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Retaining Top Talent: The Counter-Offer Playbook

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Retaining Top Talent: The Counter-Offer Playbook

It’s no less than a leadership test in today’s job market. 

Your star player, the engine of your team, drops the news: “I have another offer.”

Suddenly, the pressure is on. The clock is ticking, and the stakes are huge. 

You’re not just fighting to keep one person; you’re fighting to protect your projects, your team’s momentum, and all the valuable knowledge they hold. 

In a market this hot, finding a replacement is a costly and time-consuming battle.

With top talent more mobile than ever, your next move is everything. 

Do you jump to match the salary? Highlight the culture and growth opportunities? 

This isn’t just a budget decision; it’s a strategic play that requires a smart and ready playbook.

To get that winning playbook, the HR Spotlight team went straight to the experts—seasoned HR and business leaders who navigate these high-stakes situations for a living. 

We asked them for their best advice and their answers are a powerhouse guide to blending sharp negotiation with smart leadership, giving you the tools you need to keep the talent you can’t afford to lose. 

Read on!

Tawny Lott Rodriguez
Fractional CHRO & Consultant, rowlandhall

Tawny Lott Rodriguez

If my top performer gets a competitive offer, my first move is a real, human conversation. Not just about money, but about “why” they’re considering leaving.

If I can match the salary, great. But let’s be real, most HR folks don’t have that luxury.

So I dig deeper. Do they feel stuck? Want more growth? A different manager?

Sometimes, small changes can make a big impact.

I’ve had honest talks where people realize they don’t actually “want” to leave, they just need something to get excited about again.

I always tell them, “The grass is greener where you water it.”

If they still go, I make sure they leave feeling valued because people boomerang back more often than you’d think.

Jonathan Faccone
Managing Member & Founder, Halo Homebuyers

Jonathan Faccone – Halo Homebuyers

Adjusted Pay: Look at and maybe change their salary package to match the important job they do and what others in the market earn, making sure it is fair and motivating.

Career Development Opportunities: Help them grow professionally inside the company, like chances for leadership positions, advanced training classes, or new project tasks that match their interests and job goals.

Work-Life Balance: If possible, give more flexible work conditions. This can be remote work choices or changed hours to fit their lifestyle needs better.

Kimberly DeCarrera
Fractional General Counsel & CFO, Springboard Legal

Kimberly DeCarrera – Springboard Legal

The most effective strategy will be the one that is tailored to the particular employee. It will require a discussion of what they desire out of the job – more money, more time off, hybrid or remote work, better career development opportunities, or a better boss.

My question is whether you want to keep the top performer after they come to you with a job offer from a competitor.

In my experience, any strategies that you counter with will only last about six months, before a new offer is accepted. If you use that time to onboard or train a new top performer, then it will be time and money well spent.

But if you have a top performer that is actively seeking new employment or entertaining offers, there is a reason.

Many strategies are going to end up being too little, too late. Even with a successful counteroffer, you should prepare to lose the employee in the short term.

Madan Chaolla Park
CEO, Zatjob

Madan Chaolla Park – Zatjob

When top talent comes with a competitive offer and asks for a raise the situation is usually rather binary (or black and white).

Scenario 1: They love their job, they’re thriving, but you’ve been underpaying them. Give them the raise—no hesitation. You dropped the ball on market rates, and now it’s time to fix it.

Scenario 2: If they aren’t nice, and are not having a good experience at your company you need to let them go. If you give them a raise now, they are still going to search for another job in the meantime – so it’s just holding them for a few more months. If you start losing much of your top talent it’s a very bad sign.

At the risk of sounding cliche – the no. 1 reason people leave jobs is bad managers. So the real strategy to keep talent is having a great workplace (or paying them absurdly high rates, but then you wouldn’t have this problem).

Wesley Kang
Founder, 1099Cafe

Wesley Kang – 1099Cafe

When my top agent at 1099cafe got poached last year, I skipped the typical counter-offer panic.

Instead of just matching their offer, I sat down with her for an honest conversation about career trajectory. Turns out money wasn’t the main driver – she actually wanted more leadership opportunities and felt stuck. Within 48 hours, I restructured our team to put her in charge of our new agent training program with a revenue share component.

What worked wasn’t throwing cash at the problem but addressing the actual reason she was looking elsewhere. The competitor offered slightly more money but couldn’t match the entrepreneurial opportunity I created.

The key lesson is that when top performers get offers, don’t just negotiate compensation. Quickly identify and solve for their real motivations. Sometimes it’s recognition, sometimes it’s growth potential, rarely is it just about the base commission split.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Austin Rulfs
Founder, Zanda Wealth

Austin Rulfs – Zanda Wealth

When a top performer from my team brings up a competing employment offer, it is prudent for me to pay attention to their priorities. Whether their objectives are recognition, work-life balance, professional growth, or financial gain, there is a need to keenly understand their underlying motivations. Employees often only want to feel appreciated and heard.

Offering flexibility may also be beneficial in my experience. One of my important team members, for instance, appreciated the leeway I offered in the form of family time but even then, they were still thinking about accepting a higher-paying offer from a rival. I offered them a greater pay and made a slight change to their function to give them more responsibility after some candid discussion.

Maintaining open lines of communication and demonstrating an open mind as a leader are paramount in retaining excellent staff.

Kristie Tse
Founder & Clinical Director, Uncover Mental Health Counseling

Kristie Tse – Uncover Mental Health Counseling

When a top performer shares they have a competitive offer, it’s essential to act promptly and thoughtfully.

First, I would invite an open conversation to understand their motivations; financial, growth opportunities, or work-life balance. Using my experience as a therapist, I know that validation and understanding go a long way.

Once their needs are clear, I’d tailor a retention plan, whether it’s creating a pathway for advancement, offering additional resources, or flexible arrangements to align with their goals.

It’s important to address underlying issues that led them to explore other opportunities, not just focus on a quick fix.

Most importantly, I’d stay transparent and communicative during negotiations to build trust and show their contributions are valued.

Jon Hill
Chairman & CEO, Energists

Jon Hill – Energists

When you build a high-performing team, it’s natural that competitors will take notice and try to lure some of those exceptional employees away. Because of that, I’d say it’s smart for leaders to be prepared for how they plan to hang on to top talent when they get another offer.

First of all, it is a positive sign if the employee informs you of the offer. This is a sign they haven’t decided to accept the offer and you can still retain them if you act quickly. Start by having an honest conversation with the employee about the offer—how tempted they are to take it and why, and what your company could do to entice them to stay.

Learning why they’re considering the offer is critical because it tells you where to start the negotiations. If salary is the biggest factor, then adjusting their compensation to be the same as (or higher than) the competitor’s offer could be enough to keep them on the team. In other cases, it may be more effective to discuss more flexible schedules, a remote or hybrid position, additional benefits like stock options, or career advancement through a promotion, expanded responsibilities, professional development, or leadership opportunities.

In some cases, you may not be able to compete with the competitor’s offer, and some talent loss is inevitable in a business. However, if you address the specific reasons the employee is considering the offer, you have the best chance of keeping them on your team.

Joan Denizot
Founder, Zize Bikes

Joan Denizot – Zize Bikes

In an urgent retention scenario, my first step would be an open conversation to understand their motivations—whether it’s compensation, growth, or work-life balance.

I’d present a compelling counteroffer that aligns with their aspirations, whether through salary adjustments, performance-based bonuses, or equity options. Additionally, I’d emphasize long-term career growth by mapping out leadership or specialized roles tailored to their strengths.

