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Revolutionizing Talent Acquisition: The Human Edge in an AI-Driven Era

BY Ade Akin June 03, 2025

Pat Griffin, the chief revenue officer at Randstad Digital, didn’t get the smooth search improvement he expected the first time he tested an artificial intelligence screening tool on a live candidate pool. What Griffin noticed instead was that an entry that perfectly matched every data point, like degrees, keywords, and experience, was flagged as “low fit.” For Griffin, that moment illustrated the promise and pitfalls of AI in talent acquisition, a topic he spoke about during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s NYC half-day TA conference. The real advantage lies in “unique human connection” in a world focused on integrating artificial intelligence into everything, says Griffin. While AI can help to accelerate initial resume scans; it can also miss nuanced indicators such as tone, passion, and cultural fit that highlight a candidate’s true potential.  “We can deploy AI agents to identify skill gaps or run pattern matching across hundreds of profiles, but only a recruiter can read between the lines,” he said. He cemented his argument by sharing a story about a top candidate who hesitated when asked to describe a professional setback, despite having impressive credentials on paper. An AI agent would have penalized the applicant for that, but a seasoned recruiter noticed her vulnerability and resilience, qualities many organizations find valuable. That recruiter's intervention showed that the human touch is essential in the screening process. Pat Griffin the chief revenue officer at Randstad Digital | Torc led the thought leadership spotlightGriffin says the use of AI in the recruitment process doesn’t replace recruiters. Instead, it empowers them by helping them to notice trends in application flow, pinpoint diversity gaps, and forecast hiring needs. “We’re using next-gen tools to model volume and quality of candidates, predicting when talent pools will dry up,” he said. “That lets us proactively build a digital community before roles even open.”Griffin highlighted a pilot program where Randstad Digital Torc used data innovation to identify emerging roles in software security. A targeted outreach campaign was created within weeks, with a 40% increase in qualified leads. “That’s not magic,” Griffin emphasized. “It’s a recruiter armed with insights, using AI in concert with their own expertise.”Griffin says the days of blackhole application portals and ghosting candidates are long gone and that having a smooth application process that prioritizes applicant experience is vital. He cautions against overreliance on AI as chatbots handle more roles like scheduling, answering frequently asked questions, and delivering personalized coaching tips for interviews. “We’ve seen AI agents misinterpret simple questions, leading to frustration. You still need someone monitoring those conversations,” he said. Randstad Digital introduced a hybrid recruitment process to combat the limitations of artificial intelligence. AI handles routine tasks, while human recruiters step in at critical touchpoints. “If a candidate expresses uncertainty, that triggers a handoff to a human,” Griffin said. “That balance improved our satisfaction scores by 25 percent.”Griffin tackled the role of AI predictions in the hiring process, noting that while machine learning excels at sifting through data and forecasting trends, it struggles with contextual judgment. “We saw false positives in early models, candidates flagged for 'overqualification' who turned out to be perfect fits after conversation,” he said. That led to the creation of new guardrails, such as all automated disqualifications requiring human review. Companies should view technology as a recruitment tool, not a replacement for recruiters, says Griffin. He highlighted three pillars for transforming any organization’s recruitment process. Organizations can integrate AI strategically by starting with pilot projects, such as improving search results for niche roles, and then scaling the models that prove successful. At the same time, it's essential to invest in upskilling by providing recruiters with training in data literacy and the ethical use of AI, ensuring that innovation is balanced with human judgment. Finally, fostering a digital community through ongoing engagement with potential candidates via social platforms and virtual events can help nurture long-term interest and relationships.Griffin urges recruiters to remember that the recruitment process is all about connecting with the right people. “AI agents are powerful, but they aren’t human,” he said. “When we prioritize unique human connection, we future-proof our hiring models and deliver an exceptional candidate experience.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Randstad Digital Torc, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)

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AI at Your Fingertips: The AI-Empowered Recruiter

BY Stephanie Reed May 28, 2025

What is needed to give companies the most accurate data to make better informed hiring decisions? How can they incorporate more holistic approaches to finding and guiding talent now and in the future?Cecil Plummer, CEO of Fastr.ai, is a passionate advocate for the continuous integration of AI with modern software. He finds that AI-assisted recruiting helps streamline hiring practices and allows more space for creating holistic talent pipelines. “It’s about working with hiring managers and recapturing their time by getting through that ever-growing haystack,” he said during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s NYC talent acquisition conference.Plummer provided insights for TA leaders and recruiters on the strategic use of AI with existing company data to refine hiring processes. “There’s no loss of productivity from toggling back and forth between applications,” he said. “So because you’re in your own ATS, you don’t lose that productivity, and you don’t have to experience a lot of the adoption issues that we hear TA leaders telling us about.”Cecil Plummer, CEO of Fastr.ai, led the discussionFastr.ai provides organizations with a potent AI agent, designed to work with their current ATS and other data software to further refine their recruiting and hiring processes.The AI recruiting partner quickly delivers data through a web browser extension; the AI reads through candidate profiles and individually matches them to specified job criteria, he says. Fastr.ai captures the nuances of talent profiles and job requirements, while companies still leverage talent curation to match strict criteria: specific skills, keywords, and qualifications of top employees, says Plummer. Furthermore, automated talent insights help TA leaders and recruiters make informed hiring decisions through candidate development updates. The insights show who is fit for specific positions and track their progress over time. The results speak volumes. Fastr.ai has reported that 92% of clients achieve quicker surfacing of qualified candidates. Additionally, 62% of clients also save time from reviewing unqualified candidates. “AI has specifically been designed to enable and empower you and your teams, not to replace them,” Plummer said.AI, along with data-driven tools and software, pinpoints specific criteria, but people must identify other immeasurable qualities to recruit the right people to the right jobs. This is the foundation of today’s most successful organizations. “We believe that recruiters need the time to do what only humans can do: and that's about the candidate experience,” he said.What Current Talent Acquisition Patterns RevealAccording to Fastr.ai’s survey of 50 TA leaders, a consensus view is that technology is integral in improving their current recruiting processes. Most TA leaders and recruiters also share similar perspectives that the best results harness an ecosystem of best-of-breed ATS, CRMs, and schedulers. A notable shared pattern among those TA leaders and recruiters is that their processes are based on concerns of unfit hires costing their organizations more money long-term. Yet, many still use LinkedIn as a popular repository of data, which also gets costly. Working with internal data and integrating AI recruiting is a solution to getting the right people and minimizing costs, says Plummer. Thus, companies can save money on LinkedIn licenses and staffing fees because they’re using all of their data.More importantly, the combination of AI-recruiting and internal data helps curate a more holistic and solution-oriented approach to the candidate experience, quelling unfit-hire fears. “I believe in the human spirit, I believe that any one of us here who might suddenly find ourselves in the job market is not going out there to try to trick an employer into hiring us,” he said. “We want to go somewhere where we can be appreciated, where we can make a contribution, and where we can make that organization better.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Fastr.ai, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)

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Sustaining Your Workforce: The Business Case for Comprehensive Caregiving Support

BY Christopher O'Keeffe May 22, 2025

Companies striving to retain top talent are discovering a powerful, often underestimated tool: caregiving support. While the strategic value of these benefits is clear, they’re too frequently overlooked, says Lisa Leighton, VP of strategic development at Cariloop, a platform specializing in caregiver support.During a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s April virtual conference, Leighton addressed that while employees often don’t self-identify as a caregiver, one in three within the workforce operate in a capacity of juggling significant caregiving responsibilities  From coordinating childcare to managing aging parents, balancing workplace performance can become impossible. The corporate consequences of ignoring this reality can be severe. According to data presented by Leighton, nearly one-third of parents who take parental leave quit within 18 months of returning, while employees with caregiving responsibilities experience burnout at 2.6 times the rate of their colleagues without such obligations. Even generous compensation packages cannot solely drive employee retention in today's market where comprehensive benefits have become increasingly necessary for employee satisfaction. “As costs rise, key retention benefits like caregiving are getting cut. This is putting a tremendous strain on your people and the stability of your workforce,” said Leighton. Lisa Leighton of Cariloop led the thought leadership spotlight (company photo)As the childcare crisis has reached critical levels, working parents are struggling to navigate a shrinking supply of providers amid escalating costs of living, says Leighton. “Summer looming can create a pit of dread in my stomach,” said Leighton who previously juggled the demands of finding reliable childcare for her three children while vetting assisted living facilities for a family member. “Working parents are trying to figure out how to navigate two and a half months where everybody’s at home while still doing their jobs productively.” The growing number of aging Americans needing care now exceeds the supply of caregivers, adding pressure on workers caring for both kids and parents. Employers who recognize this dual burden see results by partnering with Cariloop to offer comprehensive caregiving support, says Leighton. “Best in class employers are leaning into the types of benefits that create a culture of care and offer that flexible, predictable support, for not just part of your population but your full diverse population at all those different ages and stages of life” she said. Cariloop stands out for its focus on measurable outcomes, helping employers track the impact of caregiving benefits through metrics like absenteeism and retention, says Leighton. This data-driven approach supports both employee well-being and organizational stability—an increasingly valuable combination as companies navigate tight labor markets and economic uncertainty.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Cariloop, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Chris O’Keeffe is a freelance writer with experience across industries. As the founder and creative director of OK Creative: The Language Agency, he has led strategy and storytelling for organizations like MIT, Amazon, and Cirque du Soleil, bringing their stories to life through established and emerging media.(Photo by ​​vorDa/iStock)

