Latest HR Trends: Weekly Check-Ins, Emerging Leadership, Loneliness, Employee Well being, Gen Z and AI usage, People-Centered Strategies
Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Global People Analytics & HR Data Leader - People & Culture | Strategical People Analytics Design
👋 Hello Everyone and Happy Sunday !
💥 Welcome back to the 81th edition of Weekly People Analytics Research—our regular weekly check-ins! 📚
🙏 A heartfelt thank you to all the contributors for making this complex collection of research understandable!
☕ Some of you have coffee while reading this newsletter, some have lunch,... in short, enjoy reading as always!
Last week, we engaged in a discussion on the following exciting HR topics:
💡 In this latest edition, you will discover more about 📊:
✔️How can organizations encourage more frequent Check-Ins between employees and managers? Workhuman researchers revealed that the frequency and quality of check-ins are closely linked, with higher quality check-ins occurring more often.
✔️Why are four key leadership competency clusters essential for future leadership success? Blanchard researchers revealed that leadership workshops are expected to be the most widely used method for leadership development in organizations over the next year.
✔️ Why do AI leaders prioritize people-centered strategies in their approach? Boston Consulting Group (BCG) researchers identified that AI leaders follow the 10–20–70 rule, emphasizing that real transformation depends on people.
✔️How can organizations address the gap in ethics and leadership to meet Gen Z’s expectations? EY researchers uncovered that Gen Z can be categorized into three groups of AI users: super users, varied users, and stragglers.
✔️Why does the pandemic continue to affect employee well being and market performance? Wellbeing Research Centre researchers disclosed that when employees feel valued and essential at work, they are more likely to stay and perform at their best.
✔️Why does office presence have minimal impact on disconnection and loneliness? Sunny researchers found that fully remote and fully on-site workers experience slightly more extreme isolation than hybrid workers.
🔥 Now, let's do a recap of the week on published research:
💡 Findings of researchers:
Regular check-ins between managers and employees are vital for a positive employee experience, yet they often lack both frequency and quality.
❗️ Managers are 1.5 times more likely to feel confident in conducting productive, supportive check-ins if they have regular 1:1 meetings with their own managers.
📈 The frequency and quality of check-ins are closely linked, with higher quality check-ins occurring more often.
➡️ Having the right tools in place ensures the proper frequency and quality of check-ins.
🚀 Organizations utilizing a 1:1 tool are ten times more likely to hold weekly meetings and those with a recognition program are up to 2x more likely to meet at least weekly than those who don’t, according to a new interesting research published by Workhuman using data 📊 from a internal survey called Workhuman® iQ survey.
☝️ Recommendation of researchers:
📍 Finally, researcher Steven Rogelberg highlights key areas where organizations should concentrate their efforts when training managers to conduct effective 1:1 :
✔️ They are held weekly or biweekly, at least.
✔️ The meeting has some structure, but isn’t rigid.
✔️ They focus on the employee’s needs, progress, and concerns (not the manager’s).
✔️ The manager demonstrates good listening, asks good questions, and does what they say they will do as follow-up
👉My personal View:
This remarkable research by Workhuman team - who have been studying recognition data for years - has uncovered intriguing patterns about the importance of check-ins between managers and employees. This year’s trend clearly shows that employees who lack consistent and effective check-ins often feel disconnected and unsupported. Check-ins are essential for employees at every career stage, significantly influencing better business outcomes. It’s time to revive this practice, as the researchers’ four recommendations are right on target.
