Welcome to CHROFirst’s Weekly Roundup — your essential briefing on the latest developments shaping skills-first hiring, agentic HR intelligence, global mobility transformation, AI-powered recognition, digital compensation models, embedded learning, compliance resilience, and culture-driven growth. This week’s edition highlights how AI copilots, global workforce infrastructure, and trust-centered leadership strategies are enabling HR leaders to build scalable, adaptive, and future-ready organizations in 2026.
Recruitment & Talent Acquisition
Phenom Acquires Be Applied to Accelerate Skills-First Hiring at Enterprise Scale
Phenom acquires Be Applied to strengthen its skills-first hiring capabilities and reduce bias in talent evaluation. The move supports enterprise organizations in building structured, competency-based hiring models that improve candidate quality and workforce diversity.
HR Technology & Automation
15Five Unveils Amaya AI Agent to Help HR Leaders Turn Insights Into Action
15Five introduces Amaya, an AI agent designed to convert engagement data and performance insights into recommended actions. The solution helps HR teams proactively address retention risks and improve manager effectiveness.
Change Management
CapRelo Unveils CoreTech AI Platform to Modernize Global Relocation Services for HR Teams and Transferees
CapRelo launches CoreTech AI, modernizing global mobility and relocation management. The platform enhances transparency, streamlines workflows, and improves the employee relocation experience through intelligent automation.
Employee Experience
Accolad Launches Proactive AI Assistant to Reinvent Employee Recognition
Accolad introduces a proactive AI assistant that prompts timely recognition and engagement actions. The solution embeds appreciation into daily workflows, reinforcing culture and strengthening employee morale.
Compensation & Benefits
Deel and MoonPay Team Up to Bring Stablecoin Salary Payments to Global Workforce
Deel partners with MoonPay to enable stablecoin-based salary payments for international workers. The collaboration expands payroll flexibility, improves cross-border payment speed, and supports financial inclusion for distributed teams.
Upskilling & Professional Development
Udemy and OpenAI Partner to Bring Personalized Upskilling Directly Into ChatGPT
Udemy collaborates with OpenAI to integrate personalized learning pathways into ChatGPT experiences. The partnership aims to embed contextual learning directly into daily workflows, accelerating workforce skill development at scale.
Regulations & Compliance
LRN Report Highlights Trust and Technology Gaps in Global Ethics and Compliance Programs
A new LRN report reveals persistent trust and technology gaps within global compliance initiatives. The findings emphasize the importance of ethical leadership, digital oversight tools, and continuous compliance education.
Workplace Culture & Wellness
Workplace Culture Emerges as a Key Growth Driver, Motivosity–HR.com Report Finds
A joint Motivosity and HR.com report identifies workplace culture as a measurable driver of business performance. The research highlights how recognition, transparency, and aligned leadership behaviors translate into stronger retention and productivity outcomes.
⭐ Article of the Week
Talent Acquisition Strategy in 2026: How HR Leaders Build Scalable, Future-Ready Hiring Models
Talent Acquisition | Workforce Strategy
This featured analysis explores how modern talent acquisition strategies are evolving through AI-driven sourcing, skills-based evaluation, and predictive workforce planning. It provides HR leaders with a roadmap for building agile hiring frameworks that balance automation, human judgment, and long-term organizational growth in 2026 and beyond.