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Reimagining the Candidate Experience as a Strategic Advantage

BY Ade Akin May 15, 2025

Jon Stross knew something had to change when a candidate confided with him about applying to 200 roles without getting any responses. Stross, the president and co-founder of Greenhouse, laid out how the company is tackling the grim realities of overwhelming application volume, ghosting, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the hiring process. As organizations race to develop the most efficient algorithms, Greenhouse is helping transform what has been a soul-crushing experience for many into an empowering journey. “It’s terrible out there to be a candidate,” Stross said during the thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s NYC talent acquisition conference.  The current hiring market is one where applicants feel like their resumes weren’t even good enough for a response, he says. But things aren’t much better on the employer side, as recruiters find themselves sorting through thousands of resumes. Candidates who are worried about being ghosted end up sending generic applications en masse, while recruiters struggle to find desired signals in all of the noise. The new dynamic has led to employers increasingly relying on referrals or outbound sourcing, while candidates face a “black hole” of uncertainty. The result is a lose-lose scenario where neither side trusts the process. While AI's role in the hiring process is expected to expand in the next several years, Stross warns that matching AI-generated resumes with AI-scored profiles risks reducing everything to noise. Jon Stross, the president and co-founder of Greenhouse, led the thought leadership spotlightProviding transparency and giving candidates control is one of the strategies Greenhouse uses to combat ghosting and unclear deadlines. “It’s like walking into a deli with 200 people in line. You’d at least know your place in the queue,” Stross said.Greenhouse increases transparency and gives candidates control by introducing features like real-time application tracking and self-scheduling interviews—features that allow the application process to mimic the clarity of waiting in line at the deli. “If you see 200 people ahead of you, you might leave,” Stross said. “But at least you’re making an informed choice.”Greenhouse also introduced a Quick Apply feature that reduces friction in the application process, allowing candidates to auto-fill applications across Greenhouse-powered companies. This approach respects candidates’ time, reducing  the repetitive data entry style applications. It’s a small but critical step in improving employer brand perception, says Stross.Surfacing Intent DataResumes capture a candidate, but they don’t always clearly reflect their intent. Greenhouse introduces data differentiation by collecting work preferences and a novel “dream job” marker. Similar to early admission in college applications, candidates may select one role monthly as their dream job. Recruiters can then filter applicants by their skills and passion, turning the data into a powerful differentiator for both sides. “Imagine sifting through 800 applicants and seeing five who marked your job as their dream,” Stross said. “It doesn’t mean they’re qualified, but it shows genuine interest.”  Stoss suggests making the hiring process a race to the top rather than a descent into full automation. “Some companies are leaning in, building an employer brand that candidates remember,” he said.Organizations signal their commitment to talent by automating status updates and highlighting positive candidate experiences, reinforcing their brand and boosting candidate loyalty.Greenhouse is transforming hiring with tools like real-time application updates, centralized task checklists to guide candidates, and autofill capabilities that simplify applying. Personalized alerts and preference-based matching also help connect candidates to the right opportunities faster. These innovations give candidates a clearer path to their dream jobs while making the application process less unpleasant. Richer applicant profiles help recruiters to filter candidates more effectively and reduce their reliance on generic AI scoring that ignores human nuance. By embracing transparency, control, and meaningful data, organizations can attract and inspire talent while strengthening their employer brand, says Stross.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Greenhouse, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)

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Proactive Caregiver Support: Making Data-Informed Decisions That Incorporate Whole-Family Care

BY Tabitha Cabrera May 14, 2025

Caregiver burnout is “a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that happens while you’re taking care of someone else. Stressed caregivers may experience fatigue, anxiety and depression,” according to Cleveland Clinic.At From Day One’s April virtual conference, Sarah Begley, VP of content at Atria interviewed Kerri Costa, SVP of commercial & growth at Cleo, who shared insights on “Proactive Caregiver Support.” “A caregiver is really anyone taking care of themself through taking care of a child, taking care of an adult, loved one. It really branches across all of life’s journeys,” said Costa. Its broad spectrum makes it essential for employers to provide support. “Caregiving is everything from looking for resources, for education, to support, to finding loved ones, you know meals, providing meals, to being able to just simply help them with understanding how to set up their phone and to have support services that they need,” she said. Kerri Costa, SVP, Commercial & Growth at Cleo, led the thought leadership spotlight (company photo)Being a broad spectrum of people, caregivers face different challenges. But there are some that seem to be common in the workplace. “There’s a sense that if you identify as a caregiver, perhaps you’re less productive or you may have more absenteeism, which is usually not the case. But people don’t go to their HR representatives and say, ‘Hey, I’m a caregiver,’ for fear of that stigma,” she said. “What we find is that 67% of family caregivers struggle to balance their jobs in the caregiving role, and primarily, what we’re hearing from our employer clients is that there’s a lot of need for mental health and support around mental health.” Without proper mental health support for caregivers, there’s an increased risk of burnout. “33% of families that we have identified through our what we call our family health index, are at risk of burnout, and of those, 60% screen positive for our PHQ, which shows signs of depression. That affects not only the need for mental health support, but the loss of productivity on a large scale, as well as the retention of key employees.”Having cared for a parent with dementia and cared for a young child while working full time, Costa knows firsthand the kind of support needed. So what does support look like? Cleo has dedicated support services that provide guides to employees who need assistance with life challenges, says Costa. “Reducing the amount of time that’s spent on logistics can be so helpful in preventing burnout,” she said. “Working with a guide helped me to be able to step back and to once again think through ways in order to make my life easier.” The benefits for employers who are able to provide support are clear. First is mental health, where support is focused on preventing burnout by helping employees with the logistics of finding care and resources. Second is confidence and connectedness—53% of employees reported increased confidence after working with their guide, which improved their ability to manage everything on their plate. The third area is productivity, with high-risk members gaining back over 100 hours of work time, a significant outcome.Organizations can support their employees by first making their organization an environment where access to support is available and that honest discussion is not only happening but encouraged. “It’s hard for people to raise their hand to identify themselves as caregivers when it’s not a maternity leave or family forming situation. Having that conversation with their manager is crucial—it helps employees see the value of open, honest dialogue and gives managers a chance to offer the support that’s truly neededEditor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Cleo, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Tabitha Cabrera, Esq. is a writer and attorney, who has a series of inclusive children's books, called Spectacular Spectrum Books.(Photo by Obencem/iStock)

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Immersive Learning for Realistic, Judgment-Free Skill Building