🙏🏼 What were the best HR expert opinions:
Dave Ulrich Wonderful research from multiple sources on the importance of frequent check in's. This idea so resonates with me ... and has a rich history. Management by wandering around ... the informal connects made frequently. Management by checking in ... often done virtually during COVID. Tipping point: Start small "by small and simple things, great things come to pass". Marshall Goldsmith major coaching tip of daily checkins. The research also reminds me that management is about relationships that come from caring. I wonder if the same "check in" frequently works virtually ... I feel like I check in daily with your insights which helps me build trust with you!We check in with each other on ideas more than personal, but it still forges a positive relationship
Jos van Snippenberg Very interesting research this is indeed one of the most important topics in leadership. In practice, we’ve observed that many leaders, particularly middle managers, struggle to effectively lead their teams. Two key challenges often emerge: managing the pressure of increased responsibilities and mastering the skills necessary to lead effectively. One notable impact is the increase in employee turnover. Currently, we see that 1 in 3 employees leave their company, with the primary reason being the feeling of not being seen or valued. Organizations can address this issue by supporting their leaders in fostering what I like to call the “magic dialogue flow of VALUE” during structured conversations.
Andrew Lang Regular check-ins are powerful when they go beyond routine to focus on genuine connection and employee growth. It’s not about micromanaging but building trust, alignment, and psychological safety that drives engagement and impact.
Michaela Prusa Nesporova Thanks for this research, it is interesting to see also data confirmation about the importance and the reality of 1-1. I have been couple of times surprised when seeing that no regular 1-1 have been organized. I think the easiest way how to implement it is to start to explain why it is important and give some tips how to do it - incl. the hybrid recommendation.
Liz Rider Very disappointing regarding regular check-ins. This is the job of leadership and it’s something we need to take seriously.
James Hamilton-Reed There cannot be many organisations/managers that are not conducting regular checkins. With mental health, hybrid/remote working and overall productivity on most companies' agendas, it really is essential to be speaking with colleagues!
💡 Findings of researchers:
🏆 In-person classroom training has seen a resurgence since the pandemic began. Today, training methods include:
🚀 Leadership workshops are expected to be the most widely used method for leadership development in organizations over the next year.
📈 Organizations forecast an 11.7% increase in overall training spending in 2025, with a 13.3% rise specifically in leadership development spending, according to a new interesting research published by Blanchard using data 📊 from a survey of 944 leadership, learning, talent development, and business professionals, represented 21 industries and 66 countries. collected between November 11 and November 30, 2024.
☝️ Recommendation of researchers:
📍 In conclusion, researchers advise leaders to embrace the following strategies. To excel in a rapidly evolving landscape, organizations should take decisive actions based on these insights:
✔️ Prioritize Leadership Development
✔️ Revamp Talent Strategies
✔️ Reimagine Workplaces
✔️ Leverage Technology
✔️ Measure Impact Effectively
👉My personal View:
This captivating research, utilizing a comprehensive global dataset, uncovers intriguing trends in leadership training. It’s noteworthy that in-person training has seen a significant resurgence and is expected to continue its growth into 2025. The four skill sets identified by researchers highlight the essential competencies for managers in 2025, focusing on managing well-being, hybrid work models, business challenges, and team turnover.
🙏🏼 What were the best HR expert opinions:
Dave Ulrich Always informative to learn from research you share. In our work on leadership with research from top companies for leadership, leadership 360's (over 10,000 respondents), and focused study of top 20 leadership thought leaders, we identified five "timeless" domains of being an effective leader that we called leadership code. These five domains map on this research, but go beyond. Leaders should be strategists for the future, executors for the present, talent managers for people, human capability developers for infrastructure, and personally proficient to care for themselves. Then, using research, we identified timely behaviors or actions that are required for today's world ... see leadership code 4.0. Great to see continued work on leadership, both on confirming the timeless principles and identifying the timely practices.
George Kemish LLM MCMI MIC MIoL Great post Nicolas - it's nice to see leadership development coming more to the fore. In the past we have often seen people being promoted into leadership positions with little, if any, thought given to the fact that they will be leading people. There is a need to provide training, coaching & mentoring in order to ensure that leaders create value (to all stakeholders) whilst also ensuring that the culture within the organisation attracts and retain talent. The 4 competency clusters that are highlighted in this research are essential to providing smart leadership. The Leadership Code shared by Dave Ulrich provides a route to ensuring that this is the case.
