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Transparency Without Chaos: Leaders Share How to Satisfy Gen Z at Work

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Transparency Without Chaos: Leaders Share How to Satisfy Gen Z at Work

A transformative shift is reshaping the workplace, driven by Gen Z’s demand for flexibility, with nearly half seeking adaptable schedules, per EY’s findings. 

This push for diverse, flexible arrangements is essential to empower a multi-generational workforce. 

Leaders face a complex challenge: meeting Gen Z’s needs while ensuring fairness across generations and achieving business goals. 

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business executives and HR experts, exploring innovative policies and digital tools they use. 

Their experiences offer a strategic roadmap for building an agile, inclusive, high-performing culture that benefits all.

Read on!

Anatolii Ulitovskyi
Founder, UNnmiss

Narrate the Why, Not the What

Narrate the ‘Why’, Not Just the ‘What’

In my view, companies best achieve Gen Z’s expectation of transparency by explaining decisions rather than just announcing them.

Whether detailing pay bands, promotion paths, or changes to strategy, if you communicate the reasons behind your decisions, you build trust with your employees, even if the news is bad.

We have helped clients with short internal videos or Q&A sessions led by real execs to explain decisions in unglossed English.

This type of disclosure isn’t about sharing absolutely everything about the decision; rather, it’s about making a statement that management truly respects the workers and is willing to tell them the truth and involve them early on.

CLARITY BEATS PERFECTION, a process-visibility approach is preferred by Gen Z over polished spin.

Isvari Maranwe
CEO, Yuvoice

Transparency and Boundaries Build Respect

My best practice is to train everyone in the workplace, including GenZ, to know the boundaries of appropriate and inappropriate work behavior. They know they can ask people and culture (HR) or the CEO (me) any questions they have and we will do our best to share. But they also know to respect a statement that “this is what we can share right now.”

We both foster a lot of opportunity to disagree and give feedback and clarity on who is ultimately responsible for the final decision, which should then be respected. I learned this from working at the Department of Defense. We do err on the side of updates and transparency in monthly townhalls, so everyone has the opportunity to get caught up.

Janice Kuz
Owner, Flinders Lane Cafe

Transparency and Feedback Build Gen Z Trust

After 20+ years in hospitality and taking over Flinders Lane Café, I’ve learned Gen Z responds best to transparent feedback loops.

When we expanded from 3 to 7 days of kitchen service, I openly shared our weekly revenue numbers and customer feedback scores with the entire team, including our younger staff.

The game-changer was creating monthly “reality check” sessions where anyone could question decisions or suggest improvements without hierarchy getting in the way.

One Gen Z team member pointed out our social media felt too polished—they helped us start posting behind-the-scenes content that actually showed our daily struggles and wins.

When organizational constraints do exist (like budget limits for wage increases), I’ve found being brutally honest about the numbers works better than vague promises. I show them our actual costs, profit margins, and growth targets. They appreciate seeing the real business challenges rather than getting corporate speak.

Nick Norris
Partner, Watson & Norris

Clear Policies Build Trust With Gen Z

My two decades representing employees reveal a fundamental need for clear, consistent workplace policies. Gen Z’s demand for transparency often stems from a lack of clarity in how decisions, especially about progression and rewards, are truly made. This ambiguity creates distrust and can lead to perceived unfairness.

The best practice is to implement thoroughly documented and universally applied performance-based reward and evaluation systems. My firm frequently sees issues from arbitrary measures; instead, rewards should be tied to easily measured work, with clear examples of expectations and outcomes communicated upfront.

This approach ensures employees understand precisely what is expected for advancement and compensation, fostering trust and showing tangible equity.

Clearly explained policies, with established penalties for violations and explicit non-retaliation clauses for reporting issues, build genuine transparency.

Ty Francis
Chief Advisory Officer, LRN Corporation

Generationally Aware Training Builds Gen Z Trust

I recommend building more generationally aware, context-driven training and communication that bridges the gap between Gen Z’s demand for transparency and the realities of organizational constraints. Gen Z is more values-driven, but also highly skeptical. Our search shows fewer than half believe their managers hold themselves to the same ethical standards they expect from others. That kind of mistrust erodes engagement and makes ethics programs feel performative.

This is why training needs to go deeper. The key is to use real workplace dynamics, perhaps including WhatsApp exchanges, and offhand comments in hybrid meetings to highlight the nuances of digital-first communication.

When people see their own experiences reflected and understand why certain information is shared (or withheld), they’re more likely to trust leadership and middle management. It’s about clarity, consistency, and context. That’s how you build credibility and a sustainable culture.

Jennifer Barnes
CEO, Optima Office

Strategic Transparency Builds Gen Z Trust

Think of transparency like a GPS for your workplace – except Gen Z wants to see EVERY pothole ahead.

The best practice? Strategic transparency with context. Instead of saying “we can’t share that,” try “here’s the bigger picture and why some details are classified (no, not CIA-level, just Tuesday budget meeting-level).”

Give them the route overview – where you’re headed, what obstacles you’re dodging, and how their role matters. Share the ‘why’ behind decisions. Gen Z doesn’t need to know everything, but they need to know you’re not hiding everything. It’s the difference between “trust us” and “here’s why you should trust us.”

At Optima, we help you design transparency frameworks that turn generational friction into competitive advantage. Because when your people understand the journey, they’re more invested in the destination – and less likely to jump ship at the first stop.

Jared Bauman
Co Founder & CEO, 201 Creative

Structured Transparency Builds Gen Z Trust

One best practice is to embrace “structured transparency.” That means giving Gen Z employees more insight into decision-making processes, even if you can’t share every single detail.