BY Matthew Koehler May 13, 2025

Starting a new job or role often means facing a gap between what you’ve learned and what real-world experience demandsA newly licensed real estate agent might know the material but has never sat across from an actual client, and that first deal can be daunting. Or maybe a new manager is about to fire someone for the first time. What if you could practice those high-stakes moments before they happen?Virtual reality and AI are now making it possible, turning knowledge into confidence through realistic, judgment-free training. “I can’t imagine having to fire somebody for the first time and never having done that. It’s probably terrifying, emotional, and scary in a million different ways,” said Jack Makhlouf, VP of partnerships at Moth+Flame.“We try to build simulations for people so they can get a lot of practice. It’s also safe to fail. One of the secret powers of simulations is that you can mess up,” he said.Makhlouf spoke about the advantages of VR and immersive learning with Joe Reta, a partner manager at ArborXR and collaborator with Moth+Flame, during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Dallas conference. Immersive training has been around for a while. Think flight simulators, for example—something the military and airline industry has used for years. The benefit of this technology, says Makhlouf, is that “you’re physically doing something.” “You’re emotionally engaged in the experience. It’s interactive. It’s multi-sensory. You’re looking. You’re talking. You’re using your hands. It’s very realistic.” And, there are no real world consequences for making mistakes. “You can say the wrong thing and suffer the consequences. But you’re in a judgment free experience, so you’re safe to mess around,” Makhlouf said. Joe Reta, Partner Manager at ArborXR spoke with Jack Makhlouf, VP of Partnerships at Moth+Flame about immersive learningAI immersive learning has only become more intuitive and dynamic. Makhlouf calls it the perfect learning tool. “If I mess up in a giving feedback conversation, I’m going to know why and I’ll get to try again, and it’s going to assess me on tone delivery. It’s pretty advanced that way.”The military knows this and has long been a proving ground for the highest level of simulation-based training because they have “to keep their service members ready at all times,” Makhlouf said. It has also proven valuable in hands-on mechanical training. Makhlouf highlighted a program developed for the Air Force, which trains personnel on the precise steps needed to power up a C-17 cargo aircraft. Before using virtual reality, trainees learned through PowerPoint which led to costly mistakes in the field. “VR is a really great place to practice and fail,” he said. Thanks to immersive training, the Air Force cut errors by 85% and saved an estimated $1.7 million in fuel costs, says Makhlouf.While the upfront investment is significant, Makhlouf says that the ROI makes it worthwhile. “You’ve got to look at the return,” he said. Circling back to difficult conversations in the corporate space, Makhlouf says that both a popular and personal favorite module is in feedback. “Everybody thinks they're good at giving feedback, even positive feedback. But people don't know how to give proper positive feedback.”Building trust is another one. “We know that the relationship between [the] employee and their direct manager has a big impact on engagement. How do you build trust? How do you resolve conflict? How do you increase your emotional intelligence?”The big advantage immersive AI learning has in achieving better results in training, according to Makhlouf, is that people are using their voices, “not clicking answers in a scenario.” “Ironically, the first simulation I ever tried in my previous company was a firing simulation in VR. You’re sitting across the desk from an older guy who’s been inappropriate, and you got to call him in for a one on one, and it's the last straw. It can end badly, and it does end badly if you don't do it right. It can also end really well,” he said. He says they had people crying coming out of the simulation because it was so real.That is how this training is supposed to work, and why it feels so real; it’s immersive. “It is voice driven, whether you’re doing it in VR or tablet or mobile. You're navigating a conversation. You’re getting feedback on the fly—these avatars and actors are talking back to you. You’re in a conversation; it can go well, or it can not go so well. It’s completely up to you.”Wellstar Health System, a client Makhlouf’s company worked with, wanted to boost empathy among staff, so Makhlouf’s team created a simulation where participants’ answers were scored based on their level of empathy, prompting trial and error until they improved. “The first time through, people don’t get 80% or 100%,” he said. But with practice and targeted feedback on skills like empathetic paraphrasing, employees saw steady gains, much like building strength through repeated reps at the gym.What makes immersive training so effective, especially in a VR environment, is the combination of evolving technology and AI, and the fact that the AI avatars are based on real world actors. “So there’s not just some conceptual human prototype being used for AI avatars. They’re people...AI is mimicking facial expressions, their voice, body language and all that. They’re getting scary good.”Makhlouf's advice for companies and HR departments that want to modernize their training modules with immersion learning? “I would not recommend building something custom right off the bat. I would recommend you pilot with content that’s already made, and there’s a lot of content out in the field that’s ready to go off the shelf. So find a piece of content that aligns to your use case or business goal. Pilot it out, prove it out, build your business case. VR or immersive really shines when the use case is very, very strong.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, ArborXR, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Matthew Koehler is a freelance journalist and licensed real-estate agent based in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Greater Greater Washington, The Southwester, and Walking Cinema, among others.(Photos by Steve Bither for From Day One)

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Making Mental Health Care Work for Workers

BY Christopher O'Keeffe May 08, 2025

“You can’t talk about physical health without talking about mental health. You can't talk about mental health without talking about physical health,” said Gabe Diop, co-founder of Rula. “There’s no way that you can deal with humans and not deal with mental health.”Mental health stands out as both an urgent challenge and significant opportunity for corporate growth investment to allow for more successful organizations. During a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Boston benefits conference, Diop shared that mental health can no longer be treated as separate from physical health, nor can companies afford to address it with half-measures.Diop brings a personal perspective to his advocacy work. Being impacted by substance use disorder within his family, he was exposed to a string of mental health events which shaped his understanding of how mental health affects every aspect of life. With the knowledge of those experiences, his work focuses on creating accessibility to mental health care. While mental health awareness has increased since the pandemic, Diop points to troubling statistics that suggest a crisis in need of immediate attention. According to data he shared, 9% of high school students have attempted suicide, with 20% having seriously considered it. Black children are twice as likely to die by suicide, and only 15% of mothers experiencing perinatal depression receive care, with rates even lower among mothers of color.Diop highlights how personal challenges in all aspects of life inevitably impact workplace performance. “Imagine if employees are going through tough times,” Diop said. “How can that employee possibly be their best self at work? It’s impossible.”Gabe Diop, the co-founder of Rula Health, led the thought leadership spotlight about "Why Mental Health Matters"The disconnect between need and access remains staggering. Primary care physicians report that roughly one third of their patients have a behavioral health component to their care needs, yet most doctors have minimal training in mental health and few reliable referral options.“You get about 30 minutes of training when you’re in med school for mental health,” Diop said. “If the average doctor doesn’t even know what to do, what do you think the average employee or the average person is thinking?”Diop advocates for a “crawl, walk, run” approach that starts with simple interventions. This starts with basic screening during employee physicals, access to therapists through existing health plans, and better awareness of available resources that make an immediate difference.Mental healthcare should be woven into existing healthcare touchpoints that employees already use, from primary care visits to maternity care to chronic disease management, says Diop. For instance, some health platforms for diabetes management have started to incorporate depression screening, yet often lack a clear pathway to care for patients who do screen positive. Accessible platforms like Rula have made it possible to connect a mental health professional, that would have been nearly impossible to find just a few years ago, to a patient’s specific needs. Employers are starting to recognize the business value in addressing mental health more systematically. From reducing healthcare costs to improving productivity, the case goes beyond compassion to clear financial outcomes.But perhaps the most persuasive argument Diop offers is the simplest: mental health affects everyone.As employers look to enhance their benefits packages, addressing mental health doesn’t require reinventing the wheel. Rula’s integration with major health plans already covers over 140 million lives, making it immediately accessible to most workforces, he says. “We serve ages five and above for therapy. We serve ages 13 and above for med management, in all 50 states,” he said. “But if people don't know about it, it doesn’t matter.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner,  Rula, for sponsoring this thought leaderships spotlight. Chris O’Keeffe is a freelance writer with experience across industries. As the founder and creative director of OK Creative: The Language Agency, he has led strategy and storytelling for organizations like MIT, Amazon, and Cirque du Soleil, bringing their stories to life through established and emerging media.(Photos by Rick Friedman for From Day One)

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Solving the Engagement Problem in Healthcare and Employer Benefits

BY Ade Akin May 07, 2025

People who hit “play” on Calm’s Matthew McConaughey-narrated sleep story aren’t thinking about tackling mental health issues like depression or anxiety; they just want to fall asleep. Yet, Calm Health, the clinical arm of the Calm meditation and sleep app, is turning bedtime content into a gateway for mental health care, providing a stigma-free entry point for employees.“Calm launched with meditation, but sleep stories made the brand a household name,”  Chris Mosunic, the chief clinical officer at Calm, said during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Boston Benefits conference. Calm has managed to build brand affinity faster than it could hire celebrities to narrate dreamy tales, and U.S. users now make up 60% of its user base. However, use of its clinical programs delivered through Calm Health remains in the single digits. “Why is engagement in mental health tools so low, even when the brand recognition is sky-high?” Rebecca Knight, the event’s moderator and a Harvard Business Review contributor, asked. Mosunic points to visibility, discoverability, and stigma. “Employees don’t even know what’s available. They make snap judgments. And some demographics—Gen X males, for example—still shy away from saying they need help,” he said.Rebecca Knight, independent journalist and contributor at Harvard Business Review, interviewed Calm's Chris MosunicThat’s why Calm Health’s entry strategy leverages sleep: “It lowers the stigma. You can admit you can’t sleep without anyone batting an eye,” Mosunic said. According to a JAMA Network Open Study, digital tools increase therapy use among individuals already in care, but are barely used by underserved communities. Mosunic says Calm Health’s mission is to build clinical programs authored by psychologists who specialize in specific populations, and animate them with voices that resonate. “If you tell a nurse on a 12-hour shift to take a 30-minute walk, they’ll tune out. But if you speak their language, you’ve got a chance,” Mosunic said. Messaging matters when it comes to support. Your HR team might be well-versed in data privacy and compliance, but they might not be as adept at balancing protection with personalization, especially under Epic’s EMR firewall. “Employees don’t trust health plans or employers,” Mosunic said. “You need messaging that’s cool, not creepy.” This means hyper-targeting employees without overstepping boundaries. For example, an individualized email suggesting a sleep-based intervention for someone flagged with high blood pressure feels empathetic. Sending email blasts that employees should take advantage of their mental health benefits doesn’t.Looking Ahead: From Algorithms to OutcomesMosunic zeroed in on safety over hype when asked what role AI will play in redefining workplace mental illness. “We’re focused on closed-loop systems—algorithms trained and constantly evaluated against clinical outcomes, not open-ended chatbots pulling from the wild web,” He said. Mosunic says every personalization engine must pass clinician review before it’s rolled out, ensuring the solution is effective. Calm’s Chief Clinical Officer reflected on the parallels between physical and mental health as the conversation closed. “If your knee hurts, you see an orthopedist, not a dermatologist,” he said. Similarly, mental health requires a network of specialized, interconnected solutions.Calm Health views other digital mental health platforms as referral partners, not competitors. It aims to create a world where clinical notes flow seamlessly from self-guided modules into teletherapy and then in-person care as needed. “Look for vendors that play well with others—digital, in-person, and physical institutions alike.”The next frontier in employee mental health isn’t about flashy features, but creating ecosystems that make every intervention feel personal, safe, and stigma-free, says Mosunic.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Calm, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Rick Friedman for From Day One)