Arturo Aranda Marín In a hybrid and dynamic work environment, it will be key to foster leaders who not only manage, but also transform their teams. The leaders of the future will need to master both strengthening the well-being of their teams and adapting nimbly to change and innovation, which will require organizations to not only invest in training, but to design customized programs that connect soft skills with strategic objectives.
Muhammad Talha Ibrahim Such valuable insights! Leadership development is definitely the key to thriving in the future. Excited to see how these trends unfold!
💡 Findings of researchers:
Only 1 in 4 companies have unlocked the true value of AI.
🚀 AI leaders follow the 10–20–70 rule, emphasizing that real transformation depends on people. Without robust, people-centered strategies, even the most promising AI initiatives can fall short.
🦾 AI leaders boast employee satisfaction levels that are 1.4 times higher than the overall Glassdoor average.
📣 Leaders recognize that AI bolsters business strategy, and they are achieving tangible results by thinking ambitiously, using AI responsibly, and maintaining a clear focus on value that extends beyond mere productivity, according to a new interesting research published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) using data 📊 from internal 1000 global companies.
☝️ Recommendation of researchers:
Researchers have identified three key strategies that enable AI leaders to outperform AI laggards:
✔️ They are more ambitious.
✔️ They focus on fewer efforts for greater ROI.
✔️ They focus on the core.
👉My personal View:
This insightful research uncovered fascinating patterns among AI leaders, demonstrating that these companies achieve significantly better results compared to laggards. However, it also revealed that most companies have yet to realize the true value of AI, despite experimenting with it. The key to the success of AI leaders lies primarily in their leadership behavior. As researchers noted, without strong, people-centered strategies, even the best AI initiatives can fall short...
🙏🏼 What were the best HR expert opinions:
Dave Ulrich Very thoughtful and helpful research from two leading groups. As AI moves from a parlor game of writing clever poems and advancing on internet searches into providing information to improve decision that deliver stakeholder value, the technology matters less that the people who use it and the organization cultures that sustain it.I like the evolution of AI that Gartner suggests (see our four waves of AI). I also like the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) focus on focus to make genAI happen. We identified 10 criteria and actions to turn AI from idea into action. Based on this research we could add leadership focus. Thanks again for sourcing relevant research on the AI movement that is moving so quickly.
Georg Pepping Since AI is defining an new human2machine collaboration for sure companies need to build capabilities in two dimensions: Tech and People. AI Masters have strong Tech and Business/People capabilities.
Dr. Bhanukumar Parmar Brilliant research share, From '1 in 4 companies unlocking AI's true potential' to the 10–20–70 rule, it's clear that people-centered strategies are the secret sauce. "All Business are People Business - Comprising of the People, for the People, Managed by the People. Leaders embracing these strategies aren’t just ahead of the curve, they’re setting the pace for 2025! Keep the insights coming - AI isn’t just a tool, it’s a game-changer when combined with stellar leadership. Leaders to learn first.
Mikhail Lvovskii Let's return 20-30 years back.Different IT systems: ERPs, CRMs, MESes, WMSes, and so on, were disrupting the World of Work.Did those systems put in danger human workforce? Yes and no.Those who did not accept to adopt systems, had less chances for jobs. Those who embraced the new way, got tools to become tremendously more productive. Same now happens with AI. Those are tools in the hands of human operators. If embraced properly, they deliver outstanding opportunities to be higher performing.What's next? I'm sure, everything made by humans will remain being (increasingly more powerful) tools to make human work more effective and productive.