You don’t have to reveal all the numbers or internal politics, but you can walk them through how and why a decision was made, who was involved, and what the intended impact is.

Gen Z doesn’t just want outcomes. They want context.

Framing communication this way builds trust without putting the company at risk. It also shows respect for their desire to understand the bigger picture, which goes a long way in today’s workplace.

Rameez Ghayas Usmani
Director of Link Building, HARO Services

Honesty Builds Respect With Gen Z

One thing that’s helped us bridge that Gen Z transparency gap is just being honest about what we can explain. If something can’t be shared, I don’t dodge it. I say that upfront, but I always explain why.

For example, if a campaign strategy isn’t fully open, I still walk the team through how decisions are made and what goes into it.

Most of the time, they’re not looking for full access. They just want to know they’re not being kept in the dark. That kind of honesty builds a lot more respect than trying to polish over things.

Diana Babaeva
Founder & CEO, Twistly

Transparency that Doesn’t Overwhelm

Structured visibility offers the best compromise for Gen Z expectations and business limits.

This entails recurring, lightweight rituals such as short weekly Loom updates from leaders or open dashboards with project progress, so people feel in the know, yet not having access to everything.

The Gen Z type doesn’t want full exposure; they just want to feel on the inside, not on the outside.
So, rather than just sharing more, make sure what is shared feels real and current, if imperfect.

Format and frequency mean more than volume, authenticity goes a long way with Gen Z.

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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Ghost Jobs Decoded: Unexpected Drivers in Today’s Hiring Game

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Ghost Jobs Decoded: Unexpected Drivers in Today’s Hiring Game

Job searching is already challenging, but “ghost jobs”—listings posted without real hiring intent—add a layer of deceit. 

Far beyond building talent pipelines, these postings serve complex, sometimes questionable purposes, like salary benchmarking or internal employee pressure tactics. 

Drawing from frank perspectives of HR experts and business leaders, this HR Spotlight article reveals the hidden motives behind ghost jobs and explores the serious risks they pose to a company’s reputation and the trust of job seekers.

Read on!

Friddy Hoegener
Co-Founder & Head of Recruiting, SCOPE Recruiting

Hidden Motives Behind Corporate Ghost Job Practices

As an HR business lead, beyond the commonly discussed reasons like maintaining candidate pipelines or satisfying internal posting requirements, I’ve observed some less obvious motivations behind ghost job practices in the recruiting industry.

Companies frequently post positions to gauge salary expectations in competitive markets.

When organizations are considering expanding into new geographic areas or skill sets, fake job postings help them understand what compensation levels they’d need to offer without committing to actual hires.

Another uncommon driver involves competitive intelligence gathering. Some companies post attractive roles to see which competitors’ employees respond, providing insights into rival organizations’ retention challenges and workforce stability. This information becomes valuable for strategic planning and market positioning.

I’ve also noticed ghost jobs being used to test internal promotion readiness. Organizations post external roles to see if current employees apply, revealing who might be considering departure and helping identify internal candidates for future advancement opportunities.

Some companies use ghost postings to justify budget requests for hiring. When executives see hundreds of applications for non-existent roles, it supports arguments for increased headcount or higher salary ranges in subsequent budget discussions.

The practice reflects deeper organizational planning processes rather than deliberate candidate deception. However, it wastes candidates’ time and damages employer brand reputation when people discover the truth.

Transparent communication about hiring timelines and actual needs serves everyone better than these indirect intelligence-gathering methods.

Arvind Rongala
CEO, Edstellar

Reveals Internal Skill Benchmarking Strategy

While it’s often assumed ghost jobs are posted to build a talent pipeline, an uncommon but increasingly relevant reason is internal benchmarking.

Some companies post roles publicly to gauge the market value of skills they already have in-house, helping HR teams justify salary adjustments or training investments.

For example, if job postings attract candidates with higher-level skills or certifications, it can prompt leadership to upskill existing teams rather than hire externally.

In this context, corporate training becomes a strategic alternative to recruitment, aligning workforce capabilities with evolving business needs.

Blake Beesley
Operations & Technology Manager, Pacific Plumbing Systems

Serves Multiple Strategic Business Purposes

One uncommon reason we’ve seen is pipeline protection companies post ghost jobs to have backup candidates ready in case someone quits or underperforms, especially in hard to fill roles.

Another is internal leverage: some managers use fake openings to pressure current staff to take promotions or work harder, creating a false sense of competition.

In a few cases, jobs are posted to gather market salary data or gauge interest in a potential expansion that hasn’t been approved yet. While not always malicious, it wastes candidates’ time and erodes trust.
If a role isn’t real, don’t post it transparency matters.

Guillermo Triana
Founder & CEO, PEO-Marketplace.com

Pressures Employees, Stall Hiring

Here is something people do not talk about: some companies post fake openings to pressure current employees.

It is like a soft threat, e.g., “your role could be filled.” It sounds shady, but it happens, especially during budget cuts or performance dips. Nobody says it outright, but when three people on a team spot their job posted publicly, morale tanks. It is a passive-aggressive tactic used to spark urgency without having the guts to confront issues head-on.

Then you have the internal chaos side. Some roles are posted without real intent to hire because teams are waiting on budget approval, but recruiting gets told to move anyway. It is a stall tactic. Post first, decide later.

Sometimes it is just a placeholder to keep a role “active” in the system. Basically, no plan, just bureaucracy in motion. Meanwhile, candidates waste time applying to something that does not exist.

