Category: Recruiting

Recruiting is changing at a rapid pace. Some organizations are abandoning traditional methods for social media; some think software can do a better job than people.

The Rise of the Fake Applicant: How to Stop AI-Driven Hiring Fraud

Hiring teams reviewing the spring surge of recent graduate applications are facing an unprecedented challenge: AI-powered fake candidates. Fraudulent applicants are increasingly blending into talent pipelines using tailored, AI-generated resumes, proxy interviewers, and synthetic identities. Combined with high application volumes and remote hiring, these bad actors are becoming much harder to catch early in the […]

When Hiring Plans Change Overnight 

It usually starts with a Slack message, followed by an urgent and unexpected executive team meeting: the hiring plan is being reversed. Budgets are being revisited, and active roles are being put on hold. Within hours, you’re expected to pause candidate searches, reassess headcount, manage risk, and help leaders communicate decisions that are still taking shape. This […]

Why Marketing Hiring Carries New Risks for HR Leaders

The risk profile of a marketing hire has quietly changed. What once felt like a creative or brand-driven function is now directly tied to revenue performance, pipeline growth, and board-level metrics. At the same time, AI has reshaped how candidates present their work and how convincingly they can simulate experience. For HR leaders, that combination […]

The My Pleasure Advantage: Why Chick-fil-A Wins on People – Webinar Recap

In a recent webinar conversation with Nicholas Lawrence (Nicholas L.), Executive Director of People & Culture at Chick-fil-A Restaurants, local franchise – Indianapolis, and SPARK HR 2026 speaker, he shared how to be an organizational culture architect and how to make your organization a gold standard of service. During the webinar, three themes emerged on […]

Hiring: Why It’s So Slow and What Might Speed It Up

Organizations studying hiring report that employers are increasingly missing hiring goals and taking far too long to bring talent on board. Many employers bemoan a lack of qualified workers, as well as an oversupply of unqualified applicants clogging the system. Technology, particularly AI, promises solutions, but problems persist, so what’s the answer? Current Status GoodTime, […]

How to Stop the “Great Reversal”: A 4-Step Strategy for Female Retention

The recent Census Bureau data is a wake-up call: the gender pay gap is widening for the first time in twenty years, and female representation in leadership is stalling. For HR professionals, “business as usual” is no longer an option. To move from declining commitment to meaningful progress, Shelly MacConnell, Chief Strategy Officer at WIN, […]

Why Compliance Matters in Global Hiring and International Workforce Expansion

Global expansion often begins with a bold decision in the boardroom, then lands squarely on the desk of HR. Executive teams set the pace, seeking new markets and top international talent, and HR is expected to move fast. But moving fast without compliance isn’t growth. It’s risk. What happens next can determine whether a company’s […]

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Verbs in Communication

Words matter, and they matter a lot. As Mark Twain purportedly once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between a lightning bolt and a lightning bug.” So, I read with interest a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) by @Simons, whose name is Simon Ingari, a […]

Closing the Skills Gap: How to Hire Strategically Minded Leaders

WANTED: Innovative, forward-thinking change-maker who can see the big picture while delivering measurable, bottom-line results. The ideal candidate will be adaptable and agile, with the ability to identify and develop budding talent. This may sound like a pipe dream, but it’s what employers are looking for in leaders. Unfortunately, such leaders are in short supply, […]

Beyond the AI Hype: 6 Capability Shifts Defining Workplace Success in 2026 

As we enter 2026, the gap between the speed of work and the speed of learning has reached a breaking point. For HR professionals, the challenge is no longer just “keeping up”; it is about redesigning capability to match the messy, high-velocity realities of daily work rather than clinging to outdated leadership models.  After spending […]