Beyond financial incentives, I’d reinforce workplace culture, flexibility, and mission-driven engagement, ensuring they feel valued beyond numbers. If compensation is a key factor, I’d explore creative perks like additional paid time off, remote work flexibility, or personalized development opportunities.

Ultimately, people stay where they feel appreciated and have a clear vision of their future. Retention is about genuine investment in their success.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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AI Recruitment Risks: Experts Uncover Biases and Share Fixes

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AI Recruitment Risks: Experts Uncover Biases and Share Fixes

Get ready for a deep dive into the future of hiring!

AI-driven recruitment tools are speeding up talent acquisition with incredible efficiency, but they’re also raising eyebrows over bias and fairness.

These systems can supercharge hiring, yet their potential to entrench inequities or miss diverse talent is a real concern.

To tackle this hot topic, the Techronicler team connected with HR gurus, AI experts, visionary thought leaders, and business trailblazers to answer a big question:

Despite concerns of potential bias, AI-driven hiring is gaining traction. In your opinion, what’s one serious adverse consequence of this practice in your industry, and how is your organization addressing it?

Their insights unpack real challenges—from amplifying biases to misreading candidate potential—while showcasing smart solutions like transparent algorithms, diverse data sets, and human oversight.

Join us as we uncover the risks of AI in hiring and the bold strategies organizations are using to champion fairness.

Discover how these leaders are striking a balance between cutting-edge tech and equity to pave the way for a more inclusive recruitment future!

Read on!

David Case
President, Advastar

David Case – Advastar

As a recruiting firm leader, I’ve seen firsthand how AI tools can improve the efficiency and accuracy of hiring. But I’ve also seen the risks they pose when used without proper oversight, especially in industries like construction and manufacturing, where our firm focuses most of its work.

One major concern is bias against candidates with non-linear career paths. These are common in both construction and manufacturing, which have also historically been male-dominated fields. AI hiring tools trained on historical data from such industries can end up favoring male candidates and overlooking others, and also tend to struggle with identifying transferable skills, meaning candidates with nontraditional backgrounds are often screened out unfairly.

Given the persistent talent shortages in the skilled trades and manufacturing sectors, employers simply can’t afford to lose strong candidates due to biased or incomplete algorithms. Overreliance on AI makes that more likely.

That’s why we pair AI tools with human oversight. For hard-to-fill roles, our recruiters manually review candidates who were initially screened out by AI. We also conduct regular audits of AI-driven decisions to spot and correct patterns of bias. I’d strongly encourage other employers using AI in hiring to do the same. Efficiency is important, but not at the cost of missing out on exceptional talent.

Justin Belmont
Founder & CEO, Prose

Justin Belmont – Prose

One major risk is automating bias at scale—if the AI’s trained on biased data, it’ll quietly filter out amazing candidates who don’t “look like” past hires.

In marketing, that can kill creativity and diversity fast.

We’re tackling it by keeping humans in the loop at key points and regularly auditing the tools for patterns that look off.

No set-it-and-forget-it.

If the AI’s making decisions, we’re making damn sure we know how and why.

George Fironov
Co-Founder & CEO, Talmatic

George Fironov – Talmatic

Despite the fact that AI has been with us for a long time, its use in different industries still raises many questions. And recruiting isn`t an exception.

A grave adverse effect of AI-powered hiring is the amplification of inherent biases in historical data, which can inadvertently exclude qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

To avoid this, Talmatic continuously audits our AI systems, employs training data sets that are diverse, and incorporates algorithmic recommendations into formal human review to guarantee fairness and accountability throughout the hiring process.

Vivek Mehta
Co-Founder & CEO, Weeve AI

Vivek Mehta – Weeve AI

A health system we advised saw applicant diversity drop sharply after deploying AI-powered hiring. The culprit? The model was trained on outdated job descriptions—rewarding familiar schools, linear resumes, and “no gaps.” It didn’t just miss out on great people—it reinforced the same old mold.

This wasn’t a tech glitch. It was a leadership miss.

AI doesn’t absolve us of judgment. It demands more.

Even the smartest systems drift without oversight. And in hiring, those drifts turn into quiet exclusions. That’s why high-impact leaders don’t just deploy AI—they guide it.

Here’s what they do:

Human-led, AI-augmented hiring: AI can flag patterns. People make the call. Always review for mission fit and lived context.

Bias audits beyond the checkbox: Track who advances—and who doesn’t. Patterns reveal what metrics alone can’t.

Transparency with teeth: Be clear with candidates about how AI is used. Offer opt-outs. Invite feedback. Build trust by design.

Design with lived voices: Involve ERGs, DEI leaders, frontline managers early. They see what the data misses.

There’s something more! What if the real breakthrough with AI in hiring isn’t speed at all—but finally seeing the people and potential we’ve always missed?

It’s not faster filtering. Not cheaper sourcing. Deeper understanding.

The best systems don’t just scan resumes—they talk to people.

Conversational AI engages applicants directly, surfacing what truly matters: how they think, connect, solve problems. You hear their values—the ones that already live in your organization, or the ones you wish did.

That’s the future—not automation for efficiency, but intelligence for alignment.

Great leaders use AI to spot brilliance others miss.

Not to filter people out—but to finally see them.

Eugene Mischenko
President, E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Association

Eugene Mischenko – E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Association

One of the most serious adverse consequences I see with AI-driven hiring is the risk of reinforcing legacy bias while creating the illusion of objectivity. In e-commerce and digital marketing, where growth depends on adaptable, creative teams, this is particularly dangerous. If a hiring algorithm is trained on historical data from a company that has favored a specific profile – consciously or not – it will perpetuate those patterns. This can quietly filter out unconventional talent, narrowing the team’s perspective and limiting innovation.

I have seen this first-hand in consulting engagements with multinational retailers and agencies. One client adopted an AI screening tool expecting it to broaden their talent pool. Instead, they noticed a subtle but consistent decline in candidate diversity – not only in demographics, but also in thought and experience. The system was favoring profiles that closely matched their legacy hires, even though the company’s strategy was shifting toward new markets and skills.

At the E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Association, we work with member companies to actively mitigate this risk. We treat AI as an efficiency tool, not a decision-maker. Every algorithm is audited by both HR and operational leaders before deployment. More importantly, we insist on regular outcome reviews, comparing AI-driven recommendations with business results and team performance. Where the data reveals patterns of exclusion, we adjust both the data inputs and the role definitions.

From a leadership perspective, it is critical to remember that hiring decisions shape the organization’s future capabilities. AI can streamline initial screening, but it cannot detect potential, adaptability, or cultural fit as a seasoned executive can. In my experience, the best results come when AI is paired with thoughtful human review, guided by a clear understanding of the shifting business context. This approach not only reduces bias, but ensures that teams stay dynamic and well equipped for rapid change.

Samantha Gregory
Self-Care Strategist & Culture Consultant, Workplace Alchemy

Samantha Gregory – Workplace Alchemy

One major consequence of AI-driven hiring is the exclusion of qualified, diverse candidates due to flawed training data. I’ve seen this firsthand as a SCORE business consultant supporting small business owners expanding their teams. These entrepreneurs often rely on AI tools to save time but unknowingly inherit biased algorithms trained on outdated, homogenous hiring patterns.

In my own work, I’ve built S.A.M.I., a digital well-being coach I trained on my original intellectual property, not general machine learning data. This personalized approach ensures culturally competent, context-aware support. Companies can adopt a similar model by customizing their AI tools, enhancing inputs, and incorporating values-aligned data to eliminate bias.