Lacey Kaelani
CEO, Metaintro

Ghost Jobs: Hidden Motives Beyond Hiring

Beyond the obvious “keeping options open for good talent,” we’re tracking more subtle motivations.

Because a lot of the major job boards don’t source check, we see companies every day taking advantage of free traffic.

For instance, a few weeks ago, we saw a company post over 600K jobs on a major job board that drew traffic to their site – and who knows if those jobs were real.

In addition to this, we can assume employers post ghost jobs for AI training data collection., competitive intelligence gathering and even, perhaps, employee retention psychology.

Leah Miller
Marketing Strategist, Versys Media

Signals Growth, Benchmark Talent

One less obvious reason some companies post ghost jobs is purely strategic. I’ve seen organizations use them as a way to signal projected growth to investors or stakeholders.

Posting open roles they don’t intend to fill quickly can give the impression of scaling up, even when resources aren’t quite there yet.

Another reason is internal benchmarking; a company may want to see what kind of talent or salary expectations are out there without having to commit to hiring.

We once worked with a tech platform that listed roles just to test how its employer brand was landing compared to competitors. It wasn’t done maliciously, but from the candidate’s perspective, it still erodes trust.

Wendy Sellers
HR, The HR Lady

Ghost Jobs Hurt Brand, Morale, Productivity

That 40% figure is troubling. Beyond the usual “pipeline building,” some managers post phantom roles to signal growth to investors or customers, to satisfy headcount optics before budgets are set, to test pay ranges or locations without committing, to hedge for pending contracts, or to appease leaders who equate open reqs with influence. It’s a bad practice.

Candidates notice and your brand takes the hit; current employees see the listings and assume they’re being replaced, which drags morale, productivity and retention.

It’s also a waste of money and time—recruiting and ads are expensive, and every hour spent screening for a non-job is an hour stolen from real workforce planning.

Do better: be transparent about hiring status, build talent communities, and only post when funding and approvals are real.

Gregory Shein
CEO, Nomadic Soft

A Bet On Uncertainty

Posting “ghost jobs” may seem deceptive, but some less-discussed motivations come from operational uncertainty rather than ill intent.

In fast-moving sectors like tech and FinTech, companies sometimes post roles preemptively anticipating funding rounds, contract wins, or internal restructures that haven’t been finalized.

It’s a way to gauge market talent and keep a candidate pipeline warm.

Another overlooked reason is employer branding. Active listings can falsely signal growth or stability to investors, clients, or even competitors. While I understand the strategic logic, it’s a practice that erodes trust in the long term.

Transparency should always take precedence over short-term optics.

Calin Oancea
Founder, Nature and Sustainability

Ghost Jobs Benchmark Salaries and Talent

Having hired over 30 people and freelancers in my company and projects and having consulted with multiple HR teams during hiring booms, I’ve seen how these so-called “ghost jobs” serve hidden strategic purposes.

I regularly collaborate with companies that are refining their growth projections. One less-discussed driver is the desire to measure labor market trends or competitors’ salary expectations; some managers post roles purely to benchmark talent pools and adjust internal plans.

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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When Leadership Talent Is Scarce: Key HR Strategies in a Tight Market

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When Leadership Talent Is Scarce: Key HR Strategies in a Tight Market

By Eric Walczykowski, CEO, Bespoke Partners

Talent is a market like any other, with buyers and sellers.

Buyers are companies; sellers are prospective employees.

The law of supply and demand applies: when willing sellers are scarce, the market tightens, competition among buyers increases, and price (compensation) rises. That determines how easily you can find the talent you need at a compensation level that fits your budget.

So what do you do when the talent market gets tight?

A case study is playing out right now in private equity (PE). It offers lessons for HR leaders on finding the right executives when competition is fierce.

PE firms buy companies, improve them over a few years, and sell for a profit if all goes well.

The sector is huge. In the US, PE-backed companies directly employ about 13.3 million workers and support roughly 31–33 million jobs when you include supplier and consumer-spending effects. Nearly one in five US workers gets a paycheck linked to PE’s investments in our economy.

Leadership talent is essential to a profitable exit, so PE firms focus heavily on finding leaders who can execute growth and value-creation plans. Increasing scarcity of qualified leadership makes this much harder.

A bottleneck has developed because exits have been extremely low for an extended period. When an exit happens, senior executives typically become available for new assignments.

But US PE exits fell 25% in Q2 this year, according to PitchBook, amid economic uncertainty and tariff concerns. PitchBook analysts estimate PE firms hold an all-time-high inventory of more than 12,000 unsold US portfolio companies—a logjam caused by poor exit opportunities.

The exit problem means leadership churn isn’t happening. The most experienced executives are staying put, pursuing elusive exits, and are not available to lead the many companies now crowding PE portfolios.

The PE Leadership Bottleneck

As supply tightens, HR teams recruiting for PE face scarcity of qualified leadership.

It’s harder to find candidates with PE portfolio experience. Searches are longer and harder to close. When leaders are willing to consider new roles, compensation demands are much higher. Our latest data shows C-suite salary and bonus for software and SaaS executives is now consistently in the mid-$500,000 range—up about 25% for some roles over just a couple of years. That’s exactly what supply-and-demand dynamics predict: the “price” for a scarce resource rises.

Competition is fierce. Experienced leaders often field multiple offers simultaneously, especially seasoned CEOs and go-to-market executives in sales and marketing.

Fortunately, the same market rules suggest ways to mitigate tightness. Many of our clients use six recruiting strategies to ease constraints and improve their odds of hiring the leaders they need.

