The latest learning news and research personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook
One third of employers say health and wellbeing support is now more important than ever to recruitment and retention
Potential employees have, over the last couple of years, become more interested in health and wellbeing support when deciding which company to join, according to one third (34%) of employers in the latest research from Towergate Health & Protection.
Interest in health and wellbeing support was reported to have grown among potential recruits, according to 34% of employers, as was interest in the overall benefits package, which was also said to have increased by 34% of employers. The relevance of this becomes more apparent still when compared to just 40% of employers who stated that potential employees are more interested in higher salary.
Remote working is still on the rise with a 20% surge in searches: experts reveal 9 questions businesses need to ask themselves when implementing a hybrid working model
In today’s work landscape, hybrid models have become the norm, combining office-based and remote setups. Recent trends show a 20% spike in searches for ‘remote work’ and a 19% increase in ‘work from home jobs’ in the past week alone. This adaptable approach meets diverse needs and promotes a flexible work culture that encourages innovation, mirroring the evolving nature of modern workplaces.
Establishing a thriving hybrid culture is crucial for businesses to navigate shifting work dynamics and meet employee expectations. It ensures they retain top talent and sustain productivity through a balanced blend of remote and in-office work options.
Language models may miss signs of depression in Black people’s Facebook posts
People with depression tend to write and speak about how bad they feel, years of research has shown. But linguistic features linked to depression seem to be absent in Black people’s social media posts, researchers report in the April 2 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers and public health officials have been testing machine learning programs that are designed to predict links between certain language markers and health outcomes. These programs could act as an early warning system by scouring social media posts to identify spikes in depression across a given population.
However, the new findings suggest such AI programs could miss depression in a big slice of the population. If that’s the case, De Choudhury says, “there are profound public health implications.”
Ministry of Defence signs IBM to £30m deal to support civilian IT systems
Deal lasting two years will see technology giant provide a range of support and integration services during a period when many Oracle systems are to be retained, retired or revamped
The Ministry of Defence has signed a £30m-plus contract with tech giant IBM for the provision of support for various civilian and commercial IT systems. As of the start of this month, the ministry entered into an initial two-year engagement with the company. The deal addresses “digital information and technology professional services support”, according to recently published commercial documents.
The text of the contract reveals that IBM has been retained to provide technical support and integration services for IT platforms related to: planning, budgeting, and forecasting; contracting and procurement; civilian HR and back-office systems; and other ancillary internal MoD services.
Read more on our sister publication Public Technology.
How consistent are recruiters and AI tools are when it comes to selecting candidates?
Kickresume’s goal is to help people improve their resumes and land their dream jobs. To do that effectively, you first need to understand your target audience. In this case, that means taking a good look at how recruiters work.
We wanted to see if recruiters are consistent in their choices, both with each other and with themselves. We asked a surveyed sample of recruiters to look at over 12,000 pairs of candidate’s resumes and job ads. We’re sharing what we learned with you, whether you’re a job seeker or just curious about how hiring works.
Rise Up elevates personalised learning capabilities with Domoscio acquisition
Rise Up, Europe’s leading integrated learning solution with more than five million active learners globally, has announced its strategic acquisition of Domoscio, experts in Adaptive Learning. This acquisition is set to significantly shake up the learning and HR Tech landscape.
Rise Up is on a mission to accelerate Time-to-Skill for organisations by providing a customised learning experience that meets both individual learner and business needs. With the addition of Domoscio’s AI technology to the Rise Up portfolio, learning personalisation and the L&D landscape are set to be transformed. The pairing will enable the creation of one-on-one learning experiences at an unprecedented scale, all within minutes.