Diverse hiring isn’t just a checkbox; it’s a strategy. When AI is paired with inclusive design and human insight, it can surface well-rounded candidates who bring hard-won experience, education, and fresh perspectives that strengthen workplace culture.

Ulad Stsepuro
HR Director, ScienceSoft

Ulad Stepuro – ScienceSoft

I see two serious consequences here.

The first is discrimination. Since machine learning models are trained on historical hiring data, they may inherit past biases related to gender, ethnicity, or age, for example.

The second is an increase in conflicts within teams.

In my experience, human recruiters are still better at evaluating a candidate’s soft skills and their ability to integrate into a specific team. It’s not all just about technical skills — a poor team fit can quietly erode morale and productivity for months. It often takes a while to identify the source of the issue and even longer to reorganize the team or part ways with someone who is the wrong fit.

At ScienceSoft, we use a complex, multi-step hiring process managed by people, not AI.

Our recruiter initially selects candidates whose profiles best match the role, then forwards their resumes to technical specialists. This ensures that qualified candidates are not overlooked due to non-technical judgment.

Only those approved by the technical team proceed to the next step. Then, the selected candidates are invited for a behavioral and culture-fit interview with our HR team.

After that, the candidate undergoes a technical assessment. Depending on the role, that could be a technical test or a practical task relevant to the position. Those who pass the assessment are then interviewed by our technical team for a more in-depth evaluation.

A final interview with the department head ensures alignment with team goals and expectations. Successful applicants undergo thorough background checks, which include verification of their identity, employment history, education, and professional references.

Another important point is that the recruiter receives a bonus if the candidate they recommend is hired and proves to be a strong fit for the role. This way, the recruiter is highly motivated to remain objective and focus on finding the most qualified candidates.

James Francis
Founder, Artificial Integrity

James E. Francis – Artificial Integrity

When AI drives hiring, the hiring process is far more efficient, but it can also entrench bias in recruiting. If an AI model is trained on historical data that captures biased hiring decisions (for example, bias on the basis of gender, race, or age), it could replicate these biases in future decisions.

For example, an AI system may unintentionally reward candidates who are similar to past hires if it filters out equally competent brains. By weakening fairness, this also hampers organizational diversity, which, according to several studies, is essential for innovation and success.

At Artificial Integrity, we try to minimize this problem by ensuring that our AI tools are regularly audited for fairness and bias-free algorithms. By ensuring such biases are not a part of our training data and implementing checks for equity, we are creating systems that promote inclusion.

Eric Walczykowski
CEO, Bespoke Partners

Eric Walczykowski – Bespoke Partners

The old software principle, “garbage in, garbage out,” still applies in AI. Train your model using data only from your previous talent searches and hiring and you’ll repeat the same patterns.

Everyone using AI Chatbots for candidate discovery is likely affected by bias and recycling former candidates instead of finding new ones.

We take a completely different approach. AI’s real power is processing huge amounts of data, recognizing patterns, and forming logical connections.

Instead, our AI-driven talent market mapping platform, the Executive Index, maps every executive in the US software industry. It’s nearly 700,000 executive profiles, assembled from 53 million executive background data lines from 575,000 sources.

Our clients can see the entire talent market, filter it in real-time, and see who could solve their search.

There is no possibility of bias or narrow, repetitive thinking because you see the whole market, not a narrow slice based on past work.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Overtime Overhaul: New Rules, New Challenges

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Overtime Overhaul: New Rules, New Challenges

The U.S. Department of Labor’s new overtime rule represents one of the most significant compensation shifts in years. 

By dramatically raising the salary threshold for exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the rule reclassifies millions of American workers, making them newly eligible for overtime pay.

For HR teams, this is far more than a simple compliance update; it’s a massive operational challenge with deep financial and cultural implications. 

The hurdles of implementation vary widely across industries—a tech startup with a flexible “always-on” culture faces a different set of problems than a retail chain with thousands of store employees whose duties must now be meticulously tracked.

Navigating this transition successfully requires foresight and a clear understanding of the potential pitfalls. 

To gain on-the-ground perspective, we turned to a panel of seasoned HR experts and business leaders from across industries with one critical question:

“As HR teams update overtime pay compensation in light of recent legislative updates, what is one implementation challenge they could potentially face in your industry?”

Their insights serve as an essential guide for any organization working to align with these new regulations, revealing the key challenges and strategic considerations for a smooth and compliant transition.

Read on!

Martin Weidemann
Owner, Weidemann.tech

Martin Weidemann

One of the biggest implementation challenges is adapting legacy payroll systems to handle nuanced, real-time rule changes across multiple jurisdictions—without disrupting operations.

In my own companies, which span across fintech and luxury services in Mexico, this became clear when managing a team with hybrid shifts, bonuses, and on-call structures. Many payroll platforms simply weren’t built for dynamic rules tied to hours worked, variable rates, or multi-role staff.

What made it even more complex was the communication gap between legal updates and HR tech—compliance would change, but systems lagged behind. We had to bridge that manually, often by updating spreadsheets or APIs on the fly. It’s not just a technical issue; it’s an operational one that impacts trust, accuracy, and morale. And for industries that move fast, like tech or aviation, lagging here can mean real legal risk.

Joe Spisak
CEO, Fulfill.com

Joe Spisak

One significant challenge HR teams in our industry face when implementing updated overtime pay regulations is managing the cost implications across a diverse workforce with varying seasonal demands.

In the 3PL world, we operate in an environment where peak seasons can require substantial overtime hours from warehouse staff. The recent increases in salary thresholds for exempt employees—moving from $684 to $844 weekly, and eventually to $1,128 weekly—create a complex reclassification puzzle that affects operational planning.

I’ve seen firsthand how this impacts our partners. A mid-sized 3PL we work with recently had to reclassify nearly 30% of their warehouse supervisors as non-exempt, dramatically changing their labor cost structure. Their HR team wasn’t just dealing with payroll adjustments—they were navigating employee morale issues as formerly salaried staff adjusted to punching time clocks.

The implementation challenge extends beyond paperwork. It requires recalibrating entire workforce management systems, especially when dealing with seasonal volume fluctuations. Many 3PLs have traditionally relied on flexible overtime arrangements during peak periods, and these regulatory changes force a fundamental rethinking of staffing models.

What makes this particularly challenging is the timing—these changes are hitting during a period when fulfillment operations already face margin pressure from rising carrier rates and warehouse space costs.

For HR teams, it’s not simply about compliance; it’s about implementing these changes while preserving operational efficiency and maintaining service levels for eCommerce clients who expect consistent performance regardless of regulatory shifts.

The most successful implementations I’ve witnessed involve HR partnering closely with operations to model different workforce scenarios, using data analytics to predict impact points, and creating clear communication channels to help employees understand how and why their compensation structures are changing.

Chris Brewer
Managing Director, Best Retreats

Chris Brewer

In the wellness retreat industry, one big challenge HR teams face updating overtime pay due to 2024 FLSA changes is reclassifying exempt employees to non-exempt. Many retreat staff, like facilitators, were salaried above the old $684 weekly threshold but fell below the new $844 (July 2024) or $1128 (January 2025).

Tracking hours for these roles, often involving irregular schedules at remote sites, is a nightmare. I saw a Peru retreat struggle with this—staff felt micromanaged when asked to log hours, tanking morale. Advice? Use simple time-tracking apps like Toggl and train managers to communicate the change as a fairness win, not a demotion.