These apply well beyond the PE sector, and can be used by any HR professional hiring senior executives when those executives are scarce.

Impact on Leadership Recruiting

1) Make succession continuous, not episodic

Waiting until an immediate need arises locks you into that moment’s market conditions. Like all markets, the leadership market changes frequently. The most effective HR leaders run year-round succession programs that map and track potential needs and potential availability.

2) Expand the funnel with “step-ups”—and de-risk them

Hunting for C-suite “unicorns” with the exact resume narrows the pool and elongates searches. Consider VP-level “step-ups” who are ready for the C-suite. This can double or triple the candidate pool and reduce tight-market pressure. Our data shows step-ups achieve exits in PE-backed companies as often as seasoned C-suite counterparts as long as the new C-suite executives are vetted and supported properly with onboarding and mentorship or other support. The step-ups are hungry to prove themselves and will put in outsized effort.

3) Elevate HR as a strategic function

Traditional HR handles operations like payroll, benefits, and onboarding. But the most effective HR leaders elevate the function to be a true strategic partner. Because talent is mission-critical, HR and leadership needs belong in enterprise-level planning and decision-making. In PE, firms are adding full-time talent in operational advisory roles who help portfolio companies find and maximize impact from talent.

4) Get creative on compensation

As “market price” rises, recruiting qualified executives gets expensive. But talent isn’t a commodity with a single price. Use multiple levers—equity and options, milestone payouts, incentives tied to strategic success, and even remote work flexibility—to attract top leaders, sometimes at lower cash levels.

5) Streamline decision-making

When competition is intense, slow movers lose—both because candidates field other offers and because a slow process signals bureaucracy and a less-than-nimble culture. Top companies treat recruiting as a priority. Before engaging candidates, they align internally on the scorecard, references, compensation, interview cadence, and interview focus.

6) Work with external specialists

There’s a temptation to run searches in-house. But external search firms usually deliver better outcomes. They continually network with prospective candidates, giving you wider visibility. They track careers, know which roles will appeal and how to pitch them, and have real-time compensation data to guide negotiations and benchmark offers.

Six Strategies for a Tight Talent Market

Even in tight markets, some companies still land the best executives and set themselves up for success. The six strategies above are the tools they use to beat the competition for PE executive talent. You can apply them in any sector. The overarching strategy: run an efficient process, get creative, and broaden your market visibility to counteract scarcity of qualified talent.

Winning in the Tight Market

About Eric Walczykowski

Eric is the Chief Executive Officer of Bespoke Partners, a leading executive search firm for private equity portfolio companies.

Bespoke Partners delivers a scientific approach to search by leveraging proprietary tools and methodologies that lead to high impact executive teams that stay through the investment thesis 99% of the time.

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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Skill and Soul: The Cost of Neglecting Creativity and EQ

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Skill and Soul: The Cost of Neglecting Creativity and EQ

In an era dominated by technical expertise, a vital paradox arises: overemphasizing skills like coding or data analysis while neglecting creativity and emotional intelligence incurs steep, hidden costs. 

Companies sidelining these “soft skills” risk creating technically proficient but culturally weak teams—ones that execute tasks well but fail to solve meaningful problems, inspire vision, or connect with customers. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles wisdom from HR professionals and business leaders, revealing the pitfalls of a tech-only mindset. 

They emphasize why nurturing creativity and emotional intelligence is essential, amplifying technical skills, driving innovation, and securing long-term organizational health.

Read on!

Steve Rosas
Chief Operations Officer & President, Omega Env

Emotional Intelligence Solves Human Problems

The biggest cost is losing the ability to solve complex problems that don’t have technical solutions. In 26 years of environmental consulting, I’ve seen brilliant engineers create perfect remediation plans that failed because they couldn’t communicate with worried communities or steer regulatory personalities.

I had a major downtown LA renovation project where our technical team identified asbestos contamination perfectly. But the project nearly collapsed because the initial approach ignored the building tenants’ concerns and the city inspector’s communication style. We had to completely shift our strategy to focus on transparent dialogue and relationship-building to get the project back on track.

The real damage happens when teams can’t adapt to unexpected human factors. Environmental projects involve property owners, regulatory agencies, and often concerned communities – all with different priorities and communication styles.

Pure technical expertise means nothing if you can’t build trust or explain complex risks in ways people actually understand.

I’ve seen companies lose million-dollar contracts not because their technical solutions were wrong, but because they couldn’t read the room or adjust their approach when stakeholders pushed back. The most successful environmental consultants combine technical precision with emotional intelligence to steer these complex human dynamics.

Cristina Deneve
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Empoweruemdr

Technical Success Can Mask Emotional Wounds

The biggest cost is the erosion of authentic human connection and trust – the very foundation of meaningful relationships.

In my therapy practice with first and second-generation Americans, I see how families prioritize academic and technical achievements while neglecting emotional intelligence, creating profound disconnection across generations.

I worked with a brilliant software engineer whose immigrant parents celebrated his six-figure salary but dismissed his anxiety and relationship struggles as “weakness.” His technical success masked deep emotional wounds from never learning to process feelings or communicate authentically. When he finally sought therapy, he realized he’d built a successful career but had no idea who he truly was beneath the achievements.

This pattern shows up constantly in my practice – high-achieving clients who excel professionally but struggle with setting boundaries, expressing emotions, or maintaining intimate relationships. They’ve been trained to solve problems technically but lack the emotional intelligence to steer complex human dynamics.