George Kemish LLM MCMI MIC MIoL If AI is to be embraced then people need to know 'what is in it for them'. What will they gain from using AI? I have seen systems used for managing the delivery of parcels that has provided the drivers with a guidance system that ensures that their 'routes' are undertaken in a logical and timely manner whilst also ensuring that the customer is made aware of when a delivery can be expected. The employees totally get it - the customer is ready to accept delivery and this, coupled with the guidance on the routes to be taken, has provided the drivers with more 'down time'. However, I have also seen the opposite where stand-alone AI solutions have resulted in people flitting between software in order to gain the information required for them to do their job - it is time-consuming and frustrating. In these situations I am not surprised that both the leadership and their people become dis-engaged with AI. These are prime examples of the advantages and disadvantages of AI
💡 Findings of researchers:
The majority of Gen Z are diverse AI users, actively experimenting with AI in both structured and unstructured ways across their personal and professional lives.
👉 While Gen Z will experience the long-term impacts of AI in the workplace, they have yet to achieve sufficient AI literacy to fully leverage its potential.
☝️ Gen Z lacks clarity on best practices for prompting with GenAI to achieve specific outputs, indicating a skills gap in effectively utilizing the technology.
📈 The most important skills for proficient AI use, according to Gen Z, are creativity and curiosity, critical thinking, coding/computer programming, and writing.
💥 Gen Z can be categorized into three groups of AI users: super users, varied users, and stragglers.
Gen Z perceives a distinction between educational and workplace contexts, assuming that AI use will be more favorably regarded in professional settings, according to a new interesting research published by EY and TeachAI with the support of Microsoft using data 📊 from online survey that explored Gen Z’s attitudes toward and the use of AI. From June 10 to June 28 2024; the survey collected 5,218 respondents drawn evenly from fifteen countries across five regions: Middle East, Africa and India (MEAI); Asia-Pacific; Europe; Latin America; and North America.
☝️ Recommendation of researchers:
Researchers identified the skills Gen Z believes are essential for proficient AI use. Four skills tied for first place: creativity and curiosity, critical thinking, coding/computer programming, and writing. When considering second and third choices, creativity and curiosity emerged as the top priorities.
👉My personal View:
This remarkable research on Gen Z’s perception of AI, supported by a comprehensive global dataset, underscores the importance of developing a unified set of expectations for AI across various contexts. Whether this involves balancing educational and business approaches or aligning one with the other, it is clear that a shared understanding would benefit all stakeholders.
It is also concerning that ethics and leadership skills, which are crucial for those creating AI literacy guidelines, rank low on the skills priority list. This highlights the need for educators and businesses to give these areas special attention.
🙏🏼 What were the best HR expert opinions:
Dave Ulrich Again, wonderful research insights on a relevant topic. As said before (and again and again) more research about genAI will be forthcoming to help better deploy this new tool for accessing and managing information. The "normal" distribution of GenZ users makes sense. What I learn most from are the 8 ways GenZ is using AI. I go through them and self=answer "yes, yes yes, etc (8 times). These uses of AI are not just for genZ, but anyone who wants to access and manage information better (to encourage creativity and curiosity which is relevant for all generations). Thanks for sharing.
Jos van Snippenberg It’s always interesting to hear the views of the younger generation. This research highlights the importance of learning and understanding. Ignorance remains the number one reason doubt and anger find their way into a person’s life. Organizations would benefit greatly by educating all employees on AI tools. Doing so will enhance understanding, build confidence, and unlock creative potential.
Ahlam Bakkal Insightful view on AI usage among Gen Z. Understanding AI literacy and leadership is key.
💡 Findings of researchers:
📉 Global work wellbeing levels have yet to recover from the pandemic, with stress being a major contributor to low wellbeing.
💡 There is a strong positive correlation between employee wellbeing and a company’s performance.
🚀 When employees feel valued and essential at work, they are more likely to stay and perform at their best.
❌ Despite most managers acknowledging the importance of workplace wellbeing, they often fail to prioritize it as an organizational goal.
🦾a simulated portfolio of the top 100 companies in Indeed’s wellbeing surveys consistently outperformed major stock market indices, according to a new interesting research published by University of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre using data 📊 from the recruitment website Indeed of 1 million workers at 1,782 publicly listed US companies.