Andy Danec
Owner, Ridgeline Recovery LLC

Andy Danec

One of the biggest implementation challenges we face in the addiction treatment industry when updating overtime pay policies is balancing compliance with continuity of care. At Ridgeline Recovery, our team operates 24/7. Clients don’t stop needing support just because the clock hits a certain hour. That means our counselors, support staff, and medical team often work odd hours, weekends, or get called in during emergencies.

With new overtime legislation, HR teams must rethink scheduling, payroll structures, and staffing without disrupting client care. The problem? You can’t always predict how long a crisis will last. Forcing strict cutoff times or limiting hours to control costs can create gaps in care or lead to burnout if team members feel like they’re being micromanaged around the clock.

We addressed this by investing in better workforce management software—real-time tracking, clear overtime alerts, and smart scheduling based on actual demand. But the real shift was cultural: making sure our staff understood their rights, our obligations, and that any changes in policy wouldn’t compromise the mission.

HR must walk a tightrope. You have to stay compliant, yes—but in healthcare and recovery, you also have to stay human. That’s the challenge.

Joel Miller
President, Miller Pest & Termite

Joe Miller

One big challenge I’ve seen firsthand is adjusting overtime policies for employees who split their time between roles that do and don’t qualify for overtime.
We encountered this issue at a field services company, where some team leads were hands-on in the field part of the week. The rest of the time, they handled scheduling and reporting.

When the new rules took effect, HR had a difficult time determining when those employees were eligible for overtime and when they weren’t. It was a tracking nightmare and led to some underpayments early on, which we had to correct.

We eventually moved to a time-tracking system that let employees categorize their hours by activity type, but even that took weeks of training and buy-in. The key learning was that compliance isn’t just about updating policy—it’s about making sure the tools and behaviors on the ground support it. You can’t rely on memory or assumptions when classifying labor anymore. To stay ahead of these changes, you must design your workflows to reflect the law, not the other way around.

Derek Emery
CEO, Cash For Cars Los Angeles

Derek Emery

Being the CEO of Cash for Cars Los Angeles since 1999 and having a 30-plus years of experience in the sphere of business and finance, I have noticed that the HR teams working in the sphere of automotive services have a peculiar problem with adjusting to the new policies of paying overtime: matching the inflexible legislative system with the anarchic pace of the industry.

Our industry is driven by uncertainty unlike the predictable office settings, seasonal peaks (e.g. holiday vehicle sales), post-disaster sudden rise requests, and inventory cycles that rise and fall.

As an example, customer traffic can repair suddenly and double because of one hailstorm, and technicians have to work long hours.

However, new overtime regulations offer tight limits on the number of hours as well as complicated payments calculations, which presents a paradox: limit overtime to meet the regulations, and lose income during busy periods; be flexible, and watch labor costs spiral.

The other potential obstacle that has been ignored is the fragmented workforce in our industry. The auto service positions, techs, sales people, detailers all have different pay structures (salespeople get commissions, mechanics get piece rates).

It is a minefield of compliance to design overtime policies that reasonably take such disparities into consideration.

A survey by the Automotive Service Association (2021) found that 38% of companies are having a hard time retaining skilled technicians; errors in pay transparency may help speed up the process.

Workers may leave in anticipation in case they dread earning less income in the event of new regulations, thus incurring fewer hiring expenses than the cost of conformity.

Finally, there is the integration of technology that makes it difficult. Automation increases efficiency, but watching over AI-generated diagnostics or answering customer portal requests after hours erases the distinction of a regular workday.

Defining overtime applicability to hybrid jobs (ex: a technician who manages robotic repairs) requires imaginative resolutions- something that HR departments seldom have to deal with in non-tech intensive sectors.

Workforce planning, flexible scheduling software, and honest communication are not negotiable when it comes to handling these legislative changes without compromising the quality of service and staff morale.

Mark Niemann
CEO & Co-Founder, MeinOffice

Mark Niemann

One key implementation challenge HR teams may face when updating overtime pay stems from the complexity of aligning compliance with operational agility, particularly in industries like ECommerce and tech-driven services:

Varying job roles: The rapid evolution of hybrid roles in marketing, content creation, and customer experience makes classification under new wage regulations harder.

System integration: Legacy HR and payroll systems often lack the flexibility to adapt quickly, leading to delays or inaccurate calculations.

Talent retention risk: Sudden compensation structure changes can affect morale or prompt dissatisfaction if not communicated transparently.

To mitigate these, it’s essential to:

  • Conduct job audits to clearly define exempt vs. non-exempt roles.
  • Upgrade digital tools for real-time compliance tracking.
  • Proactively communicate policy changes to build understanding and trust.

Andres Bernot
Founder, WOW! Shirts

Andres Bernot

HR departments in the clothing trade encounter a problem linking changes in overtime compensations with varying production patterns in the light of new laws.

We are selling shirts, we work with made-to-order, custom design, so we can rapidly increase workload, especially when there is a seasonal trend.

For example, when some new design is popular we usually have many orders that need overtime. Compensating in such peaks may be complicated.

Without a swift response and clear communication of changes by the HR teams, employees could develop a belief that the system is not fair, which can be dejecting.

To manage that, the HR needs to juggle between the legality and the effective communication so that the employees could feel appreciated and so that there would be no kinks in the working process at such crucial times.

Dr. Kirk Adams
Disability, Equity, & Inclusion Advisor, Innovative Impact LLC

Dr. Kirk Adams

When HR gets overtime policy wrong, it’s not just a payroll issue. It’s a people issue.

Employees with disabilities often work under modified schedules. Some share roles. Others use assistive tech.

These accommodations change how hours get tracked. But most systems weren’t built for that.

They miscount hours. They miss productivity. And they cause underpayment.

Not because of bad intent but because of bad design. That’s where trust breaks. That’s where legal risk grows.

HR leaders must act. Train your managers. Choose systems that flex. Bring in experts who understand disability inclusion.

Compliance is the floor. Equity is the goal. Leadership means knowing the difference and doing better.

Hayley Gillman
CEO, BOTI

Hayley Gillman

The main obstacle for HR teams extends beyond numerical challenges because it involves dealing with human aspects of organizational change.

The change from exempt to non-exempt employee status affects payroll operations while transforming employee perceptions about their work responsibilities. The shift in tracking work hours creates a sense of micromanaging for employees who previously enjoyed flexibility in their work. When communication about compliance updates is not handled properly the process transforms into a perceived demotion for employees.

The key? The solution requires organizations to modify both their policies and employee attitudes. The explanation should include both legal requirements and fair pay principles and employee protection aspects. Managers need training to conduct these conversations while showing understanding toward their team members. Organizations should spend money on tools that provide smooth time tracking experiences instead of creating overwhelming situations.

The actual expense of overtime updates exceeds monetary costs because it damages employee trust.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Powering Up AI Hiring: Solutions for a More Equitable Future

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Powering Up AI Hiring: Solutions for a More Equitable Future

As AI-driven hiring tools gain momentum, they promise efficiency and scale in talent acquisition, but they also spark concerns about bias and fairness.

While these systems can streamline recruitment, their potential to perpetuate inequities or overlook diverse talent is a pressing issue.

To dive into this complex topic, the HR Spotlight team reached out to HR experts, AI specialists, thought leaders, and business executives to address a critical question:

Despite concerns of potential bias, AI-driven hiring is gaining traction. In your opinion, what is one serious adverse consequence of this practice within your industry, and how is your organization mitigating this risk?

