(PR in) HR Pulse | HR news round-up: December
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The success of the client testimonial – and how to make the most of it
Our latest article looks at one of the most powerful tools available to PR and marketing teams – the client testimonial.
Nothing resonates quite like the authentic voice of a happy client that’s getting strong results. So, being able to harness the power of real-life storytelling demonstrates value, strengthens credibility and elevates PR presence, enabling organisations to provide the ready-made narratives journalists and trade publications are looking for.
Our article explores why testimonials work so effectively, how to secure strong and usable client feedback, and how to maximise their value.
Read the full article on our website
Gen Z’s anticipate early retirement amid fears of poor health
A study by global health insurance AXA Health has found employees aged 16 to 24 expect to retire early due to worries of poor health as a result of high stress levels and heavy workloads.
This is the highest share of any age group surveyed, and backed-up by another Censuswide poll of 2,000 employees, which showed a similar proportion (32.6%) of this age bracket expressing concerns that their workplace prevented them from leading a healthy lifestyle.
Across the workforce, 33% are concerned their careers will be affected by poor health, just behind worries of economic uncertainty at 37%, with 26% concerned that AI will create job losses.
On the other end of the spectrum, organisation development business H2H found in separate research that two in five people planning to retire in the next ten years are already concerned about the impact this could have on their mental health.
Tracey Paxton, clinical director at rewards and benefits platform (and PR in HR’s client), Perkbox, believes that with a third of young workers worrying about early retirement, and nearly 40% of those close to retirement fearing the impact of leaving work will have on their mental wellbeing, the findings should serve as a warning to employers.
Paxton believes HR can make a huge difference.
“We need to move beyond surface-level wellbeing initiatives and look to offer flexible working patterns, psychologically safer cultures, and timely access to mental health support.” And thinking long-term, “Guidance around financial wellbeing and retirement planning shouldn’t wait until someone is in their 50s. Helping people build healthy working lives over decades will give them a far more confident and positive view of the future.”
Read the full article in People Management
AI is saving workers up to an hour a day
It has recently come to light that HR professionals are receiving AI-generated grievances, with 60% of the 200 HR professionals surveyed by the law firm Irwin Mitchell admitting they’ve had to deal with employee grievances they suspect were generated by AI.
OpenAI’s The state of enterprise AI 2025 report of 9,000 workers has shown to save workers on average 40-60 minutes a day in technical tasks. 3 in 4 of those surveyed noticed an improvement in the speed or quality of their work and noted how AI enabled them to complete tasks they previously couldn’t perform.
It was also reported that 75% of HR professionals noticed an improvement in employee engagement.
Despite the encouraging results from OpenAI’s report, a recent study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found most organisations are yet to see a measurable ROI from generative AI initiatives.
Martin Colyer, director of digital and AI at HR and payroll transformation consultancy and PR in HR’s client, LACE Partners, commented: “Individuals are recognising their personal productivity gains, while organisations aren’t yet able to convert those personal wins into organisational-level ROI, possibly due to legacy systems and inconsistent data.”
The article in People Management continues to explain the report from OpenAI found those using the most advanced AI models realised the greatest benefits.
Charlie Frost, transformation manager, also from LACE Partners, understands the importance of HR leaders creating an environment where testing and experimentation is encouraged. By taking a more strategic approach, “AI upskilling is a whole-business issue, as AI knows no bounds and the entire workforce needs to be ready.”
Read the full article in People Management
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