The irony is that technical expertise without emotional intelligence creates leaders who can build systems but can’t inspire teams, solve problems but can’t collaborate effectively, and achieve goals but can’t sustain fulfillment.

Erinn Everhart
Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, Every Heart Dreams Counseling

Technical Skills Alone Kill Innovation

In my therapy practice, I’ve witnessed how workplaces prioritizing technical skills over emotional intelligence create a crisis of authentic connection. Teams become collections of isolated experts who can’t communicate their brilliant ideas effectively.

I recently worked with a software engineer who was technically exceptional but couldn’t collaborate with colleagues. His company kept promoting based on coding ability while ignoring his team’s mounting frustration with his communication style. The cost wasn’t just workplace tension—it was massive turnover and project delays that hurt their bottom line.

What I see most is emotional loneliness spreading through technically-driven workplaces. People spend 40+ hours weekly surrounded by colleagues but feel completely disconnected. They excel at problem-solving systems but struggle to steer basic human interactions, leading to burnout and mental health issues.

The biggest cost is losing our capacity for genuine innovation. Real breakthroughs happen when people feel safe being vulnerable with wild ideas. When we sideline emotional intelligence, we create environments where creativity dies because no one feels psychologically safe to risk being wrong.

Darin Garvey
Founder, Basement Waterproofing Scientists

Technical Skills Need Emotional Intelligence

After 30 years in basement waterproofing, I’ve seen companies get so caught up in technical certifications and equipment specs that they forget how to actually talk to scared homeowners. The biggest cost? Losing the ability to read people and adapt your approach.

I had a competitor who could recite every waterproofing standard but couldn’t sense when a customer was overwhelmed by technical jargon. They’d launch into membrane specifications while the homeowner just wanted to know “will my basement stay dry?” We landed that client by asking about their family’s concerns first, then explaining our lifetime guarantee in simple terms.

The real damage happens during inspections. Technical skills find the leak, but emotional intelligence determines if customers trust your solution. I’ve watched technically brilliant contractors lose deals because they couldn’t connect with anxious homeowners who’d been burned by previous “experts.”

Our lean operation succeeds because we balance both – we use specialized leak detection equipment, but we also read the room and explain solutions in ways people actually understand.

Courtney Epps
Tax Strategist & CEO, OTB Tax

Creativity And EQ Save Money

The biggest cost I’ve seen is lost revenue opportunities – and I’m talking real money here. In my 19 years running OTB Tax, I’ve watched businesses sacrifice tens of thousands in potential savings because they prioritized technical tax prep over creative problem-solving.

Perfect example: Dr. Kenneth Meisten came to me after his previous “technically skilled” accountant had him owing $3,300. My approach wasn’t just about crunching numbers – it was about understanding his business emotionally and creatively seeing opportunities others missed. We turned that $3,300 debt into an $18,000 refund by going back three years and finding strategies his previous accountant never considered.

The technical skills got his returns filed correctly, but the creative thinking and emotional intelligence to truly understand his business model saved him over $21,000. When you sideline creativity, you’re literally leaving money on the table – I see clients miss $4,000-$8,000 annually because their previous accountants couldn’t think outside the box.

Lauren Hogsett Steele
Licensed Professional Counselor, Pittsburghcit

Prioritizing Tech Skills Has A Human Cost

As a trauma therapist, I see this cost play out in the bodies of my clients daily. When workplaces prioritize technical skills over emotional intelligence, employees develop chronic stress responses that manifest as anxiety, depression, and relational difficulties years later.

I worked with a software engineer who excelled technically but burned out completely because his team had zero emotional awareness around collaboration. His nervous system was stuck in fight-or-flight from constant workplace conflicts that could have been prevented with basic emotional intelligence training.

The biggest cost isn’t just individual—it’s systemic. Through my somatic therapy work, I’ve noticed that people from highly technical environments often struggle to connect with their own emotional needs, let alone their colleagues’. This creates workplaces where innovation actually decreases because creative thinking requires psychological safety.

From an attachment perspective, humans are wired for connection first, competence second. When we flip this priority, we’re essentially working against our neurobiological design, which always backfires eventually.

Rebecca Falzano
Creative Director, Vernacular Agency

Creativity And EQ Drive Brand Differentiation

When we helped launch The Independent Ice Co. whiskey bar in Portland, the technical skills were there—great location, solid business model, experienced team. But what made the difference was understanding the emotional story behind Maine’s ice harvesting history and connecting that to creating an “honest-to-goodness whiskey experience for honest-to-goodness people.”

The biggest cost of sidelining creativity is losing authentic differentiation. In Portland’s crowded Old Port district, dozens of bars have the technical basics covered. What separated Independent Ice Co. was the creative narrative that turned historical ice cards into diamond-shaped coasters and transformed potential intimidation around whiskey into welcoming expertise.

I’ve seen this pattern across our architectural clients too. Kevin Browne Architecture had solid technical skills, but their growth stagnated until we dug into the emotional intelligence piece—understanding how clients actually *feel* when working with architects. We repositioned them from technical experts to “careful listeners” and “respectful collaborators.”

Without emotional intelligence guiding the creative process, you end up with technically sound but forgettable brands that blend into the noise.

Jesse Burnett
Master Electrician & Founder, Dr Electric CSRA

Technical Skills Need Emotional Intelligence

After scaling Dr. Electric CSRA to nearly $1 million in revenue in just 12 months, I’ve seen how pure technical focus can actually hurt your bottom line. The biggest cost isn’t what you’d expect—it’s losing repeat customers who feel like just another job number.

