CAHRS Top 10 eNews

1. ILR School Professor on Generative AI
What it can and Cannot do for HR 
Human Resource Executive
Cornell ILR School HR Studies Professor and MILR Program Director Chris Collins explains where generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can create meaningful value for Human Resources (HR) — and where human judgment remains indispensable. AI can accelerate work such as compensation benchmarking, pay equity analysis, and workforce trend identification. Collins cautions that overreliance on automation may weaken capabilities in job design, workflow analysis, and organizational design at the very moment organizations need them to redesign work around AI. 

2. 2027 Pay Raises Expected to Hold Largely Flat 
Cost Pressures Play Role in Projections
SHRM
Two recent compensation surveys suggest United States (U.S.) salary increase budgets will remain largely stable in 2027 despite continued cost pressures. Consulting firm WTW’s survey of more than 34,000 companies across 156 countries, including 1,650 U.S. employers, projects an average increase budget of 3.4%, compared with 3.5% in 2026. Gallagher’s survey of approximately 1,180 employers similarly places annual increases between 3% and 3.5%. Within those constrained budgets, employers are moving away from broad-based increases toward targeted, merit-driven allocations for top performers, critical roles, and priority skills. 

For a further look at the reasons for a lack of growth in salaries, have a look at “What Happens When Wages Grow at the Same Rate as Inflation”, where ILR School’s Erica Groshen lends her expertise on the matter. 

3. AI Transformations 
Trust is a Critical Component            
McKinsey 
Trust is not merely an outcome of successful AI transformation but a critical condition for adoption and enterprise value. Research suggests that employees who report low trust in organizational support during AI transformation are 1.5 times more likely to feel anxious about AI-related workplace changes, while anxiety is especially pronounced among middle managers responsible for translating strategy into daily execution. Rather than offering unrealistic assurances about job security, leaders should communicate candidly about what is known and unknown, and equip managers to lead difficult conversations.   

4. CAHRS Advisory Board Chair’s Strategy 
Put the Focus on Entry-Level Talent
HR Chief
CAHRS AB Chair and IBM Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Nickle LaMoreaux plans to triple the company’s U.S. entry-level hiring in 2026, countering the trend of organizations reducing junior roles in anticipation of AI-driven efficiencies. LaMoreaux argues that failing to recruit early-career talent today will leave organizations without a viable leadership and skills pipeline in three to five years. IBM’s experience also challenges the assumption that automation necessarily reduces total employment. 

Have a look at what two other CAHRS AB members are saying about AI in “AI for the few or for the Many? The Upskilling Mandate”, featuring Caterpillar CHRO Christy Pambianchi and Workday Chief People Officer (CPO) Ashley Goldsmith. 

5. Advanced People Analytics Maturity
43 Percent of Organisations Reach This Metric
Deloitte India
Deloitte India's Future of Work and People Analytics Maturity study, now in its third edition, surveyed more than 85 organizations across India using a four level maturity framework spanning six dimensions, including data infrastructure, governance, and business alignment. Forty three percent of organizations now operate at advanced maturity levels, up from prior editions, with business alignment the fastest improving dimension since 2022. Despite this progress, more than 70% of organizations still rely on static reporting rather than predictive insight. 

6. Women in the Workplace
Facing new Challenges as Access Wanes and Gaps Widen
HR Brew           
Recent research points to widening disparities in women’s pay, career access, and leadership representation. A Glassdoor survey found that 63% of women would feel pressure to accept a lower-paying job following a layoff, compared with 52% of men. The disparities are particularly pronounced for Black women, who earn 69% of White men’s average pay and experience twice their unemployment rate despite comparable levels of advanced education. Meanwhile, scholarships supporting women’s entry into college, STEM, and white-collar careers have declined 19% since 2023. 

ILR School’s Charlotte “Charlie” Townsend shares another look at how gender appears to affect the workforce in “Women Negotiate as Effectively as men – but Leave People Happier”.

7. Are You Listening?
Employees Report Feeling Disconnected at Work
The HR Digest
Kahoot!’s study of 4,000 workers across the U.S. and United Kingdom (U.K.) finds that roughly two in five employees feel disconnected at work, while 56% want closer relationships with their colleagues and 51% of Gen Z report feeling disconnected. Half of employees say meetings are their only opportunity to connect with coworkers, and 35% receive less than an hour of one-on-one time with their managers each week. Employees identify clear and effective communication as the top improvement they want from managers, suggesting that workplace connection depends on both manager behavior and broader company culture.    

8. Learning & Development
A Change Management Lever for AI Transformations
ILR School 
AI transformation requires more than technology—it depends on preparing people and organizations to adapt. This Cornell ILR School report examines how Learning & Development (L&D) can serve as a critical change-management lever by addressing three key barriers to AI adoption: cultural misalignment, employee capability gaps and ineffective leadership. AI transformation is an important opportunity for HR to position L&D as a strategic partner in its ultimate success — not simply as a provider of training.

9. Why We Still Hate HR
100 Business Leaders on how to fix It
Fast Company 
Fast Company examines why confidence in HR remains low despite decades of investment in technology and greater strategic responsibility. LinkedIn polls of more than 1,500 respondents found that 56% believe HR adds little or no significant value to their organizations, while 75% say HR is ineffective or a nonfactor in helping employees achieve professional goals. Drawing on recommendations from 100 business leaders, including 66 CEOs, the article argues that HR should move away from an emphasis on process administration and focus more strategically on talent acquisition, development, retention, organizational capability, and business outcomes.

10. Job Hoppers
ILR School Professor Builds Case for Hiring Them 
Harvard Business Review
Cornell ILR School HR Studies Professor Rebecca Kehoe challenges the conventional view that candidates who frequently change jobs are unreliable or less committed, suggesting that job-hopping can instead signal valuable adaptability. Kehoe and co-author F. Scott Bentley’s research found that people with histories of frequent job changes can be particularly skilled at quickly learning new environments and delivering results. The findings encourage employers to look beyond job tenure alone and consider the transferable skills, adaptability, and performance that candidates have developed across different organizations.