the work, meaning fair hiring, real career paths, and leaders who donāt just talk about "inclusion" in all-hands, you donāt just attract great people, you keep them. Surprise surprise!
The bottom line: People stay where they feel valued and seen.
š£ļø UNMUTE YOURSELF
Power isnāt necessarily about titles or policies. Itās also about those moments when you know youāre changing the game.
Maybe itās when you call out bias in a hiring process, or when a team member tells you, "You made this place feel safe."
So here's my question for you:
āWhen do you feel most powerful at work?ā
(And no, "when I finally get to eat lunch at 3 PM" doesn't count here, although itās relatable!)
š ļø TRY THIS TOMORROW:
Look, we both know HR never gets to just workāwe're too busy putting out fires in back-to-back meetings while our actual to-do list laughs at us.
So here's the move:
āCreate a no-meeting hour and defend it like your peace.ā
That means no exceptions, no "quick questions," and no guilt. Protect your time or lose your mind!
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š OVERHEARD IN SAFE SPACE
That's one way to get your headcount approved I guess...
Have a similar experience and have soemthing to share? Join us in Safe Space!!
I'll see u there.
Happy hump day!!! FRIDAY IāM OOO!!!!
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