Their responses reveal real-world challenges, from reinforcing existing biases to misjudging candidate potential, alongside proactive strategies like transparent algorithms, diverse training data, and human oversight.

Join us as we explore the risks of AI in hiring and the innovative solutions organizations are deploying to ensure fairness.

Discover how these leaders are navigating the delicate balance between technology and equity to shape a more inclusive future for recruitment.

Read on!

Ger Perdisatt
CEO & Founder, Acuity AI Advisory

Ger Perdisatt – Acuity AI Advisory

When AI optimises for what worked before, it quietly filters out the people you actually need next.

The real risk in AI-driven hiring isn’t traditional bias — gender, race, or education. It’s corporate success bias: the tendency of AI systems to replicate what has historically worked in your organisation, even when that’s exactly what won’t move you forward.

Trained on past hiring data, these tools surface “safe” candidates who mirror your existing top performers. Familiar degrees. Recognisable companies. Predictable experience. It looks like consistency — but it’s actually stagnation.

          If you’re trying to evolve, these systems quietly optimise against change.

In industries that demand fresh thinking and strategic agility, this creates dangerous blind spots. AI won’t challenge your hiring assumptions — it validates them. At Acuity, we’ve seen how even well-intentioned systems can entrench sameness when they’re designed without forward-looking intent.

The mitigation playbook:

1. Define hiring success forward, not backward.

2. Audit inputs and outcomes, not just interfaces.

3. Use AI to assist, not decide.

4. And remember: culture makes the final call.

There’s justified focus on codified bias in AI systems. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

      AI screens who you see.

      Culture decides who you pick.

Screening algorithms may be sophisticated — but they’re optimising for yesterday’s success criteria. In a period of transformation (which describes most organisations today), that’s the wrong objective function.

Until we acknowledge this, the risk isn’t just in our tech stack. It’s in our strategic blind spots.

Because real change means hiring for who you’re becoming — not who you’ve already been.

Margaret Buj
Principal Recruiter, Mixmax

Margaret Buj – Mixmax

One serious risk of AI in hiring is that it can reinforce existing biases. If an algorithm is trained on past hiring data-and that data has skewed toward certain backgrounds, schools, or demographics-then the AI will replicate those patterns.

At Mixmax, we don’t rely on automated decision-making. As a recruiter, I use AI tools to help draft outreach or summarize candidate feedback, but I still review every application manually. Our hiring is structured, but human.

In my coaching work, I advise clients to write resumes and LinkedIn profiles that are both ATS-friendly and human-readable. But ultimately, no algorithm should replace thoughtful hiring decisions grounded in context.

Tech should support fairness, not shortcut it.

Ydette Macaraeg
Marketing Coordinator, ERI Grants

Ydette Macaraeg – ERI Grants

In the nonprofit sector, one serious adverse consequence of AI-driven hiring is the perpetuation of systemic inequities that directly contradict our mission-driven values.

AI algorithms often reflect historical hiring biases, potentially screening out candidates from underrepresented communities who bring essential lived experiences to our work. This is particularly damaging in grant-funded organizations where diversity, equity, and inclusion aren’t just buzzwords—they’re often funding requirements and core to our effectiveness.

Our organization mitigates this risk through a hybrid approach: using AI for initial resume screening while ensuring human reviewers from diverse backgrounds evaluate all candidates who advance.

We’ve also implemented bias audits of our AI tools, partnering with local universities to analyze our hiring data for disparate impact. Additionally, we maintain structured interview processes with standardized questions and diverse interview panels to counteract algorithmic bias.

The key is treating AI as a tool to enhance, not replace, thoughtful human judgment in building teams that truly reflect the communities we serve. That’s how impactful grants fuel mission success.

Ishdeep Narang, MD
Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist, Founder, ACES Psychiatry

Ishdeep Narang, MD – ACES Psychiatry

Our work in psychiatry is built on a foundation of human connection. That’s why I see the biggest danger of AI in hiring as its inability to gauge a candidate’s therapeutic presence. An algorithm can screen a resume for keywords like ’empathy’ or ‘compassion,’ but it can’t detect the genuine warmth, clinical intuition, and unwavering stability a person projects in a room.

That felt sense of safety is the bedrock of a therapeutic relationship, whether you’re working with a child who’s too scared to speak or an adult who has lost all trust in others. It’s this intangible quality that allows a patient to feel seen and begin to heal.

To mitigate this risk, I’ve made our hiring process deliberately human. While technology can handle the initial application, its role ends there. I personally meet with every candidate we seriously consider, not just to review their experience, but to understand who they are as a person. I’m looking for the things an AI simply can’t quantify.

I’m reminded of a colleague I once worked with. An AI screening their resume would have likely passed them over for someone with more prestigious credentials. But I saw firsthand the incredible humility and deep care they showed when discussing a challenging past case. That’s the kind of genuine empathy you simply can’t program an algorithm to spot.

In a field built entirely on human connection, the ultimate hiring decision must be a human one. For me, that approach is non-negotiable.

Andrew Peluso
Founder, What Kind Of Bug Is This

Andrew Peluso – What Kind Of Bug Is This

One serious risk I see with AI-driven hiring is over-reliance on pattern recognition that unintentionally filters out qualified but non-traditional candidates.

In digital marketing, some of our best hires didn’t have agency backgrounds or traditional degrees—they came from journalism, teaching, even theater. However, many AI screening tools heavily weigh resume keywords, which tends to reward individuals who already know how to “speak the language” of the industry. That creates a feedback loop where the same types of profiles continue to rise to the top, and you miss out on diverse perspectives that often lead to stronger creative and strategic work.

To mitigate this, we made a conscious decision to keep our first-round screening partially manual, especially for content and strategy roles. We use tech for volume management—like filtering for basic writing skills or location—but we don’t let AI decide who moves forward. We also include blind writing assessments early in the process.

That levels the playing field and allows us to evaluate candidates based on output, not just their resume history. It takes more time, but it’s helped us build a team with a broader range of thinking—and in our industry, that’s a competitive edge.

Joe Spisak
CEO, Fulfill

Joe Spisak – Fulfill

One serious adverse consequence of AI-driven hiring is algorithmic bias that can perpetuate workforce homogeneity. When AI systems are trained on historical logistics industry data, they risk reinforcing existing workforce patterns rather than promoting diversity.

The logistics industry already faces challenges with representation across different demographics. If AI hiring tools learn from this historical data, they may inadvertently screen out qualified candidates from underrepresented groups who don’t fit the “typical” profile, limiting perspectives and innovation potential within our partner network.

At Fulfill, we’ve implemented a hybrid approach to mitigate this risk. Our AI tools assist with initial candidate screening for our network of 650+ fulfillment partners, but we never allow them to make final decisions. Our human experts review recommendations, applying contextual understanding that algorithms lack. We’ve also invested in diverse training datasets and regular algorithmic audits to detect potential bias patterns.

I’ve personally witnessed how diverse teams deliver superior results for our eCommerce clients. One of our most successful partners initially struggled with staffing challenges until they revamped their hiring practices to be more inclusive. They now maintain a culturally diverse workforce that brings unique perspectives to problem-solving, particularly valuable when handling fulfillment for clients with global customer bases.

The real value in matching eCommerce businesses with the right partners comes from understanding nuanced needs that pure algorithms might miss. That’s why we’ve built our platform to combine technological efficiency with human expertise – creating more opportunities while ensuring fairness in an industry that depends on diverse talent to solve complex logistics challenges.