☝️ Recommendation of researchers:
Researchers identified the primary factors driving work wellbeing:
➡️ Learning, Achievement, Energy
➡️ Belonging, Inclusion, Support, Manager Support, Appreciation
➡️ Compensation, Trust, Flexibility
They also outlined the pathways to enhanced performance:
✔️ Raise productivity
✔️ Recruit talent
✔️ Retain talent
👉My personal View:
This remarkable study uncovered fascinating insights into the key drivers of wellbeing and their connection to performance. Researchers found that companies with higher work wellbeing scores enjoy better valuations, improved return on assets, and increased profits.
Prioritizing people has never been more crucial, and as interest grows among investors, employers, and society, it’s clear that employee wellbeing is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s essential.
🙏🏼 What were the best HR expert opinions:
Dave Ulrich Wow! What a comprehensive and relevant study. The connection between well being and market value and the intervening steps in this relationship is very helpful. I really like the evidence showing that the top 100 "well being" companies would outperform the market indices by 11%. This type of research confirms the value of investing in employee well being. It would be interesting to go into their massive data based to partition out which of the HR practice areas have the highest impact on overall well being? (growth, social, or foundational needs). But this type of data reinforces the importance of investing in people's daily lives as part of a successful business equation.Thanks for sharing
Namita Gopinathan,MBA Insightful! The post-pandemic world has reshaped workplace priorities, yet many organizations are still playing catch-up. The data is striking: companies that prioritize employee wellbeing consistently outperform stock market indices, proving that happier employees drive stronger business outcomes. Too often, wellbeing is dismissed as an HR initiative rather than recognized as a critical performance driver. This research shifts that perspective, showing how investing in wellbeing not only reduces turnover but also enhances profitability and market returns. The challenge isn’t a lack of awareness—it’s the gap between understanding its importance and taking meaningful action. Thank you for sharing!
Karen Stone Great insights! This research powerfully validates what many of us have observed - wellbeing isn't just a 'nice to have,' it's a business imperative. What strikes me most is the gap between knowing and doing. While the data clearly shows the performance impact (those market out performance numbers are compelling!), we're still seeing hesitation in making wellbeing practices part of our organisational DNA. In my experience, the key lies in shifting from wellbeing goals to wellbeing habits. When we embed regular check-ins, meaningful recognition and authentic conversations into our daily rhythms, they become as natural as our morning meetings. The challenge for leaders isn't just understanding the importance (the Oxford/Indeed research makes that crystal clear), but creating sustainable practices that outlast any individual initiative.
Dr. Masroor Hussain Shah It is an excellent piece highlighting the importance of wellbeing. It is a major driving force to increase employees productivity and simultaneously enhance organizational performance. What I have observed recently that workplace culture to be more pro employee is the main and common denominator to ensure increased performance, talent retention and talent management.
Marc Michaelson I think checking in is essential. What you check in about and what intentions guide this connection are critical. The whole employee-manager relationship hinges on trust and intention --most managers have no models to align the two. You can check the box or transform the alignment of these check-in"s to a how.
💡 Findings of researchers:
Remote working frequency has little to no correlation with loneliness!
🚨Fully remote and fully on-site workers experience slightly more extreme isolation than hybrid workers.
📈 Over 40% of Americans report feeling lonely sometimes, usually, or always. This figure rises to around 60% for those aged 18-29 and those in lower-income brackets.
⚠️ Younger adults and lower-income groups are particularly affected, with nearly 60% of those aged 18-29 experiencing loneliness regularly.
📣 Approximately 12% of Americans experience extreme isolation, defined as individuals who neither speak on the phone with family, friends, or neighbors nor meet with friends or relatives even once a week, according to a new interesting research published by nonprofit organization Sunny using data 📊 from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 Household Pulse Survey collected between Jun 25-Jul 22, 2024 from 1,058,879 households and received a total of 70,429 responses.
☝️ Recommendation of researchers:
Researchers investigated whether the frequency of remote work predicted levels of social and emotional support.