I learned this the hard way when one of my crews perfectly installed a Generac generator but barely communicated with the homeowner during the process. Technically flawless work, but the customer felt ignored and complained about our “robot-like” service. That feedback made me realize we were training technicians, not problem-solvers.

Now I require my three crews to spend genuine time explaining what they’re doing and why. This emotional intelligence approach has directly increased our customer satisfaction scores and referrals. My 5-year warranty means nothing if customers don’t trust us enough to call us back.

The math is simple: technical skills get the job done, but creativity and EQ get you the next five jobs from that same customer’s network. In the trades, your reputation travels faster than your technical certifications.

Terry Green
President, eSports Insurance

Technical Compliance Doesn’t Build Trust

After 20 years in sports insurance, I’ve seen organizations lose tens of thousands when they prioritize technical compliance over understanding their community’s actual needs.

A youth soccer league I worked with hired a risk management consultant who created a technically perfect safety protocol but completely ignored the emotional reality of parents and coaches.

The result was a 40% drop in enrollment within one season. Parents felt alienated by the cold, procedural approach that treated their kids like liability statistics rather than young athletes. The league’s focus on technical risk mitigation backfired because they forgot that sports insurance is fundamentally about protecting relationships and experiences, not just minimizing claims.

I’ve learned that the biggest cost isn’t financial—it’s trust. When organizations become too technical, they lose the emotional intelligence to communicate why safety matters. The most successful programs I ensure blend technical expertise with genuine care for their participants’ experience.

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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The Case for Unpaid Internships: Leaders Share Ethical Contexts

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The Case for Unpaid Internships: Leaders Share Ethical Contexts

Unpaid internships spark debate, but in specific cases, they can be fair when prioritized as educational experiences. 

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business leaders and HR professionals across industries like tech, law, and manufacturing, exploring when unpaid internships are justified. 

From short-term, mentorship-driven programs in startups to observational roles in niche fields like military justice, these experts highlight scenarios where learning trumps labor. 

Emphasizing transparency, structured training, and tangible skill-building, they reveal how to design internships that benefit interns without exploitation, ensuring mutual value in competitive sectors. 

Discover when unpaid internships can ethically bridge education and career growth.

Read on!

Margaret Buj
Principal Recruiter, Mixmax

Unpaid Internships Must Offer Tangible Learning

In tech and SaaS specifically, I believe unpaid internships should be the exception, not the rule – but there are a few niche situations where they can be fair and mutually beneficial.

One example is when an early-stage startup genuinely lacks funding but can offer tangible, structured learning in exchange for the intern’s time. For instance, if the internship provides mentorship, exposure to real-world projects, and measurable deliverables that the intern can showcase later — and the duration is short and clearly defined (e.g., 4–6 weeks) – it can be appropriate.

However, in my 20 years hiring across Europe, LATAM, and the U.S., I’ve seen too many unpaid internships that exploit candidates without giving them meaningful skills or experience.

My rule of thumb: if the company benefits from the intern’s work, the intern should be compensated — but when the primary value flows to the intern’s learning and portfolio-building, a short unpaid placement can make sense.

Belle Florendo
Marketing coordinator, Sunny Glen Children’s Home

Unpaid Internships Work When Education Trumps Labor

An unpaid internship can be appropriate when it is structured as a short-term, skills-focused experience that directly benefits the student rather than the organization.

For example, a social work or child development student might participate in a summer program where they shadow case managers, attend training workshops, and observe family support services without being asked to shoulder essential responsibilities. In this case, the purpose is not to replace staff but to give the intern exposure to real-world practices in a supervised, educational setting.

Fairness comes from transparency and boundaries.

The internship must be clearly presented as a learning opportunity with defined outcomes, limited hours, and mentorship built in.

If the arrangement is designed around the student’s academic growth and offers access to training or professional connections that would otherwise be difficult to obtain, then it can serve as a valuable bridge into the field. Anything beyond that—particularly if the organization relies on the intern for ongoing work—should be paid.

Josh Qian
COO & Co-Founder, LINQ Kitchen formerly BestOnlineCabinets

Learning-Focused Design Internships Create Mutual Benefits

As I see it, an unpaid internship is a good experience if considered an opportunity to learn, rather than work.

If a prospective designer wanted to witness a luxury cabinetry and closet program, a period of unpaid internship could be a positive initiative for both parties.

The intern would receive real experience, hands-on exposure to design software, customers, and project management. At the same time, the firm could mentor and educate candidates without putting them into a position with an obligation of production.

It is a mutually beneficial relationship that emphasizes skill development over direct financial contributions.

Internship goals would include specific learning objectives and direction roles for mentoring.

We aim to avoid turning the internship into a role-filling exercise and instead foster the development of the next generation of professionals in the industry.

By allowing students to work in a framework that is facilitated but flexible, we can help the intern to develop their portfolio work, and the company gets to experience their energy and outlook.

Peter Shogun Trnka
Founder & CEO, Mr. & Mrs. Shogun

Personal Growth Becomes Valid Currency in Fair Internships

Fair internships are those where the experience itself becomes a form of meaningful compensation

At Mr. & Mrs. Shogun, we work in the field of personal growth and conscious living, where people don’t only learn by gathering information—they grow through experience, reflection, and transformation.

That is why an internship with us is not about filling a role cheaply, but about creating space where someone can immerse themselves in this process while contributing to our mission.

Our interns receive full access to our tools, guidance sessions, and the same safe environment we use within our team to explore sensitive issues and personal growth.

This creates a unique exchange: while they support us with their skills, they also benefit from deep, structured learning and a chance to understand themselves on a much more conscious level.

