Gm! Please allow me to reintroduce myself…well, my newsletter. Anyway…

I’m excited to re-introduce you to the Amplify Talent Briefing. A beacon for navigating the new world of work.

This new format is designed to help business leaders understand the people stories, news, trends, and analysis that are impacting their business.

Each week, we’ll spotlight work stories worth your time. Let’s dig in!

🔥 One Hot Take

This is a(nother) pivotal time for DEI. As billionaires battle on Twitter (sorry, I still can’t call it X) and budgets and teams continue contracting, the immediate future seems murky. The current shouted conversation unfolding on Twitter lacks something that I feel is crucial to this work - nuance.

A recent HR Heretics podcast (below) had me thinking about that nuance. On the surface, you may find the episode image problematic - four white-presenting leaders discussing the future of DEI. An optics issue Colleen McCreary took on directly.

You might write this discussion off entirely based on the image below. Some did. I don’t have a judgment on that choice. Frankly, as a privileged white man, I’m sure it’s easier for me to give them grace beyond the optics to try and understand the substance of this discussion.

While their demographics may shield them from the strife of underrepresented employees that this work is meant to support, I found the insights from their experience navigating executive teams and boardrooms as advocates for these practices valuable.

Colleen is right that DEIB conversations are hard and easily misconstrued. As we navigate the coming months (and a historically toxic political atmosphere that will surely see more DEI weaponization in the U.S.) that ability to navigate nuance will be tested.

PS - If it’s helpful, here’s a playlist of 14 Redefining Work episodes with DEI leaders from whom I’ve learned a lot over the years.

📍This Week’s Top Stories

• CEOs have their work cut out for them in 2024. Here are eight top priorities. [read]

• While you’re at it, here are five leadership trends to watch in 2024. There’s a lot of 🎯 here. [read]

• How not to use LinkedIn, exhibit 37. [read]

• Turmoil for the U.S. gig economy? New US labor rule may help gig workers qualify as employees. [read]

✨ Workplace Innovation

• BCG's latest read shows how generative AI is subtly yet powerfully reshaping talent strategies [read]

• At this point, we’re all pushing double digits on the number of 2024 prediction pieces we’ve read. If you work in HR, make sure this one from Spotify CHRO Katarina Berg is among them. [read]

• Wouldn’t it be cool if HR Business Partners had prebuilt GPT prompts to make their lives easier? Johannes Sundlo is generous and gave you 188 of them. [read]

• Lattice tapping that open-source vibe with this collection of 50 editable charts covering most key HR metrics [read]

• My man Hung Lee is always one step ahead of pretty much everyone. His Recruiting Brainfood empire grows again with the addition of this new AI tool that scrapes hundreds (967, atm) TA jobs from tech companies. [read]

👀 Eye Candy

McKinsey takes a look at expected industry shifts in 2024.

🎧 Ear Candy

Let’s leave crappy meetings in 2023 and take a new approach to this year. Adam Grant shows you the way in the WorkLife ep below.

🗣 Spread the Word

The Amplify Talent Briefing is brought to you by Amplify Talent, a modern talent agency that connects, develops, and empowers the next generation of transformative people leaders.

Want to build progressive people teams?

We can help you hire your next people leader and develop your people team.