stability, or salary?
Hiiii,
Whew, the energy this week has been a lot.
Like, the kind of week where you check the news or social media, immediately regret it, and then have to talk yourself into being a functional person before 9am.
I think we're all a little heavy right now, and I just want to acknowledge that!
Because here we are, showing up anyway, because that's kinda what we do. ❤️
So let's make it worth your while, shall we?!
This week, we're talking about new grads walking into the workforce already braced for impact, a founder who built a career that makes zero linear sense and is better for it, and Gen Z handing HR a roadmap that most of us are still not reading correctly.
Grab something caffeinated and let's get into it!
🗞️ Here’s the Tea:Copy anchor linkCopied
👀 New graduates say they would sacrifice pay for job stability
The TL;DR: New grads are scared of AI and the economy, because they don’t want to graduate into a market that might not want them. 67% would take less pay just for stability, and nearly 9 in 10 are worried AI is coming for entry-level jobs. Optimism is still there, but it's got a nervous edge to it.
My POV: This is your talent potentially walking in the door already braced for disappointment...
And we all know how disappointing corporate America can be...
If your onboarding and career growth messaging aren't crystal clear, you're potentially going to lose them before you even get started, and in this market, backfilling any role isn't as easy or cheap as it used to be!!
The fact that 75% would take a job they plan to leave within a year tells you everything about where their heads are at!
They're in survival mode.
🎙️ Mic Drop Moment:Copy anchor linkCopied
“You have to want it more than you fear it.”Copy anchor linkCopied
On the mic this week: Ash Hynie is the founder and CEO of ManageUp, working at the intersection of culture, data, and equity to help companies build workplaces people actually want to be part of. Her career spans chef, engineer, HR leader, and now tech founder…basically proving that linear careers are a myth.
Pin this:
- There’s no single right way to do a job…only what works in that company, that culture, that moment.
- Transferable skills are real, but you’ll still have to prove them because most companies don’t actually believe in them.
- Your hobbies and random experiences might be your biggest career advantage—you’re just not connecting the dots yet.
- Curiosity (and actually listening to answers) is one of the most valuable skills you can build.
My H*ly Sh*t Moment: We spend soooo much time chasing the “right” career when the real work is figuring out where we’re actually allowed to exist as ourselves, and those are absolutely not the same thing.
▶️ Press Play
📊 Data Is My Love Language:Copy anchor linkCopied
Stat: Gen Z interns want practical experiences that can’t be digitized, survey finds
My spiral: Gen Z is practically sprinting toward the things AI can't touch, and that tells you everything about how they're thinking about their own career survival!
They're showing up to internships explicitly asking for human connection and real-world problem solving, which means if your early talent program is built around task completion and busy work, you've already lost them.
The part that should stick with HR is that they'd give up $5,000 in salary for better flexibility and development opportunities, which means the old "we pay well" pitch isn't the flex it used to be.
They're telling you exactly what they need, and the question is whether or not you're listening.
🛠️ In Your Toolkit Copy anchor linkCopied
If you're trying to figure out which AI tools are worth your time and which ones are just noise, this month’s HR Therapy is for you!
I collected real data from HR folks on what's actually happening with AI at work, and I'm breaking it all down live on April 22nd.
We're skipping the hype and getting straight into what's working, as well as what most teams are getting wrong.
Come with your honest questions, and let’s have a fun, productive time!
🗣️ UNMUTE YOURSELF
HR is one of the only functions at an org where you're expected to pour from a cup that nobody ever refills.
Sometimes, you have to be your own cheerleader, which inspired my question:
“When was the last time you were genuinely inspired by your own work?”
🛠️ TRY THIS TOMORROW:
Naturally, People Leaders are really good at reading the room, but even we miss the ones who've just gotten really good at going unnoticed!
Sometimes the most important voice in the room is the one that stopped trying to be heard.
So tomorrow, pull someone quiet aside and ask them:
"What's something you've been holding back in meetings?"
👂 OVERHEARD IN SAFE SPACE
The audacity of putting someone through four rounds of interviews just to leave them on read is unhinged…
It's hard because candidates can slip through cracks and end up getting ghosted even when you're trying your hardest to make sure it doesn't happen!
Revisit your systems and have a plan in place for comms rather than ghosting.
Read what members had to say here.
I hope you enjoyed this, please let me know what you think and what other topics you'd love for me to cover. I'm allll ears.
Reminder: Take care of yourself and know that I support you.
