The hottest HR Substack posts right now

They hire for skill over resume polish by using role-relevant exercises and case studies so candidates can show real work instead of relying on proxies like past titles.
The process is intentionally clear and structured, with written prompts and expectations shared up front so candidates know the effort required and can decide if it’s a fit.
Culture fit means thriving in a high-ownership environment—show clarity, judgment, and follow-through in your case work, and explain your reasoning and assumptions more than chasing a single ‘right’ answer.

Data and algorithms are powerful but can't capture human imagination and messy emotions, so decisions must blend math with empathy and creativity.
True diversity is more than representation—it means actually hearing different voices, because varied perspectives drive innovation and fairness.
People join jobs for pay but stay for connection, purpose, and growth, and businesses should also value older customers and employees since age and experience hold huge economic and creative power.

Good leadership already includes both service and direction, so carving out a separate "servant" category is unnecessary and can encourage people to skip core leadership duties.
Overemphasizing the "servant" label often produces passive-aggressive leaders who avoid giving direction, confronting problems, or taking responsibility, which creates confusion, delays, and erodes trust.
The remedy is to simply be a balanced leader: serve your team while also setting direction, enforcing standards, making hard calls, and adapting your approach to context.

Software engineering managers should not exist as they generally take on multiple roles poorly, whereas specialists could excel at each task.
Engineering managers often were mediocre engineers who compensated by picking up non-engineering tasks and ended up in managerial roles.
Best teams often function well without an engineering manager observing their every move, allowing engineers to focus and be more productive.

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Performance management needs transparency and clear communication to avoid surprises.
Underperformers can recover through structured improvement plans in earnest.
Proper resources and support are essential for the success of performance management processes.

The chat discussed predictions for the economy and sectors of growth/retrenchment.
Priority challenges in hiring and diversity, equity, inclusion, were also highlighted.
The talk covered trends in recruitment technology, like ChatGPT, and upcoming HR tech trends.

HR leaders should focus on being more business-oriented to have a broader impact.
HR functions need to prioritize understanding core business challenges and focus on strategic initiatives.
HR professionals should seek exposure to other areas of the business and prioritize tasks that directly impact critical company objectives.

Deel became super successful by solving real problems that people faced when hiring internationally. They made it easier for companies to handle complex employment laws and payroll in different countries.
Timing was key for Deel. They launched just as more companies were looking to hire globally, especially during the pandemic when remote work became popular.
Good customer support helped Deel grow a lot. The founders engaged directly with customers to gather feedback, which created a loyal user base and worked as effective marketing.

You don’t need deep technical knowledge to find, evaluate, and hire great engineers — non-experts can run the process effectively.
Using clear, repeatable methods like focused interviews and practical tests lets you reliably identify top technical talent even without domain mastery.
Self-doubt leads many leaders to over-rely on external recruiters, but with the right guidance and resources you can build strong in-house hiring capability.