Rae Francis
Counselor & Executive LifeCoach, Rae Francis Consulting

Rae Francis – Rae Francis Consulting

One of the most serious risks of AI-driven hiring isn’t just bias in data – it’s the erosion of human connection. While AI can be helpful in screening resumes, it can’t assess presence, empathy, or emotional intelligence – qualities that shape not just how someone performs, but how they connect, communicate, and contribute to a team.

Culture isn’t built through credentials alone. It’s built in the in-between – the way someone responds to pressure, the rhythm of conversation, the energy they bring into a room. Those things can’t be captured in data, but they’re often what determine whether someone strengthens or destabilizes a company’s culture.

And when it comes to bias, we need to be honest: if overcoming our own internal biases is hard, imagine the risk of an algorithm trained on decades of biased data – one that operates at scale, without reflection or accountability. Bias isn’t just maintained through AI, it’s multiplied.

Steve Ollington
ADHD Researcher, ADHDworking

Steve Ollington – ADHDworking

Back in 2022 the BBC ran a documentary called ‘Computer Says No’, which suggested the programming behind AI interviews was discriminatory towards neurodivergent people – for example, tracking eye content and facial expressions, which would be biased against people with Autism.

The program suggested AI interviews could be made more inclusive, if the companies and people behind the technology learned about neurodivergence so they could factor that in.

That was three years ago, but unfortunately the issue still doesn’t seem to be on the developers radars. That’s a shame, because it could be used to go the other way, removing some human biases and making recruitment fairer.

Hopefully some of the businesses using this AI will begin having neuroinclusion as part of their criteria for purchase soon – which will lead to the developers of the technology ensuring the (neuro)diversity of their training data.

Martin Weidemann
Owner, Mexico-City-Private-Driver.com

Martin Weidemann – Mexico-City-Private-Driver

One of the most serious risks I’ve seen with AI-driven hiring is how easily it can codify human bias under the illusion of objectivity.

Early on, we tested an AI-based screening tool to help preselect drivers. On paper, it seemed perfect—fast, data-driven, and consistent. But within a few weeks, we noticed a trend: local applicants from low-income neighborhoods in Mexico City were being filtered out disproportionately.

The algorithm had learned to prioritize “punctuality” using proxies like previous job addresses, but what it really did was penalize people who lived further from wealthier zones—where traffic is unpredictable and transit infrastructure lacking. The system had no context for the realities of commuting in Mexico City.

We immediately pulled the plug.

Since then, we’ve gone back to human-led screening, but with one key upgrade: we now use AI only as an assistive tool—not a gatekeeper. It flags applications for review, but final decisions always rest with a trained human who understands local nuance and context. And we track the demographic impact of every hiring round to ensure we’re not repeating mistakes behind the scenes.

For us, tech is there to scale human empathy—not replace it.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Combating Employee Burnout: Industry Insights and Organizational Strategies

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Combating Employee Burnout: Industry Insights and Organizational Strategies

Employee burnout has evolved from a wellness topic to a multi-billion-dollar operational risk for businesses worldwide.

Defined by severe physical and emotional exhaustion, it directly degrades productivity, increases absenteeism, and inflates healthcare expenditures, posing a significant threat to organizational performance.

The profound impact on individual well-being is clear, but the systemic nature of its causes—from unmanageable workloads to a lack of organizational support—demands a strategic, not just a tactical, response.

Acknowledging burnout as a systemic business problem, rather than an individual failing, is the critical first step.

And a problem understood is a problem half-solved.
To learn more about the other half of the equation, we reached out to HR experts and business leaders from the HR Spotlight community, posing to them the question:

What is the most prevalent contributing factor to employee burnout in your industry? What initiative or strategy does your organization implement to address this issue?

Read on!

Lucila Russo
Human Resources Director, Roar Media

Lucila Russo – Marketing

As the HR director for Roar Media , a multinational integrated marketing with 65 team members, I’ve noticed employee burnout often stems from the onslaught of tight deadlines and the “always-on” nature associated with this industry.

Which is why the agency addressed these challenges by systematically re-hauling our human capital management programs, listening to and prioritizing our team member’s individual needs.

As such, we developed programming and HR policies that offer flexible schedules, a “work away from office” policy that allows employees a degree of geographic autonomy, and 28 days of PTO in their first year.

In addition, we provide paid time off during the period of Chrismtas to New years and a Roar Media team employee appreciation day falling on the last day of spring break. We also initiated “No-meeting Thursdays” that ensures uninterrupted focus time.

We have also created a champion program across wellness, professional growth, team building and recognition. Our wellness champion’s program enables our team members to have access to year-round the a wellness and progressional development budget and resources that supports the team’s mental and physical health, as well as professional growth.

All these things work together to prevent burn out and foster a culture of collaboration and wellbeing.

Kevandre (Dre) Thompson
Director, Dre Thompson

Kevandre (Dre) Thompson – Recruitment

One of the most prevalent factors contributing to employee burnout in my opinion, is being stretched too thin within a lean team or having an overwhelming workload. 

When workloads consistently exceed the capacity a manager, team, or individual contributor can deal with  a multitude of things begin to happen. For example, stress levels rise, leading to exhaustion and decreased productivity in managing tasks, day to day duties, as well as other job functions. 

Without proper support, employees struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance, which ultimately impacts engagement and retention overall.

To address this, I encourage employees to utilize their organization’s Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), PTO, and mental health days to recharge,regroup, and refocus. 

Having regular check-in calls with managers fosters open communication, allowing employees to voice concerns before burnout escalates (and coming up with solutions to prevent burnout). 

In addition, team-building activities help strengthen morale and create a supportive work environment. 

Prioritizing well-being isn’t just a strategy, it’s imperative to sustaining a high-performing and engaged workforce.

Sara Thomas
Advisor, Mother Cover

Sara Thomas – Recruitment

One big reason employees burn out is the blurred line between work and personal life when a coworker goes on parental leave. When someone takes maternity or paternity leave, their work is usually spread across teammates who are already busy. This can lead to longer hours, constant emails, and difficulty unplugging from work.

Mother Cover solves this problem by bringing in skilled professionals to step in during parental leave. This keeps workloads balanced, helps teams avoid burnout, and allows new parents to fully disconnect without worrying about overloading their coworkers. It’s a simple but effective way to support both employees and businesses.

Sanju Zachariah
Owner and President, Portiva

Sanju Zachariah – Healthcare

In the healthcare industry, one of the most prevalent contributing factors to employee burnout is the relentless pace and emotional toll of patient care.

Staff often deal with long hours, high patient volumes, and the stress of ensuring quality service in an environment where resources can be stretched thin.

At Portiva, we address this issue by focusing on employee well-being through a combination of flexible work schedules, access to mental health resources, and fostering a culture of open communication. We prioritize creating a supportive environment where team members feel valued and heard.

Regular training on stress management and offering opportunities for professional growth are also key aspects of our strategy, ensuring our staff remains engaged and resilient in their roles.

Jean Christophe Gabler
Publisher & Founder, Yogi Times

Jean Christophe Gabler – Wellness

Burnout is frequently underestimated in the wellness sector, yet it can strike in unexpected ways. Long hours aren’t the only aspect of the job.

Holding emotional space for others is what it’s all about. Deep energy production is necessary for the profession, whether it involves coaching individuals through change, teaching a class, writing about personal development, or assisting someone in overcoming stress.

That emotional commitment and ongoing presence adds up.

Because their work is so closely linked to assisting others, many people in this field feel as though they are unable to move away. It is more difficult to pause when they are more concerned about their work.

