HR got called out at the World Economic Forum this week when the former head of Google China advised business leaders: “Don’t let HR tell you” your company can’t afford the skyrocketing salaries of AI superstars. It’s time companies “break the bank” to hire tech titans, he advised, eliciting groans from budget-conscious HR departments worldwide. If you’re looking to hire AI pros, expect high salary demands. Bloomberg
LinkedIn has entered the e-learning marketplace with LinkedIn Learning, microlearning courses people can do online in less than five minutes per day. The business networking giant is targeting potential customers with personalized course offerings that align with the skills individuals might be lacking. How? By leveraging its own big data from 500 million member profiles to determine who needs which skills and then providing them opportunities for bite-sized training courses. HR Dive
If new legislation in your state hasn’t required you to remove salary history questions on application forms (aka “ban the box”), it’s time to think about doing it anyway. Amazon just announced it is banning the box, even though they’re located in a state that doesn’t yet require it by law. They want to be proactive to close the pay equity gap so they won’t have to scramble when the law inevitably comes down the pike. HR Morning
Microsoft announced at the World Economic Forum this week that it is donating $1 million to the ID2020 Alliance, a global partnership born out of the U.N. that is developing a secure, portable form of universal legal identity by 2020. How? Blockchain, the secure, unalterable platform best known as a digital ledger for Bitcoin. What it means for HR: In just a few years, we might be verifying employee identity through big data rather than SSNs, driver’s licenses, or birth certificates. Keep your eyes on this one.Business Insider
NFL scouts don’t ask a young quarterback to describe how he throws passes. They take him out on the field to see what he can do. Citadel has taken a page from that playbook and turned traditional hiring practices around by holding “datathons,” contests in which college students compete for cash working on projects that demonstrate the skills and traits Citadel is seeking. Students get cash in their pockets and the chance for gainful employment when they graduate. Citadel talent acquisition teams get a hiring pool of people who thrive under pressure doing just the type of work they’d be doing on the job. Win-win. Harvard Business Review