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Unmasking the Hidden SUD Crisis: The True Cost of Untreated Substance Use in the Workplace

BY Jessica Swenson May 05, 2025

Substance use disorder (SUD) is often considered a hidden condition, but it is surprisingly pervasive. According to the latest data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 48 million Americans over the age of 12 are currently living with clinical SUD. Around 28% of this population is in the workforce, but fewer than 10% of those individuals are being treated, making the disorder appear less common.SUD is a chronic condition that, left untreated, gets progressively worse over time. In addition to the health problems it can cause, it can increase employer benefit expenses. At From Day One’s Boston benefits conference, Todd Fruchey, vice president of sales for virtual substance use treatment platform Pelago, shared how employers can proactively mitigate these costs.Health Impacts of SUDIn an employer health care strategy survey, Fruchey says, cancer once again topped musculoskeletal conditions as the “highest cost spend area for employers.” Many people don’t realize how closely aligned SUD is with cancer. Two of the top three preventable causes of cancer are alcohol and tobacco. By freeing people of substances like tobacco and alcohol early through preventive measures, says Fruchey, you can make a huge impact on the instances of cancer.There is also a direct relationship and multiplier effect between substance use disorder and other chronic conditions like diabetes and diseases of the heart, kidneys, or pulmonary system, Fruchey says, referencing data from recent NIH and CDC reports. These are disease states that employers are often actively trying to improve in their employee populations since they tend to be some of the highest-expense conditions. “In most cases, if there’s a comorbidity between substance use disorder and these other conditions, the spend pattern for that individual will double and it will chronically get worse,” he said. Resolving the substance use disorder is a critical step toward improvements in other chronic conditions and general health.Lack of TreatmentA 2024 Pelago trend report shows that 56% of employees think substance use treatment is important for their employer to offer, but only 14% reported that they had access to such a program, says Fruchey. Nearly every audience member self-reported that their company offers this service to their employees. If so many employers do offer the treatment, why are so few employees aware that they have access to it, and why do 9 out of 10 people experiencing SUD remain untreated? Perhaps they are not comfortable accessing it, Fruchey says.Todd Fruchey, VP of Sales at Pelago, led the thought leadership spotlight in BostonThe Pelago survey asked employees about their comfort level asking for help on topics ranging from work-specific to highly personal, calling out that that the comfort level dropped dramatically (to less than 35%) for problems related to substances and alcohol. “If you’re an employer and you’re trying to understand how to get more people engaged, you have to get past the stigma. You have to create a safe environment for employees to raise their hand and ask for help.” he said.How Can Employers Help?Fruchey offered a few key questions to start: Is substance use treatment included in your benefits program? Do your employees feel comfortable asking for help? Does your company have a recovery-friendly culture or employee resource groups to offer support without repercussions? Create an environment where employees feel safe asking for this type of help.Analyze your benefits program for any gaps in substance use treatment, he says. People fall on what Fruchey calls a spectrum of acuity, which dictates the level of support or care that they need based on their position within the disease state. You can review healthcare and pharmacy claim data to identify potential risks. If you see more high-impact claims, people may not be as involved in substance use treatment at the earlier phase of the disease.Learning how to assist employees in navigating the stages of change—from recognizing to admitting to addressing a problem—is crucial, Fruchey says. “We know that there are all kinds of positive results from getting somebody into recovery. They turn over half as much. They miss 14 less days of work. They spend $16,000 a year less on health care. If you can get somebody to engage in a program around substance use treatment, there are all kinds of benefits for themselves and their families and you as the employer.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Pelago, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Jessica Swenson is a freelance writer based in the Midwest. Learn more about her at https://www.jmswensonllc.com.(Photos by Rick Friedman for From Day One)

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The Personalized Benefits Playbook: How Smart Companies Can Win with LSAs

BY Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza May 02, 2025

“We’ve had over 100 years to perfect our company’s culture, and we found that the wellness program is truly part of the strategic plan within our company,” said Whitney Ayers, wellness program manager at Garver, an engineering, planning, and environmental services firm founded in 1919.The program, which has become a cornerstone of the company’s benefits, includes a $300 health reimbursement employees can use at their discretion. Despite its importance, there were ways in which the company hadn’t modernized the program in decades. Chiefly, its administration, which Ayers was still juggling across spreadsheets, costing her hours on tedious, manual tasks, she shared during a From Day One webinar.Employers would send receipts to Ayers, who would log them in an Excel spreadsheet by employee ID, make a few (manual) computations for tax purposes, then forward it to finance—a process that was becoming increasingly untenable as the workforce grew from 450 to 1,300 workers over about seven years. “Finally, I was like, ‘man, I’m doing a disservice to the wellness program because I’m not able to spend quality time on the strategic planning of my program. I’m spending so much time on administrative work.” Verdino of Forma spoke with Ayers of Garver during the webinar about "The Personalized Benefits Playbook" (photo by From Day One)Garver’s insurance broker proposed a solution: a lifestyle spending account, or LSA. These are flexible, customizable, employer-funded spending accounts employees can use for a wide array perks largely determined by the employer. With theirs, Garver funds perks like home gym equipment, nutrition programs, and fitness subscriptions. “LSAs are about employees being able to access things that matter most to them and bring value to their lives in various ways,” said Amanda Verdino of Forma, the LSA platform Garver brought on to lift the administrative burden and polish the program. “They’re super personalized, where everyone can access what matters most to them in a way that feels really valuable and meaningful.”After the switch to an LSA, “the administrative burden went down to zero, which was amazing,” said Ayers. “I’m saving countless hours from having to do manual work, and it’s helping decrease human error.” Now, Ayers has time to focus work on cost-effectiveness and planning. When the CFO calls to ask exactly what the company is spending on health reimbursements, Ayers can answer right away, and in detail. “We have a 97.8% participation rate in our wellness program,” Ayers said. “We provide an insurance premium discount, and 97.8% of those employees earned that discount, not only last year, but also in 2023.” Garver also sees better health outcomes as a result of the improved program—which pairs preventative care with perks like the LSA that allow employees to get healthy how they want to.“With the introduction of the lifestyle spending account, just last year we were able to invest in our people and pay out $233,000 in health reimbursements. That’s a 110% increase,” said Ayers. “The engineers checked my math.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Forma, for sponsoring this webinar.Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is an independent journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about business and the world of work. Her work has appeared in the Economist, the BBC, The Washington Post, Inc., and Business Insider, among others. She is the recipient of a Virginia Press Association award for business and financial journalism.(Photo by mapo/iStock)

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Supporting a Proactive Approach to Well-Being at Work

