I don’t often cover return-to-office topics, but a recent note about Alex Zekoff, CEO of Thoughtful AI, stood out. Zekoff argues that requiring in-office work is crucial and he believes Google fell behind in AI because it prioritized work-life balance over building a high-performance culture.
With this in mind, Zekoff has required much of his staff to work in person at Thoughtful’s Austin office, believing in-person collaboration is crucial for start-ups with a “win-now” mentality.
According to widespread reporting, such as this piece in the Financial Times, there were issues with Google’s rollout of generative AI, with insiders citing cultural and organizational issues as the cause. During a talk at Stanford University, Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt blamed remote work for the company’s AI challenges, saying “Google prioritized work-life balance over winning.”
However, some HR leaders say the winning formula is work-life balance. Amy Mosher, chief people officer at HR management system provider isolved, recently told HRE that there is a need for stronger employer action to prevent employee burnout.
Zekoff views in-person work as essential for start-ups like his to succeed. He says smaller companies and startups can outperform larger companies because they have less to lose and are “willing to outwork large companies to move 10x+ faster.” He has mandated much of his staff to be present in Thoughtful’s Austin office as the company’s “warrior culture” pushes for innovation through a win-now approach.
Eightfold AI has announced its invitation to join the World Economic Forum’s Innovator community, where it will lead AI innovation by contributing to the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As a member, Eightfold will emphasize the importance of AI as a strategic business priority.
The Josh Bersin Company has launched an AI-driven Career Navigator for HR professionals, developed in collaboration with Eightfold. This tool leverages extensive HR job and skill data, integrated with Eightfold’s AI engine, to help users explore roles and development paths.
Workday recently announced the availability of Global Payroll Connect and Workday Payroll provided by Strada. Workday’s survey, The Strategic Ascent of Global Payroll, revealed that 89% of 1,300 decision-makers believe their payroll solution could provide more strategic insights, while 87% find payroll regulation complexity a major challenge.
When employees trust their organization, they are more inclined to share their feedback voluntarily through unsolicited data. New Qualtrics research suggests HR leaders may underestimate employee comfort with passive listening—using data from emails, messages and meetings to enhance the employee experience.
Vyond AI video creation platform for businesses has introduced new updates, including avatars, a mobile app and enhanced brand management tools. These features support Vyond’s vision of serving as a comprehensive AI video creation platform.
SmartRecruiters has appointed Rebecca Carr as its new CEO. After nearly a decade at the company and serving as chief product officer and, more recently, interim CEO, Carr will lead corporate strategy and drive SmartRecruiters’ AI-driven talent acquisition technology.
CodeSignal skill development platform has launched Conversation Practice, an AI-powered tool that allows learners to rehearse workplace conversations in a private setting. Users receive real-time feedback from CodeSignal’s AI tutor, Cosmo.
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