We deal with this at Yogi Times by integrating rest into our daily routine.

Simply working too much does not cause burnout. They burn out because they never fully recover. Because we organize our work in cycles, there is real rest following bursts of creative activity.

When there are no outside interruptions during deep concentration hours, the work itself feels less taxing. Intentional communication keeps people from becoming overwhelmed by notifications. Because pointless chatter quickly depletes energy, meetings are kept to a minimum.

Simplified decision-making reduces mental exhaustion. People can remain involved without feeling exhausted when minor stressors are lessened because they accumulate over time.

Burnout isn’t usually immediately apparent. It develops when people repeatedly push past fatigue. Instead of waiting until someone hits a wall, the best approach to prevent it is to incorporate recovery into the process.

Richard Robbins
Owner, TheTechnologyVault.com

Richard Robbins – Technology

Burnout comes from employees working on things they don’t enjoy for long hours without feeling appreciated or valued for what they contribute. To combat this, we have fun employee gatherings where people can get to know each other and feel more connected.

We also try to consistently have our employees set goals that motivate them. Those goals are matched with incentives for achieving them. 

For instance, we set a goal to take our management team on a cruise if we achieved a particular sales goal over the Christmas season. 

Although that season was very busy, with many people working nearly twice as many hours as they were used to, achieving the goal and booking the cruise made it feel as if there was no burnout, and the time off while at sea was the perfect reset for our team.

Josh Norman
Principal & Chief Creative Officer, Texas Creative

Josh Norman – Marketing

Ad agency life is so often synonymous with the term burnout. Ask anyone in the industry. It often stems from the  need for creativity on command, which means grueling 80-hour work weeks that blur all boundaries between professional and personal life. The constant pressure to produce innovative campaigns while managing client relationships and unrealistic deadlines leads to exhaustion no matter what area of the agency you work in. Pair that with the industry’s “always-on” culture of responding to emails at midnight and working weekends, a lot of people in our profession find their initial passion for creative work slowly replaced by fatigue and disillusionment.

After 40 years, our ways of working at Texas Creative have evolved over time. But one of the ways we currently combat burnout is with a simple Venn diagram that determines the type of work we’re willing to take on as an agency. We don’t accept every client that comes our way, but instead we look for clients that fit our culture.

In the three circles of the Good Client Venn Diagram we have the qualities that make a client GOOD — good work, good people, good value. At the center is the perfect client that meets all three. Good work means projects that we enjoy and can be proud of. It’s the fun tasks and the portfolio pieces that make us feel fulfilled. Good people is just that — kind, collaborative, good clients with excellent boundaries who we genuinely enjoy working with. Good value means that the amount of effort we put in is financially well-rewarded.

To have all three is ideal, but we won’t take on a client without an overlap of at least two. If it’s good work and good value, then we can handle a more difficult client. If it’s good people and good work, then the value lies in the feeling of joy we have in the project. And if it’s good people and good value, we can find joy in the most mundane of tasks when doing the work.

At the end of the day, we want our agency work culture to spark joy, not flames. So to avoid burnout, we just have to make sure the things we do at our agency are good.

Marco Manazzone
CEO, Zzone Homes Inc

Marco Manazzone – Construction

The most prevalent contributing factor to employee burnout in the construction industry is often long hours and high stress due to tight project deadlines and safety concerns. This can lead to both physical fatigue and mental stress.

To address this issue, our organization has implemented several initiatives, such as flexible scheduling to help workers manage their time, regular breaks to reduce fatigue, and access to mental health resources. We also  conduct training sessions focused on stress management and resilience, empowering our employees to cope with the demands of the job effectively.

Gerard Virga
Founding Attorney, The Virga Law Firm, P.A.

Gerard Virga – Legal

At my firm, we lead with compassion for both our employees and our clients. Our approach to training new team members and junior attorneys goes hand in hand with a compassionate workplace culture. We’ve created a robust mentorship model that includes extensive shadowing opportunities. 

New attorneys are paired with experienced team members, allowing them to observe real-world legal practice, client interactions, and courtroom strategies. This hands-on approach bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. It also enables junior attorneys to learn how more senior staff members manage their caseloads and create healthy boundaries between their work and personal lives.

We cannot assume that employees automatically know how to have a strong work-life balance, especially in industries known for being fast-paced and demanding. Regardless of what opportunities you offer your team to combat burnout, you need to also ensure that everyone knows how to access and implement these opportunities into their lives. 

For example, unlimited PTO is great, but it only works if your team knows how to take a vacation – do they know how and whom to shift their responsibilities so they have coverage while they are out? If they don’t, they won’t use the PTO. 

In short, our firm prioritizes compassion in client service and workplace culture, ensuring new attorneys receive hands-on mentorship. We recognize that work-life balance isn’t intuitive, so we actively guide our team in effectively utilizing resources like PTO, helping them integrate healthy boundaries into their professional lives.

Josh Boardman
Founder, Hewes House

Josh Boardman – Creative

While many managers may think time off is the solution to employee burnout, I have found that time “on”, if directed towards a fulfilling creative task, can be just as rejuvenating. 

My company has offered inspiring creative writing programs to put the pep back in the step of professionals who may feel robbed of creativity by the rigor of their jobs. 

Not everybody needs a vacation — sometimes starting a new novel, the first steps of a memoir, or exploring poetry and short stories can occupy the mind and excite people even more effectively. 

You’d be surprised how many people are experiencing burnout behind desks, people who once dreamed of being successful writers!

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Ending Blame Culture: Leaders’ Playbook for Workforce Growth

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Ending Blame Culture: Leaders’ Playbook for Workforce Growth

Accountability forms the bedrock of a high-performing organizational culture, but for many teams, the tendency to shift blame creates a significant obstacle.

Often stemming from fear of failure or a lack of ownership, this behavior can undermine workforce morale, stall professional growth, and contribute to a 20% decline in employee engagement, as reported by Gallup in 2024.

In 2025, with a 3.5% unemployment rate (SHRM, 2025) intensifying talent competition and economic pressures mounting, cultivating accountability has become a top priority for business success.

The HR Spotlight team engaged with HR and business leaders to tackle the question:

Shifting blame comes easy to some employees, a habit that can be quite detrimental to workforce morale and growth. What are your go-to solutions to improving accountability within your workforce?

Their responses—from fostering open communication to implementing tech-driven performance tracking—provide actionable insights for creating a culture of responsibility and teamwork, empowering organizations to flourish amidst today’s economic and cultural challenges.

Read on!

Leila Rao
Agile Coach, Author, Cultural Cartography

Leila Rao

To strengthen accountability, start with clear expectations and shared goals. When people know what success looks like, and how it fits into the broader purpose, they can take initiative with confidence.

It also helps when work is visible. Supported, not surveilled, celebrating progress and making room for real-time course correction when needed.

And perhaps most importantly, accountability stems from feedback – especially when it’s part of everyday culture, not just isolated occasions.

A quick conversation, a thoughtful check-in, a moment of acknowledgment – these all reinforce that follow-through matters. It’s in showing up for each other that accountability becomes a shared value.

When people feel aligned, equipped, and respected, accountability doesn’t need to be enforced, it’s embedded.

Nirmal G
Founder & CMO, WP Creative

Nirmal G

I used to think accountability was about setting rules and hoping people followed them. But what really changed for us was creating a space where people felt safe to speak up.