BY Lisa Jaffe April 30, 2025

“The pandemic shed a spotlight on mental health,” said Jon Shimp, head of sales at Calm. “People are a little bit more forthright and a little bit more comfortable saying, ‘I might need some help.’”Now, post-pandemic, organizations are continuing to reassess how they support employees in a world that continues to evolve. Speaking at From Day One’s Seattle conference, Shimp offered insight into how employee well-being has shifted in the last five years, and how employers can meet workers where they are now.During the early days of Covid, organizations scrambled to provide access to care in any way possible. “Everyone grabbed everything off the shelf,” Shimp said, referring to the wave of benefit vendors that companies brought in to quickly address rising employee needs. That rush made sense in a remote-first, crisis-driven environment. But today, Shimp says, the landscape is shifting from reaction to reflection. Employers are stepping back to evaluate what’s working, any duplications and how to develop a more cohesive strategy.That early-pandemic rush to offer mental health solutions has, in many cases, led to “vendor fatigue.” Employers may now offer dozens of digital health tools, but that doesn’t mean employees know how, or why, to use them.Jon Shimp of Calm was interviewed during the thought leadership spotlight “If you’ve got 20 or 25 different point solutions, how do employees navigate that?” Shimp posed. The challenge isn’t just access, but also awareness, engagement and relevance. Personalization and clarity are critical, and making it easier to find care in a safe and welcoming way is the only way to succeed.Some demographics, such as middle-aged men, are historically less likely to engage with mental health solutions. “We don’t wake up thinking, ‘I should check my benefits for help with how I’m feeling,’” Shimp said. Addressing these gaps means meeting users where they are with approachable language, strategic outreach and even snail mail campaigns designed to reach the entire household.Not all employees experience mental health in the same way. There are distinct differences between cohorts, whether by role, demographic or geography. Frontline workers may face different stressors than corporate staff. Educational and manufacturing sectors have different baseline needs. Tailoring messaging, onboarding and support mechanisms is essential. Leadership, too, plays a role in creating a culture that supports mental health. “When leaders show vulnerability, it signals to their teams that it’s OK to feel down or to need help,” he said. He likened this transparency to conversations he has with his teenage sons to normalize emotional struggles and assure them they are manageable.From Crisis to PreventionOne misconception is that mental health support is mostly about acute care, therapy or psychiatry. But Shimp says that for most people, it’s more about prevention.“Two-thirds of our users are doing okay; they’re not in crisis,” he said. “But they are experiencing episodic issues like grief, stress, or life transitions.” Someone who just had a knee transplant may be upset about not being able to go for a daily run; a menopausal woman may have trouble regulating her emotions, and supporting them with tools to prevent decline is as important as treating a crisis.That’s where Calm Health differentiates itself. While the Calm app is widely known for meditation and sleep stories, Calm Health is a more comprehensive platform. It leverages the consumer trust built by Calm and adds a clinical layer designed for employers. At the core is personalization. “The ethos is the mind-body connection,” said Shimp. Onboarding is a guided experience supported by video, interactive prompts, and thoughtful design.Users are asked about their physical health goals like managing diabetes or weight loss, mental health status via clinically validated PHQ and GAD screeners, and life stages. Based on these responses, Calm Health creates tailored experiences.“If someone is diabetic, wants to lose weight, and shows moderate depression, we provide content related to all of those needs,” Shimp said. The app can even connect users to external benefit programs their employer offers, whether that’s a weight loss platform or access to therapy via a partner provider.This kind of tailored, preventive care, like a 5 minute meditation, can keep users grounded and reduce the likelihood of more serious issues later on. “Anything that introduces people to care early on is a win,” he said.When asked about return on investment, Shimp acknowledged that most ROI models in healthcare, especially in digital health, are hard to validate fully. “Most are based on cost avoidance,” he noted, like preventing joint replacement. “But did you help someone avoid surgery, or did they lose 50 pounds on their own?”Focus on engagement as a proxy for success instead, he says. Metrics like registration rates, completion of onboarding, and consistent app usage help Calm Health measure whether the platform is delivering on its promise.As mental health becomes a lasting component of employee well-being, the narrative is shifting from reactive crisis care to proactive, personalized support. The pandemic may have forced the conversation, but forward-thinking employers are now using the moment to rethink, refine, and recommit to the mental well-being of their people. “Anything we can do to keep someone from sliding down the continuum is a win–for them and for the organization.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Calm, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Lisa Jaffe is a freelance writer who lives in Seattle with her son and a very needy rescue dog named Ellie Bee. She enjoys reading, long walks on the beach, and trying to get better at ceramics.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)

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Making Healthcare Work: Small Changes to Your Benefits Strategy That Deliver Big Impact

BY Stephanie Reed April 29, 2025

“It’s very clear that employees aren’t just demanding better benefits, but they’re demanding a better experience from health care,” said Katie Blakemore, the director of events at Accolade.Post-pandemic, the prevailing reality is that thriving organizations offer comprehensive benefits. Yet, changes in healthcare spending challenge sustainability. The costs have reached an all-time high in 13 years, increasing by 8%. What tools, principles, and methods can pave the way to solutions with significant impact? Can benefits leaders find quality care while avoiding excessive costs projected to reach an increase of 9-10% in 2026? During a From Day One webinar, leaders from Accolade came together to share actionable tactics that address these key challenges.  “What members, we believe, want most is simplicity and clarity,” said Kristen Bruzek, the senior vice president of service delivery at Accolade. Accolade, a healthcare solutions organization combining technology and care advocacy by physician-led teams, has refined modern care navigation. This effective strategy avoids complex delays and unnecessary spending, she says.AI is transforming healthcare navigation by revealing data patterns, reducing friction, and getting the right resources to employees faster—helping organizations spot gaps, predict risks, and improve outcomes. Ava, Accolade’s virtual assistant, answers questions, checks benefits, identifies local providers, and confirms basic claims, the speakers shared. The organization has seen a 6% increase in member satisfaction by engaging with Ava. Further, Accolade’s more complex AI-driven health engine picks up on at-risk members to deliver more urgent and personalized care team outreach.  To demonstrate this process, consider a member flagged for diabetes or an issue concerning their mental health. The system alert will help care advocates immediately direct that member to the right primary care provider or behavioral clinician. By spotting at-risk employees as early as possible using data-driven insights, employers can avoid unnecessary costs and adverse health events for employees.Personalization and Human Connection  Combining data-driven insights with hyper-personalization leads to greater employee engagement and utilization outcomes.Accolade introduces the virtual assistant as a quick self-service tool and provides more personalized onboarding via multiple channels to help members learn about their care options. Multiple channels let employers meet employees where they are. Members can engage with personalized support by several means: phone calls, video calls, or asynchronous messaging.Human connectivity holistically encapsulates and addresses concerns using a hyper-personalized approach. For example, Ava can pick up on specific details or keywords during a chat with a member that indicates they are physically or mentally at risk. Emotionally challenging and complex feedback alerts the system of that member’s position, says Bruzek. The virtual assistant then flags the member and coordinates a meeting with a nurse on their care team for more personalized guidance.Ferega spoke with Accolade colleagues on innovation in healthcare benefits (company photo)“We can recognize that and get them to an advocate or a nurse right away through the voice channel or digital if the member prefers to stay there,” said Liz Ferega, senior vice president of customer success. The human element remains essential alongside technology. HR leaders identify the most effective tools, channels, and benefits programs—and they’re the ones who can validate real-world impact, like fewer ER visits or improved chronic care. Only a human can truly judge whether a tool is both intuitive and educational, and HR leaders are best positioned to ensure AI reflects the user’s perspective accurately.“The care is higher quality from the start and being able to help a member get to that is critical. With that being said, the human connection will still be a core part of everything that we do,” said Ferega. Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Accolade, for sponsoring this webinar.Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses.(Photo by LALAKA/Shutterstock)

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Optimizing Executive Leadership During Unprecedented Times

