Hey bestie,

It's me, Jackye. This is your reminder that you’re not imagining it. The system isn’t broken. It’s built this way. But we don’t have to keep playing by the old rules. And I am glad you are here! Because this space is a lifeline. It’s community. It’s strategy. It’s laughter in the middle of the mess. And now, it’s ready to level up.

Let’s get into what’s working, what’s shifting, and what you need to see to stay clear, grounded, and one step ahead. Please click my sponsor below. It really helps me keep this alive!

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Let’s call it what it is.
‘The Great Return’ has become ‘The Great Regret’ for workers and, soon enough, for some of the companies pushing this agenda.

Across the board, the Return To Office wave is back. And here’s what no one is saying loud enough: the companies still offering flexibility are winning and they know exactly what they’re doing.

This summer, the list of firms going full RTO has gotten longer and more aggressive:

Amazon is pushing teams beyond the original 3 days and putting pressure on VPs to enforce it. Some teams are sliding into 4 to 5 days whether employees like it or not.

JPMorgan Chase made it plain. Jamie Dimon wants execs in the office every day, and middle managers are being roped in fast.

Goldman Sachs officially tapped out on flexibility. No more half-measures. You’re expected at your desk. Every. Single. Day.

Starbucks just moved to a 4-day in-office model starting September. They’re even relocating leaders to HQ cities and telling folks they can opt out—voluntarily or not.

And while the headlines make it look like “business as usual,” the real shift is happening under the surface. These mandates are pushing out high-value, high-impact talent. Quiet quitting? More like loud leaving.

People are not confused. They’re fed up. They are freaking over it.

The candidates I’ve talked to this month aren’t job-hopping for perks. They’re leaving because RTO feels like a tax they didn’t vote for. They’re over spending hours commuting just to sit on Zoom calls they could have taken in slippers.

If you’ve got caregiving responsibilities, live outside a major hub, or simply enjoy having control over your calendar mandatory office days aren’t just annoying. They’re expensive. They take time, money, and dignity. I for one do not get excited about having a hot flash at the office. Someone will try to call 911 I am sure of it.

And let’s not forget the receipts. My own 2025 data shows that people are valuing flexibility as the equivalent of an 8 percent raise. Not a guess. That’s based on direct candidate interviews and total comp recalculations we’ve been tracking since Q1.

Let me be clear. This isn’t a “startups are cute” story. This is about organizations with eyes open and strategy in motion.

They’re designing around three realities:

Here’s how they’re moving:

They’re not offering remote work as a perk. It’s a promise and people are showing up for it.

Let’s get tactical. Here’s how you beat the RTO crowd.

Flex is not your "nice to have." It’s your comp package. Period.

Make sure your salary conversations include this sentence:

Go beyond buzzwords. Put it in writing.

Job postings should say:

Your careers page should show people how remote success happens at your company.

If someone’s just been told to get back to a cubicle five days a week, they’re looking.

Build sourcing campaigns focused on ex-employees from companies that issued new RTO mandates this quarter. Target them with messages that say:

Want a shortcut? I’ve built a full 2025 list of target orgs that just tightened their office policies. Paid subscribers get access to the full candidate sourcing map.

Remote can’t be vibes only. You need structure, accountability, and tools that work.

That means:

If your systems are messy, don’t expect retention to stick—flexibility without follow-through is just chaos in a hoodie.

Here's the part the HR tech crowd doesn’t always want to hear. You can't design ethical, inclusive, effective tools without considering the flexibility layer. If your tools aren’t built to support location-agnostic hiring, evaluation, and onboarding, you’re part of the RTO problem.

In the next paid issue of People Puzzles Collective, I’m breaking down the Five Flex Failures that HR tech platforms keep making, plus how to audit your own product before the market leaves you behind. It’s not optional anymore. Flexibility isn’t a trend it’s the infrastructure of the modern workforce.

The RTO push might look powerful on the outside. But under the surface, it’s bleeding talent.

If you’re a small or mid-sized company with real flexibility baked into your systems, this is your advantage. This is your moat. This is your season to hire people who never would’ve looked twice before.

Are you building for yesterday’s office, or tomorrow’s workforce?

Last week delivered a wave of change in the HR tech space. From policy shifts to rising employee expectations, these stories aren’t just updates. They’re shaping how we hire, retain, and support people at work. Here’s what stood out, why it matters, and how you can use it.

Employees are using AI to research salaries, but the numbers they’re seeing aren’t always grounded in reality. Many are entering interviews or performance reviews expecting more than what’s been budgeted not because they’re entitled, but because their tools are giving them inflated figures. This is creating a growing mismatch between what people believe they should earn and what companies are prepared to offer.

Why it matters: This kind of misalignment leads to mistrust and turnover. And let’s be honest people don’t just want pay, they want clarity.

Here are my tips:

New policies are emerging that require companies to justify and govern how they use AI in hiring and internal decisions. These rules are pushing employers to finally put real thought into whether their tools are fair, explainable, and monitored.

Why it matters: Even if your state hasn’t passed an AI law yet, this is a sign of what’s coming. If your systems are making people decisions, they need oversight — today.

Here are my tips:

One of the biggest HR tech companies is under legal scrutiny for how its screening tools impact protected groups. This isn’t about tech being bad it’s about how fast we trusted black-box systems to make critical decisions without asking hard questions. Now courts are getting involved.

Why it matters: No one can afford to “set and forget” when it comes to hiring tools. This is about protecting people and your brand.

Here are my tips:

Salary budgets for next year are projected to be flat. That doesn’t mean employers aren’t trying it means they’re shifting their focus. More teams are investing in development, recognition, and benefits that actually impact daily life.

Why it matters: Even without huge raises, people can still feel supported. But it takes intention.

Here are my tips:

HR platforms are now rolling out AI-powered assistants that can answer employee questions, generate reports, and simplify how data is used. These tools are designed to reduce admin work and make day-to-day tasks easier for both managers and frontline employees.

Why it matters: This isn’t about replacing HR. It’s about freeing people to do the human work.

Here are my tips:

Final Thought HR technology is moving fast, but speed doesn’t have to mean confusion. Stay rooted in your values. Lead with questions. Take small actions that reflect big clarity. You don’t have to chase every trend just the ones that help you build the kind of workplace people want to stay in.

Want help sorting it all out? Let’s talk. [email protected]