We believe payment comes in many forms. Financial reward is one, but equally valuable is the exchange of energy, presence, and growth.

An unpaid internship can be fair when it is clearly built as a transformative learning experience—one where the intern leaves not only with new skills, but with deeper clarity, self-understanding, and inner resources that will serve them far beyond the time spent with us.

James Shaffer
Managing Director, Insurance Panda

Shadow-Only Roles Define Ethical Unpaid Insurance Internships

Here’s the only case I think unpaid internships are fair in: when the role is explicitly shadow-only, short-term, and framed as education, not labor.

I’ve had college students ask to shadow me for two weeks just to see how the auto insurance quoting business works. They sat in on calls, watched how we build campaigns, and asked blunt questions about commissions, compliance, and lead buying. They didn’t handle client accounts, they didn’t generate billable work. It was exposure, nothing more.

That’s the line. If the intern is producing assets that make the company money, pay them. If they’re literally observing, taking notes, and getting an inside look into an industry most schools never teach, then I see unpaid as acceptable, provided it’s brief, clearly defined, and the value exchange is obvious.

In my shop, the shadow interns left with something tangible: access to raw performance dashboards, a peek at how quote funnels are tested, and time with staff across departments. They weren’t fetching coffee, they were pulling back the curtain on a business model.

Anything beyond that, and “unpaid” becomes exploitation dressed as opportunity.

Mark Hirsch
Co-founder & Personal Injury Attorney, Templer & Hirsch

Law Externships Offer Real Experience Through School Credit

When a law student seeks to earn school credit through an externship program, it may be fair and proper to offer them an unpaid internship.

I’ve helped dozens of these interns over the past 30 years. They’re not doing office work; instead, they’re watching depositions, helping get ready for trial, and watching real talks. Their law schools and the ABA have strict rules about these jobs.

One of my interns went on to work for a top plaintiff’s firm in Miami. He still thanks me for giving him the chance to “see the trenches.” The essential things are being open, teaching others, and not letting paid workers go. It’s not free work; it’s legal schooling.

Always follow the rules set by the federal and state governments about work to stay honest and legal.

Steven Rodemer
Owner & Attorney for Law Office of Rodemer & Kane DUI & Criminal Defense Attorney

Military Justice Internships Offer Unique Value

For law students interested in military justice, an unpaid internship in this setting can be uniquely valuable. Many defense attorneys in Colorado handle cases involving service members facing courts-martial or administrative actions.

An intern can observe these proceedings, learn the differences between civilian and military courts, and study how legal strategy adapts in this environment. The internship’s fairness comes from the rare opportunity to access a niche field that students often cannot see firsthand.

Because military cases involve sensitive issues, these internships remain observational and educational.

Wendy Makinson
HR manager, Joloda Hydraroll

Fair Internships Provide Insight, Not Just Labor

Unpaid internships can be more than fair if the businesses are providing insight and experience into relevant job roles, departments and real-life scenarios for those who have an interest in working within that sector.

Whether they are performing work experience through their high school, a longer internship as part of a university degree or an unpaid work agreement for a career change – if the person gains knowledge and confidence in the area, it is advantageous for them.

When a company is demanding free labour from an intern, and not doing their part of educating, training and enabling them to flourish it – becomes unfair.

Within our specific industry of manufacturing, we see that a fair internship will enable the person to be exposed to multiple processes of the chain – from planning and procurement, engineering and development, marketing and sales, the factory floor and warehouse and logistics.

Their internship is fair if they are provided with the opportunities to experience and learn the full journey and process and leave with an understanding of the whole business.

Michał Bieńko
Recruiter & HR Generalist, Omni Calculator

Internships: A Smart Hiring Funnel

Unpaid internships can only be fair when they work like a boot camp or mentorship program, where interns gain skills directly relevant to today’s job market. In that case, as an intern, you get great value in exchange for your time.

However, the employer has to generously invest in developing skills that an intern can, and most likely will, use in another company. In the short term, that might seem like wasting money. Yet an employer who uses this as a recruiting tool has enormous leverage in finding the most promising performers.

Using an internship for this purpose reveals interns’ learning agility, openness to feedback, and culture fit for the company. With this knowledge, it’s easy to make an excellent long-term hire.

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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The Candidate Crunch: Strategies for Hiring Success

by

The Candidate Crunch: Strategies for Hiring Success

In the fiercely competitive tech, SaaS, and AI industries, securing top talent requires innovative strategies that go beyond traditional hiring. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles insights from business leaders and HR professionals, revealing how to attract and retain exceptional candidates. 

From tapping global talent pools and prioritizing impact over titles to leveraging real-world assessments and fostering community ties, these experts share proven approaches. 

By focusing on mindset, transparency, and candidate experience, they demonstrate how to build teams that thrive. 

Discover actionable strategies to redefine hiring, reduce turnover, and create a culture that draws high-caliber professionals in today’s dynamic market.

Read on!

Margaret Buj
Principal Recruiter, Mixmax

Global Hiring, Impact Focus Boosts Talent

At Mixmax, we’re hiring in one of the most competitive spaces – tech, SaaS, and AI – and yet we consistently find exceptional talent by focusing on three strategies:

Casting a Global Net: We don’t limit ourselves to one geography. By hiring across Europe, LATAM, and beyond, we access a much broader talent pool – which allows us to find specialists who might not exist locally.

Prioritizing Impact Over Title: Instead of filtering candidates based solely on job titles or rigid years of experience, we focus on what they’ve achieved – their measurable impact, adaptability, and ability to solve complex problems. This lets us uncover “hidden gem” candidates others might overlook.