BY Christopher O'Keeffe April 28, 2025

Companies are moving away from sink-or-swim onboarding for new CEOs and turning to strategic coaching with clear, measurable returns. As businesses face unprecedented challenges, from supply chain disruptions to talent shortages, providing support to bolster strong executive leadership has never been more critical. Leaving many organizations to find that traditional approaches to developing senior leaders are insufficient for today's complex business landscape.Leaders examined this shift through a compelling case study during a From Day One webinar about “Optimizing Executive Leadership During Unprecedented Times.” Sandra Davis, chair and founder of MDA Leadership, a 43-year-old firm specializing in executive development, shared insights into mentoring Holly Cooper, the recent CEO of Altumint, a public safety solutions provider. The firm brought in MDA during a critical growth phase for Cooper, helping accelerate her effectiveness as she integrated into her CEO role. Aldon Severson, MDA's director of client development, moderated the compelling discussion, highlighting how executive coaching has evolved from a remedial intervention to a strategic investment that accelerates leadership performance.The Three-Phase ApproachMDA Leadership’s coaching framework consists of three phases: awaken, align, and accelerate. The approach begins by establishing a relationship and building chemistry to understand both the leader and the organizational context. “The whole awakened phase was both about learning about Holly and about others' expectations” said Davis. This initial discovery process helps executives quickly understand what others need from them without relying on trial and error.In the “align” phase, the executive crafts specific goals based on business objectives and stakeholder feedback. The final “accelerate” phase focuses on execution and measuring results. This structured approach distinguishes professional coaching from casual mentoring, providing accountability and measurable outcomes that justify investment.Assessment as a Strategic ToolWhen Cooper stepped into the CEO role after serving as COO, she faced the challenge of building the right executive team to support rapid growth. MDA’s understanding in leadership assessment became central to her hiring strategy. “The individuals we brought in, after going through an assessment, were much higher-qualified candidates for the positions we were looking for than those we hired without any type of assessment,” Cooper said. She noted that middle managers hired without such assessments had significantly higher turnover rates, with most leaving within 12 months.Holly Cooper spoke with Sandra Davis and Aldon Severson of MDA Leadership (photo by From Day One)According to Davis, MDA’s candidate assessments are increasingly sophisticated, customized to specific roles rather than using a dated one-size-fits-all approach. Beyond hiring, Cooper also used assessments to evaluate existing talent, particularly longtime employees who had grown with the company since its founding.Navigating Board RelationshipsOne of the most challenging aspects for new CEOs is managing relationships with the board of directors. This dynamic requires different skills than executives typically develop on their way up the corporate ladder.Executives accustomed to having a single boss often find the transition to reporting to a full board, with diverse perspectives to be jarring. Cooper described this as one of her biggest unexpected challenges: “Having a board full of different people, personalities and their needs, is one of the biggest challenges…what are they going to ask for next and will I even get this thing done before they ask for the next piece?”Davis advises resilience in these moments, “Some of it’s about standing firm in what you know to be true and is needed for the organization. You and your team know the most about what’s needed to make this happen successfully.”Speed vs. DevelopmentTransparency around leadership development creates a culture focused on growth and positive change. Cooper emphasized the importance of being open about the coaching process: “Here was the key about being an open executive, letting my team know that I wanted the coaching to be the best version of myself for them so that I could serve them in the appropriate manner.”While fostering development takes time, business realities demand that executives get up to speed quickly. This creates tension between development and immediate performance demonstrating why executive coaching has become increasingly valuable.“Don’t forget about speed,” Davis advised. “Often people might take six months to figure things out. I think in many cases, we don’t have that luxury because who you have around you and who you surround yourself with, and their capabilities and trust and confidence have a whole lot to do with how well you perform.”  Providing structured support accelerates a CEO’s understanding while delivering tangible results.As organizations continue to navigate complex challenges, executive coaching has evolved from a professional perk to an essential component of leadership strategy. Not only improving executive performance but also creating more resilient organizations capable of real time adaptation to an ever-changing business landscape. “Five years ago, it used to be ‘we don’t have time for anybody to develop. Let’s just find a really good person and put them in place,’” Davis said. “That’s really changed quite a bit now. There’s far more emphasis on the leadership development side and having the power of that behind a successful business.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, MDA Leadership, for sponsoring this webinar. Chris O’Keeffe is a freelance writer with experience across industries. As the founder and creative director of OK Creative: The Language Agency, he has led strategy and storytelling for organizations like MIT, Amazon, and Cirque du Soleil, bringing their stories to life through established and emerging media.(Photo by jacoblund/iStock)

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The Action Catalyst: Unleashing the Power of Workforce Data

BY Ade Akin April 25, 2025

Renya Spak did exactly what most of us do the last time she opened an email addressed “Dear valued customer.” She hit the delete button immediately. Spak, the chief growth officer at Well, used that familiar annoyance to illustrate a simple truth during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Seattle conference. Generic messaging won’t cut it if you want real employee engagement, she says.From Generic Emails to Magic Nudges“Ugh,” Spak exclaimed, recalling the last time she received a generic promotional email. “As a loyal subscriber, you may be interested in our latest generic promotion that has absolutely nothing to do with your preferences. Click here to learn more.”Spak then contrasted that experience with a hyper-personalized offer she once received from a running-shoe retailer. “Hey, Renya, we saw you’ve been buying running gear… want first dibs before they sell out?” That led to a click and purchase. AI-powered personalization has emerged as a powerful tool in the marketing world, but organizations have been slow to adopt its use when interacting with employees. “It’s painful to imagine that benefits and well‑being still feel like dial‑up in a 5G environment,” Spak said.A Three‑Step Framework for PersonalizationSpak laid out a simple framework to personalize employee benefits in ways that encourage engagement:The first step is leveraging people analytics. You already have the dashboards, the models, the culture,” Spak told the crowd. From pay‑equity studies to performance‑prediction algorithms, HR and people analytics teams have amassed data that makes it easy to treat employees as individuals rather than anonymous line items.Next, foster cross-functional collaboration. Employee benefits, HR, and analytics should be merged. This might mean partnering with your wellness vendor to create parental-leave policies for grandparents or exploring pet-care stipends, modern perks that meet real employee needs.Then deliver precision nudges. Spak says the hardest part of personalizing employee benefits isn’t building the programs, it’s driving sustained engagement. “When employees actually use those benefits, productivity improves, retention increases, and costs go down,” Spak said.Data‑Driven Personalization PilotsSpak shared three real-world pilots from Well’s customers to drive her points:Healthy-food coupons via Instacart Health, was the first example. Well identified employees who were likely to have limited access to healthy food choices by combining ZIP-code analysis with biometric data and claims. Employees who engaged with health coaches through their benefits packages earned coupons for fresh groceries delivered through Instacart Health. Participation soared because the solution and incentive met an urgent, personal need. Another example was from a logistics firm with a large Spanish-speaking workforce. They noticed low engagement when outreach was delivered solely in English or Spanish. A breakthrough emerged with a Spanglish version, which was received as more authentic and human. “We saw 2.5 times higher engagement in Spanglish,” Spak said, “because we spoke to them in their language—both literally and culturally.”Lastly, a healthcare provider struggling with 100% annual turnover among its phlebotomists and rising non-urgent visits needed a solution. Well combined clinical insights and opinions on telehealth, with claims data to identify clinicians who were open to virtual care and ideal times to reach them. The information was used to deploy personalized messages to team members, highlighting the convenience of telehealth and providing direct connections to familiar providers. Early engagement metrics exceeded expectations with a significant uptick in scheduled virtual visits and a drop in avoidable ER usage. These pilot programs underscore a compelling statistic: 93% of employees consider the ability to customize their benefits a must-have or nice-to-have; 72% say personalization increases loyalty, while 40% say it boosts job satisfaction, according to a recent MetLife study. It all depends on getting the right message to the right person, at the right time, in the right tone, with the right incentive.The Importance of TrustTrust is the foundation that allows organizations to turn workplace data into personalized engagement. Spak reminded attendees that while HR teams fret over data privacy, employees rarely raise concerns. In contrast, every Request for Proposal (RFP) process brings data‑governance questions. “People will share their data if it’s used for their benefit,” Spak said, echoing a recent Deloitte finding that 90% of workers feel the same.The data and technology needed to personalize employee engagement at scale are already available. The challenge is cultural—building cross‑team partnerships, establishing governance, promoting engagement, and moving beyond one‑size‑fits‑all communications. The payoff is significant and measurable for those willing to adapt: stronger employee engagement, healthier behaviors, and measurable results, says Spak.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Well, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photo by Josh Larson for From Day One) 

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The Future of Work: AI, Skills, & What Leaders Need to Know