What I noticed was that when something went wrong there was either silence or finger pointing. That slows everything down and builds tension. So we made one simple change. Every task has one clear owner. No confusion, no passing the buck.

We also started doing weekly check-ins. These aren’t formal meetings, just a chance to talk about what’s working and where someone might need help. It’s helped people feel more supported and less defensive. I also make sure to own my mistakes. If I mess up I say it. That sets the tone.

When people see being honest won’t get them in trouble they’re more likely to take responsibility. Over time that built a stronger, more accountable team.

Ushmana Rai
Owner, TDEE Calculator

Ushmana Rai

Shifting blame is usually an indication of a more insecure, confused, or untrusting state of being in people. The solution that I have always turned to is creating an accountability culture where it is seen as empowering, rather than punishing.

Define ownership clearly: There must always be one, and only one, person who is responsible for every task or project. Shared responsibility leads to shared excuses.

Make accountability visible: We just have simple dashboards open to all, with tasks, owners, and deadlines on it. The visibility alone brings in enough pressure—without micromanagement.

Normalization of accountability from the top: Leaders have to show what it means to own up to mistakes. If a manager doesn’t ever say, “This is my fault,” no one else will.

Looking forward to holding oneself accountable: Instead of raising questions like, “Who is to blame?”, we ask, “How can we avoid such things in the future?” It is a change in orientation from defensiveness to improvement.

Accountability can only be active when people feel empowered and trusted. It is not about control; it is about clarity, consistency, and culture.

Jean-Louis Benard
Co-founder & CEO, Sociabble

Jean-Louis Benard

Accountability in the workplace is important for overall success. Maintaining it is not just limited to having expectations and rules in place. One of the biggest challenges I have faced is tackling employees who have the tendency to shift blame.

To handle this issue, I focused on offering my team psychological safety, where they feel safe to own both their successes and failures. This doesn’t mean you overlook mistakes. You simply normalize failure and turn it into a learning opportunity.

The best way to do this is to stay vulnerable and open about your own mistakes and lessons. Teams are often more open to learning and improving when they feel it is okay to make mistakes.

To build a sense of accountability, clear communication is also important. Have specific expectations for each individual and goals that can be tracked so that everyone knows what they are responsible for.

Regular check-ins, celebrating small wins, and discussing areas of improvement can also make a difference.

Finally, tell your teams about the difference their work is making in the company.

When employees understand their direct impact, they are more likely to take ownership and hold themselves accountable.

This way, their morale will improve, and they will work for continuous growth.

Corina Tham
Finance & Sales Director, CheapForexVPS

Corina Tham

Fostering accountability in the workplace begins with defining clear responsibilities and demonstrating them in action.

I think it’s vital to build a culture where team members grasp their duties and feel encouraged to take charge of their work. Consistent feedback sessions and transparent conversations have worked well for me to track progress and resolve obstacles early on.

I’ve also noticed that celebrating individual achievements reinforces a sense of duty, as people are naturally motivated to keep performing well. When errors occur, I promote discussions centered on growth and solutions rather than assigning blame.

Trust is equally crucial—showing confidence in your team inspires them to respond with accountability.

At its core, it’s about creating an atmosphere where everyone feels appreciated and driven to deliver their best.

Dr. Victoria Grinman
Psychotherapist, Leadership Advisor

Dr. Victoria Grinman

From my work with teams navigating growth and change, I’ve found that blame rarely stems from malice; it’s often a protective reflex in environments where psychological safety is low and perfection is prized over process.

To counter this, I guide leaders to:

  • Normalize healthy mistake culture by modeling self-accountability at the top and actively celebrating course correction as a sign of strength.
  • Use values as anchors—when accountability is framed as alignment with shared values rather than personal flaw, people step forward rather than shrink back.
  • Create feedback systems that invite ownership: Regular, skillful feedback loops—paired with development-oriented 1:1s—turn defensiveness into engagement.

Dr. Felix Lucian Happich
CEO & Founder, Formation Consultant

Dr. Felix Lucian Happich

Any business owner will tell you that mistakes are inevitable in running an enterprise. Success will depend on how one reacts to it. To encourage accountability in the workplace, focus on the process rather than the person to blame.

Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why, has said that leaders who shift blame to employees can erode trust and create a culture of fear. He also said that accountability starts from the leaders. Instead of asking who made the mistake, true accountability focuses on why things went wrong.

Concrete ways that this can be achieved include setting up a clear system where expectations and roles are clearly defined. There should also be a regular set of feedback mechanisms that makes use of measurable and realistic goals. Clarity can help a business owner spot issues more easily.

Finally, ensure that there is a culture of responsibility in the company. Open communication and productive feedback loops should be in place. An example of this is regular check-ins and performance reviews.

Jocelyn Greenky
Founder, Sider Road

Jocelyn Greenky

When you’re seeking to improve accountability, it pays to be more cut and dried than you would be in another aspect of your business and employee relations.

Here’s my advice, stop the blame game dead in its tracks by sticking to facts: whose job was it to get a particular task done? What was the hangup? Stay business-like and non emotional.

Create, on your own, an SOP (standard operating procedure) document to ensure transparency moving forward and this may require a digital checklist.

Shifting blame is a CLASSIC tactic of manipulators – there are many in our work environments – I call this being an offensive player. Some people are brilliant at this because most colleagues are not prepared for this type of aggression.

Good bosses know a bully when they see one. Addressing micro or macro aggressions face to face will go a long way to culling bad habits in your staff and boosting company morale.

Brian Futral
Founder & Head of Content, The Marketing Heaven

Brain Futral

Kill the Hero Culture: The fastest way to poison accountability is to idolize the firefighter who swoops in to fix everything at the last minute. That mindset creates blame silos. Instead, we reward consistency, not crisis control. When someone messes up but reports it early, they’re praised louder than the person who hides it until it’s unfixable.

You want to make accountability less about punishment and more about process alignment. I run post-error celebrations. It sounds weird, but it works. We dissect mistakes over donuts. When people know they won’t be shamed, they get honest fast.

Accountability by Design: We also engineered responsibility into our workflows. Not “you own this task” nonsense, but “you own this metric.” If a campaign tanks, no one’s hiding behind a task list they’re answering to performance data they agreed to own.

Most folks don’t avoid responsibility because they’re lazy; they avoid it because they think it’ll blow back unfairly. Fix that, and accountability becomes self-reinforcing.

The AI arms race brewing globally will leave behind organizations that can’t self-correct quickly. Accountability isn’t a buzzword. It’s a competitive edge.

In my shop, you’re not ready for leadership if you can’t say what went wrong and what you’ll do differently next time. And that clarity builds trust like nothing else.

Margaret Rogers
CEO, Pariveda Solutions

Margaret Rogers

It really starts with making sure there is alignment and a shared understanding of what someone’s role is accountable for, the outcomes that they drive, and principles of behavior. For experienced people, they will be better equipped to define how they get to the outcomes they are responsible for, while those early in their career might need more directing.

Quantitative and qualitative feedback loops are critical here for a person to be able to adapt what they are doing, especially if what they are doing is not working. It’s also why it’s critical to have a team that is committed to each others’ success, is willing to talk about our blind spots with candor and respect, and be open to taking in the feedback from others. When you have a team that can communicate this way, you offer the psychological safety required to avoid the need for blame-shifting all together.

As for the rationalizing or redirecting that often comes with blame-shifting, it’s important that these difficult conversations stay focused on what was in their control and what was within their ability to influence. As a leader, you have to provide some level of grace while still being able to hold others to the expectations they agreed to when they took the job.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

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