HR News: AI Is Revolutionizing HR, Walmart Turns to Skills-Based Hiring, Epic Games Layoffs, More Labor Unions Strikes
HREN News Roundup for the Week of 9/25
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This is a weekly roundup of the latest in HR News.
Perhaps, the biggest news of any week nowadays is the impact that generative artificial intelligence (GAI) will have on the workplace, not to mention life in general. Indeed, HR Exchange Network released its latest State of HR survey results and a whopping 70% of HR professionals said that generative AI will heavily impact HR roles in the next two to five years.
Beyond GAI, which will continue to top headlines, Human Resources saw big news from Walmart regarding skills-based hiring, more labor unions striking, and Epic Games' layoffs. Get the details here:
Walmart Focuses on Skills-Based Hiring
Walmart rolled out big plans for more skills-based hiring. The company announced that it would be rewriting job descriptions, so that many white-collar jobs in its Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters will no longer require a college degree, according to a number of publications, including Fox Business.
On its own website, Walmart expressed its philosophy on this new approach to hiring:
"We share a goal: creating a world where all learning counts."
To begin, Walmart Corporate committed to invest $1 billion in training and development by 2026. In addition, Walmart.org has made $140 million in philanthropic investments over the last five years for these kinds of systems outside of the company.
The plan is to take steps to make the skills-building possible and to leverage other experiences people may have besides college, including offering short-term certificate programs, rewriting job descriptions to focus on skills, gaining degree credits through learning on the job and Walmart Academy, using technology to connect associates to career opportunities, and funding a "skills-based ecosystem" via Walmart.org.
Epic Games' Layoffs
Epic Games laid off 16% of its workforce or about 900 people, which was a bit of a shock for the video game world. Famous for Fortnite, the company's CEO Tim Sweeney reportedly has had an "obsessive pursuit of the metaverse" that may have played into this massive round of layoffs, according to Forbes. This is a good read to understand the struggles of the company and what may have led to these layoffs and how the company could move forward.
READ: HR Guide to Layoffs
More Labor Unions Striking
The so-called summer of strikes has become the fall of strikes. A coalition of unions representing Kaiser Permanente workers are saying that a strike is likely because they have not been able to negotiate a contract. CNBC reports that workers are demanding help with a short staffing crisis, a pay increase, and an improvement in medical plans. It's
In the meantime, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) managed to make a deal to end its strike. And The New York Times shared an interesting piece about how the agreement is a "blueprint on how to save your job from AI." Also, the United Auto Workers (UAW) is expanding General Motors and Ford Motor. There's been some progress with Stellantis, which has spared it these same consequences, according to CNBC.
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