BY Christopher O'Keeffe April 24, 2025

As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace, a common concern is emerging among businesses: What skills will define employee success in an AI-driven future? With many companies still unsure how to fully leverage AI, a sense of FOMO, or fear of missing out, is setting in, says Tigran Sloyan CEO of CodeSignal.Sloyan spoke about innovation happening at CodeSignal, an AI focused technical assessment and skills development platform, during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Silicon Valley conference. “AI is not just a buzz and not just a hype,” Sloyan said. “I strongly believe that AI is one of those transformative technologies, similar to what personal computers did, similar to what the Internet did.”CodeSignal has positioned itself at the intersection of AI advancement and workforce development offering solutions to a world reveling in a technological revolution. The company's platform enables organizations to evaluate current capabilities and build the skills needed for an everchanging AI-integrated workplace.Three Tiers of AI CompetencyRather than pursuing a one-size-fits-all approach to AI skills, Sloyan advocates for understanding the three distinct categories of AI competency that allow for  successful integration of its tools.The first and most broadly applicable is simple AI literacy: understanding what AI can do and how to use it in daily work. “This requires pretty much no technical skill or competency,” Sloyan said.The second tier involves integrating AI into existing systems by connecting APIs and implementing new tools to existing operations. While more technical, these skills don’t require deep AI expertise.Only the third category, building and training AI models, demands specialized technical knowledge.  Sloyan highlights that many companies often make a strategic error by over emphasizing the importance of this category. With many organizations spending disproportionate resources competing for a small pool of talent rather than focusing on widespread AI literacy, “Hiring AI engineers in today’s market is close to impossible,” Sloyan said. “Upskilling is really the only way to close that skills gap.”From Managing People to Managing AIThe human touch remains essential, especially within leadership roles that will evolve as AI becomes increasingly prevalent in the workplace. Sloyan rejects the notion held by many, that management skills would become obsolete in an AI centric workplace. Instead arguing that directing AI systems will demand many of the same skills needed to lead teams of employees.Sloyan spoke with Brenna Lenoir, SVP of CodeSignal, during the thought leadership spotlight“As a great manager, you bring intelligent people onto your team, you become more effective and you can accomplish more together,” he said. “If you have 50 AI agents working for you, you essentially become a manager of those AIs, but you still need what makes great managers great, which is understanding what the job is.”This perspective challenges the notion that AI will simply replace human work. Instead, Sloyan envisions a future where human expertise becomes even more valuable when amplified through directed AI agents.“Only managers that understand how to do the job themselves, even if they’re not going to have to do it themselves, can know how to ask the right questions, how to ask the right probing questions, as well as evaluate what they got back,” he said.The Future of Technical SkillsRethinking traditional approaches to technical roles with the lens of an AI competent workforce opens unprecedented possibilities for rapid growth within any given company. Sloyan says that AI will transform rather than eliminate the value of technical skills, creating accessibility to capabilities once reserved for specialists.  “Three years ago, knowing how to write a simple SQL query would not produce much value,” he said, referring to a database programming language. “Today, if you understand just a little bit about writing a simple query, you can ask AI the right questions and get data within minutes that used to take a highly proficient engineer an hour to produce.”This dynamic creates what Sloyan calls an “exponential increase” in the value of technical knowledge; company-wide modest competence with AI tools can dramatically enhance productivity.For business leaders navigating this workforce transformation, the message is clear: rather than focusing on building expensive learning models or exclusively competing for scarce AI engineering talent, prioritize building a foundation of AI literacy across your organization. In the AI economy, companies with a focus on understanding the technology broadly may prove more valuable than those with a singular or hyper specific approach.  Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, CodeSignal, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Chris O’Keeffe is a freelance writer with experience across industries. As the founder and creative director of OK Creative: The Language Agency, he has led strategy and storytelling for organizations like MIT, Amazon, and Cirque du Soleil, bringing their stories to life through established and emerging media.

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The New Era of Workplace Giving: Meeting Donors Where They Are

BY Christopher O'Keeffe April 21, 2025

While 94% of major corporations offer charitable giving programs, only about one in five employees participate in them. The lack of employee engagement programs often leaves corporations without a seamless solution for integrating charitable acts into daily workplace activitiesThis “generosity gap,” as philanthropy experts call it, represents billions in potential charitable dollars left on the table. This reveals a fundamental disconnect between corporate giving structures and employee expectations in today’s socially conscious global landscape.“Today’s workforce expects technology experiences to mirror what they encounter in their personal lives," said Sam Caplan, VP of social impact at Submittable during a From Day One webinar. “When a company’s giving program feels disconnected from their values, or when it’s just hard to navigate or engage with, we know that they’re much less likely to participate.” Submittable solves the long-standing problem of revolutionizing outdated technology and approaches that treat charitable giving as a separate, often cumbersome activity rather than a seamless extension of everyday work life, says Caplan.“When we force donors into unfamiliar paradigms, and then we kind of scratch our heads afterwards to say, why are we struggling with engagement? It’s because we’re forcing them to do things outside of their normal flow of life,” said Chris Battles, principal product manager at Submittable.New workplace giving technologies are making charitable contributions as simple as tapping a phone or clicking a button. Submittable’s platform lets employees accumulate donation funds through recognition programs, wellness challenges, or personal contributions, then easily direct those funds to causes they care about, all without leaving their workflow, the speakers shared. This especially matters in cases where timeliness matters, like during natural disasters, says Madison Silver, senior product marketer at Submittable.Small Acts of Generosity Build Company CultureThe business case for modernizing these programs extends beyond philanthropy. Companies report that well-designed giving programs boost employee satisfaction and retention, particularly among younger workers who increasingly expect employers to provide platforms that support personal social impact goals. In a global economy where talent acquisition remains challenging, the competitive advantage of charitable modernization becomes paramount to bottom line success.Industry leaders emphasize several key principles for successful program modernization. First, personalize the experience by offering flexible giving options that align with employees’ values and lifestyles. Next, remove friction by making giving as easy as buying coffee or sending money to a friend. Then, integrate giving with existing programs, connecting it to rewards, recognition, and other HR initiatives. Enable giving in the moment by providing tools that allow employees to contribute whenever they’re inspired. Finally, celebrate small contributions, recognizing that even modest donations can have a meaningful impact.“We’re turning everyday moments into opportunities for impact, and in doing so, we’re not just recognizing employees, we’re empowering them to become philanthropists,” Caplan said.As the boundaries between work and personal life continue to blur, particularly in hybrid work environments, companies that successfully integrate giving opportunities into the daily experience of employees are finding that generosity doesn’t need to be taught, it simply needs to be enabled.The most innovative organizations are shifting from treating charitable giving as a separate initiative to embedding it into the everyday work experience. This transformation aims to close the long-standing generosity gap that has challenged corporate philanthropy leaders for years.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Submittable, for sponsoring this webinar.Chris O’Keeffe is a freelance writer with experience across industries. As the founder and creative director of OK Creative: The Language Agency, he has led strategy and storytelling for organizations like MIT, Amazon, and Cirque du Soleil, bringing their stories to life through established and emerging media.(Photo by Ruslana Chub/iStock)

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What Trump’s Immigration Agenda Means for Employers