📈 In some survey waves, the data followed a U-shaped curve, with the best outcomes slightly favoring 1-4 days of remote work per week. However, this pattern was not consistent across all data sets.
👉My personal View:
This exceptional research uncovered fascinating insights into the troubling trend of loneliness both at work and at home. It’s important to distinguish that loneliness is entirely different from isolation. The study clearly identified at-risk populations, including young adults, lower-income groups, and women. Leaders should also pay special attention to those aged 40-60, who often struggle with extreme lack of support due to the simultaneous demands of work, children, and aging parents. Finally, it’s remarkable how minimally remote working frequency correlates with social connection outcomes.
🙏🏼 What were the best HR expert opinions:
Steven Michael Crane Very well summarized - your conclusions stick to the data very well!
Heather Liu Leary, Ph.D. Thanks for summarizing our work and layering in your own thoughts!
Dave Ulrich Thanks again for sharing remarkable research. Psychologists I admire talk about emotional challenges:* anxiety for the future* depression about the past* loneliness in the present. The loneliness epidemic is daunting and dangerous. Research shows that loneliness leads to mortality more than many other bad habits (smoking, hypertension). Organizations can and should be settings which help overcome this loneliness epidemic through positive employee experience. I really like that this research supports that where and how someone works is not as important and why one works and who someone works with. Thanks again for sourcing such valuable insights.
Gregorio Cerezo Benito Thanks for this remarkable study. One key topic because we are a social species, our psychological well-being is associated with social interactions. We must differentiate between desired loneliness and involuntary loneliness. Companies have the opportunity to be proactive creating ecosystems that promote interaction between people, for example: create team virtual water cooler corner, coffee chats, reserve 10 minutes before and after TM meetings to promote informal conversations, plan face-to-face team meetings on a regular basis, weekly 121s, use Management 3.0 tools such as personal maps, retrospective meetings, etc. On the other hand, co-working spaces close to employees' homes facilitate interaction between people and promote networking by offering opportunities to meet interesting contacts and, above all, eliminating the feeling of isolation and loneliness. A good combination of volunteer loneliness and planned socialization is key to the healthy development of employees.
Micheline el Housseini- Timbrell Thank you for raising this point - Organizations need to encourage teams interactions, open discussions and debates, after working hours activities but also during working hours etc. Loneliness can lead to severe depression and other mental issues.
Dr. Jim Sellner, PhD. DipC. Thank you once again Nicolas for this important research. It parallels stats in Canada. As a psychologist this is most troubling particularly with increased digitization. IMO workplaces would do well to increase program that connect people. At base is leadership development and team development.Jim
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That's it for last week's recap - Happy Sunday and wishing you health and success ! 👋
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Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Head of Talent Development
3dThanks Nicolas BEHBAHANI for the mention, always great insights from you!
Human Resource Professional | MBA | Coporate Recruiting Professional- ASA | Ex-Wirtgen Group,A John Deere Company
3dA big thanks to Nicolas BEHBAHANI ! Each of these topics underscores the vital intersection of people, technology, and leadership in today’s workplace. I found the focus on frequent and high-quality check-ins particularly compelling, as it highlights the increasing importance of meaningful connections between managers and employees. It’s also fascinating to see how leadership competency clusters are influencing the future, with workshops continuing to play a central role in development. Thank you to all the contributors for your thought-provoking insights. This is truly a valuable read—thank you for making these complex topics so accessible! Happy Sunday and Happy holidays to all
Thank you Nicolas BEHBAHANI for your work! I was happy to read the research and your view that: "Companies with higher work wellbeing scores enjoy better valuations, improved return on assets, and increased profits." Clearly we can all thrive when we cooperate and connect.
LinkedIn Top Voices in Company Culture USA & Canada I Executive Advisor | HR Leader (CHRO) | Leadership Coach | Talent Strategy | Change Leadership | Innovation Culture | Healthcare | Higher Education
4dThank you Nicolas BEHBAHANI