Welcome to CHROFirst’s Weekly Roundup — your essential weekly briefing on the latest advances shaping HR technology, workforce intelligence, change management, employee experience, compliance readiness, and AI-driven skills development. This edition spotlights major innovations in on-demand staffing, HCM automation, future-of-work insights, AI-native employee experience platforms, retirement readiness, cyber governance, and strategic talent acquisition.
Recruitment & Talent Acquisition
PeopleReady’s JobStack App Gets Smarter: AI-Enabled Bill Rates Launch for On-Demand Staffing
PeopleReady enhances its JobStack app with new AI-driven bill rate capabilities that intelligently recommend optimal pricing for on-demand staffing. The update helps employers reduce guesswork, improve cost-effectiveness, and increase fill rates — strengthening agility in high-velocity hiring environments.
HR Technology & Automation
Paychex Introduces Advanced AI Capabilities to Redefine Human Capital Management
Paychex rolls out next-generation AI enhancements across its HCM platform, enabling smarter insights, predictive workforce analytics, and streamlined HR workflows. The upgrades empower HR teams to make faster decisions, automate routine tasks, and elevate overall people operations efficiency.
Change Management
UKG Identifies Three Workforce Shifts Set to Redefine 2026: People-First AI, Flexible Talent Models, and a New Era of Employee Enablement
UKG unveils key workforce trends shaping 2026, spotlighting the rise of people-first AI, expanded flexible talent ecosystems, and a renewed focus on empowering employees. The findings guide HR leaders toward more balanced, resilient, and inclusive workforce strategies for the year ahead.
Employee Experience
Workai Launches AI for Work, Ushering in a New Era of AI-Native Employee Experience
Workai introduces AI for Work — a comprehensive AI-native platform designed to unify communication, productivity, and employee experience in a single intelligent hub. The platform delivers hyper-personalized insights, automates routine tasks, and enhances engagement across distributed teams.
Compensation & Benefits
ADP Launches Save4Retirement Pooled Employer Plan
ADP unveils Save4Retirement, a pooled employer plan aimed at simplifying retirement benefits for small and mid-sized organizations. The solution reduces administrative burden, increases compliance confidence, and broadens access to retirement savings options for employees.
Upskilling & Professional Development
Udemy & Mila Partner to Equip Global Workforce with Responsible AI Skills
Udemy teams up with Mila, the global AI research institute, to deliver specialized training programs in responsible AI. The partnership enables companies to develop ethically grounded AI literacy, preparing employees for emerging roles in an AI-driven workplace.
Regulations and Compliance
Apptega Launches Policy Manager to Automate and Streamline Enterprise Policy Governance
Apptega introduces Policy Manager, a centralized solution that automates policy creation, updates, and compliance tracking. The platform supports enterprise risk reduction, strengthens governance workflows, and simplifies audit readiness.
⭐ Article of the Week
This week’s featured analysis explores cutting-edge recruitment practices — from skills intelligence and community-driven hiring to AI-enhanced sourcing — enabling HR leaders to successfully attract, engage, and hire candidates for niche, high-demand roles in competitive markets.