Building an Outstanding Candidate Experience: Today’s top candidates evaluate you as much as you evaluate them. We invest in clear communication, transparent processes, and personalized outreach, which strengthens our employer brand and helps us close highly sought-after candidates faster.

In short, we beat the odds by hiring globally, assessing impact over pedigree, and creating a candidate experience people actually talk about.

Kiara DeWitt
Founder & CEO, Injectco

Hire for Mindset, Train for Skills

I only ever hire for my mindset. Everything else can be taught.

The mistake is thinking talent is hiding. In reality, most employers are fishing in the same pool using the same bait. I tap into attitude first.

Reliability, hunger, willingness to learn, those are the filters. I do not care where someone trained if they cannot stay consistent. That being said, I do make space to train them myself if the grit is there.

So to be fair, I do not beat the odds, I just ignore them. I am building a business that rewards character over credentials. I train internally, stay involved, and remove fluff from the hiring process. If someone has integrity and fire in their belly, they will win. You just have to give them the room to show it.

Brian Fontanella
Owner, Keystone Technology Consultants

Real-World Tasks Beat Resumes in Tech Hiring

We stopped hiring solely based on resumes and started giving candidates real-world tasks during the interview process.

A few years ago, we had a technician role open that we struggled to fill. Everyone looked good on paper, but when it came to actual problem-solving, the results didn’t match.

So we built a simple lab environment and gave candidates a common client scenario to troubleshoot. It filtered out the guessers from the doers instantly.

That shift changed our hiring game. We started finding solid, coachable people who may not have had the perfect certifications but could think critically and work under pressure.

It’s not about finding “unicorns”—it’s about seeing how someone approaches a problem when Google isn’t right in front of them.

That’s how we’ve kept our talent pipeline strong, even when everyone else says there’s a shortage.

Chris Im
Founder, Home Sweet Home Offers

Automate Tasks, Hire Builders, Not Managers

We’ve found the best way to beat the hiring odds is to change the game entirely.

Instead of focusing on finding more qualified candidates, we focus on building a business that needs fewer of them.

We aggressively automate repetitive tasks, from lead generation to initial follow-up, using systems that handle the operational drag that bogs down most companies. This fundamentally changes who we look for. We don’t need someone to just manage a process.

We need someone who can build and improve the process itself. We hire for an operator’s mindset, not just a list of skills on a resume.

This lets a very small, lean team accomplish what would normally take a much larger staff, and it naturally attracts the kind of entrepreneurial talent that thrives on impact, not just task completion.

Davide Pirola
CTO, Trep Digital X

Cycle Time Consistency: The Best Remote KPI

One reliable, non-invasive signal of remote team effectiveness is cycle time consistency. At Trep DigitalX, we track how long it takes for a task—once assigned and clarified—to reach completion.

This KPI reflects not just speed, but clarity, collaboration, and ownership. If cycle times stay predictable across sprints or weeks, we know communication is flowing, blockers are being resolved, and priorities are clear—without the need to monitor every move. It’s outcome-focused, not activity-based, and helps build a culture of trust where performance is visible through results, not surveillance.

James Myers
Sales Director & Office Manager, VINEVIDA

Hire For Potential, Not Just Perfection

At VINEVIDA, we have turned the script and concentrated more on potential than perfection.

Rather than looking to hire unicorn candidates, we find transferable skills.

My experience in retail management has shown me that a person with a good sense of customer service can be trained on technical processes more quickly than to teach an emotionless technically inclined employee how to be empathetic.

We have cut down our hiring process by 30% with the help of structured behavioral interviews and skills based assessment instead of using traditional qualification alone.

Personally, I have recruited three employees who did not fulfill all the criteria but demonstrated the best problem-solving skills during our working tasks.

Chase Baxter
CEO, Cash Home Buyers Spokane

Community Ties, Flexibility Win Talent

In Spokane, I’ve had the most success by leaning on community ties.

I reach out through local chambers, neighborhood events, and even past clients who often know someone who’d be a perfect fit. That way, the people who come to me already share our values.

I also make flexibility a priority—whether that’s offering remote-friendly admin roles or family-first schedules. It shows candidates that we’re invested in their lives, not just their work.

That combination—local relationships and a people-first approach—has helped me find and keep qualified team members even when others are struggling.

Jonathan Ayala
Founder, Hudson Condos

Transparency And Projects Attract Long-Term Talent

After more than ten years in Hudson County real estate, I’ve realized that finding the right people isn’t just about scanning resumes—it’s about connecting skills with the bigger story of what we’re building.

For me, the process starts with transparency. When I talk about our digital reach and how we’re changing the way people see the condo market, the right candidates light up—they already imagine themselves being part of it. From there, I use practical, project-based tasks instead of generic tests. It gives me a clear view of how someone works while letting them show off their creativity.

That mix of culture, data, and real-world evaluation has consistently brought in people who not only fit but stick around.

Dorian Menard
Founder & Business Manager, Search Scope

Hire Capability, Not Just Credentials

Most firms are hunting for unicorns — we focus on building them.

In SEO and AI-driven marketing, waiting for a “perfect hire” can leave roles unfilled for months. Instead, we hire for raw capability and train aggressively.

“It’s faster to upskill a curious mind than to deprogram bad habits.” We also use project-based hiring first; it lets us test fit and gives candidates a chance to prove themselves without endless interviews.

This reduces turnover and creates a pipeline of loyal, skilled talent we can trust long-term.

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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