BY Katie Chambers April 16, 2025

Do you and your team have a plan in place if ICE shows up at your office looking for one of your employees? It’s a shocking thought, but something that HR must now consider in our new normal.The new Trump Administration 2.0 is moving aggressively on new immigration policies, including significant changes to the immigration process. Yet we have plenty of experience from his first term to help guide us toward adapting to the new era.During a recent From Day One webinar, attorneys Matthew Hellrung and Matthew Meltzer, co-Founders and managing partners of Meltzer Hellrung Immigration Solutions, discussed what they see as the most likely immediate adjustments, as well as later developments, and the steps you can take now to ensure compliance and minimize disruptions to your immigration program moving forward.They offered an insightful and practical guide to how employers can adapt and anticipate the myriad changes to U.S. immigration policy to ensure access to a global talent pool.The State of ImmigrationPrior to the start of the new Trump administration, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS), had a 4% denial rate, U.S. Department of State (DOS) had a 20% denial rate, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was largely focused on arresting undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions or pending charges.“I-9 enforcement was focusing on employers that didn’t use E-Verify and employers that were suspected to have people who might not have work authorization, businesses that have historically unauthorized workers, like car washes, factories, or slaughterhouses,” Meltzer said.Actions Affecting Lawful Immigration PathwaysUnder the new administration, lawful entry into the U.S. has become even more difficult. Refugee entry, including pending applications, has been suspended indefinitely pending a 90-day review and report, stranding 22,000 previously approved refugees. And there is a directive heightening the already very high identification standards such that current unsettled approvals may be denied. This is a particular challenge for those coming from countries that don’t have as rigorous and standardized an ID system as the U.S., Hellrung says. Matthew Hellrung (pictured), led the webinar along with Matthew Meltzer (company photo)Asylum seekers, those who arrive at the U.S. border claiming a credible fear of persecution in their home country, unlike refugees who wait in their home country for approval, are also facing challenges. “Via the Constitution and the various immigration laws, CBP is required to accept those individuals to document who they are, to potentially interview them for their asylum claims, and then release them into the United States with a court date to plead their case for the asylum benefit that they’ve applied for at the border. As soon as Trump took office, essentially all asylum applications that were in process were halted,” Hellrung said. Reports indicate CBP no longer honors asylum claims at any U.S. Border, and the “CBP one app” asylum interview system was terminated a few days into the new administration, canceling 30,000 appointments. Humanitarian programs and parole, which are generally granted by executive order, are no longer available for Cuban, Haitian, Ukrainian, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan nationals seeking entry. Trump also ended Biden’s green card program reuniting families separated from children (enacted in response to the first Trump administration), and ICE is now allowed to invalidate anyone’s parole immediately.  Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has been partially rescinded for over 800,000 people. “[TPS] is temporary permission that allows folks coming from war torn countries, famine, and natural disasters to enter the United States for temporary period of time,” Hellrung said. “There are a lot of folks employed as Venezuelans [and Ukrainians] in TPS status. They do have the authorization to work. They pass the I-9 process.” He says the administration is likely to rescind most or all TPS designations in the next 18 months, impacting 14 nationalities. DOS has also made it harder for visas to be renewed abroad via Dropbox. And some moves have happened as political retaliation, such as the canceling of hundreds of Colombian visas after the country complained about deportees, and the looming threat of canceling F-1 student visas for supposed Hamas sympathizers, often conflated with those simply supporting Palestinian rights.  Hellrung says some of the more extreme measures may not come to pass, including the executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship. “It’s pretty clear in the Constitution that birthright citizenship is a right. We don’t think this is going anywhere.” But he warns to expect continued ICE harassment and arrests of green card holders and U.S. citizens as the officers work to meet their arrest quotas. Actions Affecting Undocumented ImmigrantsWhile most employers are less concerned about the actions affecting those who are in the U.S. illegally, “it can still have a significant impact if you are a supermarket or a place where people congregate publicly–a food bank, a health clinic.” Even if your employees are here legally, your clientele may not be, and ICE will often make their arrests at public gathering spots for easy access. ICE noncriminal arrests have increased tenfold, and ICE is now empowered to remove someone from the country immediately without due process.Meltzer advises employers to stay prepared regardless of their direct workforce or customer base. “I always remind all of my clients that you don’t know who your employees’ families are,” he said. “You can have people who work for you who are U.S. citizens, who are married to undocumented workers. You can have people who are U.S. citizens who are the children of undocumented people. The stress here is real for workforces, regardless of whether they’re not undocumented.”One of the biggest changes is that DOS has been ordered to create a registration process for all non-U.S. citizens and failure to register would be a criminal offense. Meltzer notes that this law has actually been on the books since the 1940’s but was never truly implemented until now. Immigration enforcement is taking top priority, as workers from other agencies like the IRS, DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security are being taken off of other criminal enforcement to focus on immigration instead. Most of these provisions against undocumented immigrants, Hellrung says, have lawsuits against them pending in the federal courts. What to Expect NextGoing forward, Hellrung warns employers to expect travel bans in over a dozen countries, while others will be expected to improve their security and information sharing so their citizens can still be allowed to travel to the U.S. plus delayed consular processing for visas. Employers may be impacted by increased barriers to immigration benefits, including higher income requirements for permanent residency and an increase in filing fees for humanitarian, family, and employment-based visas. There may also be termination of work authorizations for asylum applicants, parolees, and H-4, L-2, E-3D, and J-2 dependent authorizations.“You should know who these people are inside of your workforce and identify them because they are at risk of losing work authorization,” Hellrung said. “It would be a good idea to sponsor that person in the [visa] lottery if they qualify.” Plus, there may be termination of TPS designations and all humanitarian parole, affecting about 1.5 to 2 million immigrants in the U.S. with work authorizations. And a rise in inquiries, audits, and denials across all family and employment-based filings. Trump has mentioned a substantive change in the H-1B lottery system, making it more merit-based, but what that means exactly has yet to be determined. Currently, Hellrung’s clients are already experiencing increased site visits from USCIS and ICE, auditing I-9s, checking on H-1B and L-1 workers, or doing worksite raids for specific individuals. They also anticipate increased immigration coordination and enforcement by federal, state, and local law enforcement, since the “mass influx” designation allows the deputization of state and local agents. How to Stay PreparedIn the face of this daunting information, there are a few concrete ways Meltzer and Hellrung suggest employers can stay prepared: Centralize your company’s I-9 and immigration data. Adopt a system that allows for safe storage and quick reporting and adopt E-Verify or E-Verify+ if appropriate. Review your I-9 completion, storage, and audit procedures. A spot audit might be useful to understand your overall financial risk.File everything you can file now! This includes work authorization extensions, before the possible expiration. Initiate green card cases as long-term solutions and ask vendors to prioritize the fastest options, including EB-1, EB-2 NIW, and EB-2EA. And sponsor workers for the H-1B lottery if you can. Create a site visit protocol plan. Who will receive a government agent? Where will you put them? Do you know your employer rights? The latter, the ICE site visit, is the most daunting for many employers. Gather as much information as possible, including names, agencies, and badges. Know which parts of your business are considered public and which are considered private, which impacts whether a warrant is needed. Be ready to supply paperwork when asked. Meltzer advises to keep your cool “and don’t assume the government is going to do everything right.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Meltzer Hellrung , for sponsoring this webinar. Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, On New Jersey, and CBS New York.(Photo by AnnaStills/iStock)

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Leading Transformation When There’s No Playbook

BY Jessica Swenson April 15, 2025

As companies continue to introduce change initiatives borne from both internal and external sources, it becomes more vital for leaders to have the ability to navigate teams through uncertainty while sustaining engagement and connection.“When we talk about transformation where there is no playbook, the previous rules about leadership and management and what you do, don’t apply,” said Carl Sanders-Edwards, CEO and co-founder of Adeption, during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Silicon Valley conference.Since the inception of desktop computing and its transition to the cloud environment, we have lived through multiple shifts in computing power and how work gets done. With the emergence of AI, we are in a new era of possibility that is again profoundly impacting jobs and workflow. Companies are leaning toward using AI to solve technical challenges and leaving more nuanced work for humans.Technical vs. Adaptive ChallengesTechnical challenges with teachable processes, a defined path, and known solutions are a bit clearer, but novel, or adaptive, challenges often haven’t been done before and have no known solution. The problem and the solution may be intertwined and need to be separated before progress is made; experimentation and learning will likely be required from everyone involved. A significant percentage of change efforts fail, Edwards says, because organizations treat adaptive challenges the same way they treat technical challenges. “One of the greatest things we can give the leaders and the people that we serve in our field is letting them know about the distinction between these two things, and there are different approaches for different types of challenges,” he said.Edwards acknowledges that success isn’t as linear as we may think; it isn’t as simple as taking data in, responding with action, and receiving a result. There is a hidden step between data receipt and response where the data is filtered through our mindset and influences emotion, which in turn influences our response. “We see the world as we are, not it as it is. And we're always projecting ourselves onto the world,” he said. Harnessing these unconscious mindsets is one key to effectively managing and resolving an adaptive challenge. This type of challenge appears resistant to teachable techniques because we are using prior experience and knowledge to solve something that is completely new. However, the overarching, high-level suggestions that come from our unconscious mindsets can help teams to progress on adaptive challenges.Carl Sanders Edwards, CEO and co-founder of Adeption, led the thought leadership spotlight Citing the example of a Silicon Valley company experiencing a decline in sales, Edwards outlined a few mindsets that might be helpful in that type of adaptive situation. A product expert mindset might focus solely on product perfection and attempt to make the product better. An achiever mindset may set goals and enforce attainment, promote training, or recommend more sales people. A transformative mindset may introduce new systems, while a marketing awareness mindset would avoid negative market impact by changing the product’s pricing model from subscription to consumption-based.Identify, Refine, and Apply Unconscious MindsetsWhen we have experiences, we create stories (good or bad) and those stories become a part of our unconscious mindset. By adding deliberate reflection and speaking with another person about it, says Edwards, we can refine that story to heighten our awareness, accelerating the ability to create and access these mindsets for future problem-solving.This is the origin of Adeption’s B3 leadership development methodology, which promotes habit-based learning in the flow of work. During his session, Edwards invited audience members to consider a challenge of their own through this lens and think about anything they might be able to do differently once the session ended:Be conscious. Reflect and make sense of the current situation you’re in. What’s important? What’s working? What isn’t?Be curious. Gain inspiration from other perspectives, ideas, and tools. Can any of the concepts learned today help with your challenge?Be better. Deliberately experiment with new ways of leading in response to what currently matters, learning from success and failure.Over 80,000 people have used this methodology to plan 500,000+ deliberate actions. Leadership struggles were reduced by 54%, 360° scores were impacted (others noticed an increased ability to empathize), and this method appears to accelerate progress on resolving adaptive challenges.It is helpful for people to understand their own unconscious mindsets and grow their range, Edwards says. Assessments are available for individuals to identify their predominant mindset, including an Adeption assessment that also allows users to “try on” other mindsets. People have seen new things that seemed to be hiding in plain sight after trying alternative mindsets.Edwards notes that the skill to develop skills is very important for future leaders. He said “I also think that the disruption that we’re facing now is not a doom and gloom situation. It’s actually a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create the type of leadership we need in this world.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Adeption, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Jessica Swenson is a freelance writer based in the Midwest. Learn more about her at jmswensonllc.com.(Photos by David Coe for From Day One)

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How Generative AI is Reshaping Workforce Upskilling

BY Ade Akin April 14, 2025

Zac Rule’s daughter is just one example of how online learning can make a difference. She didn’t land a competitive marketing internship at a tech company based on her university credentials alone, it was the skills she gained from a Meta digital marketing certificate on Coursera that set her apart from the competition.“She talked about what she learned in that course, and it really differentiated her,” said Rule, Coursera’s VP of global enterprise sales, alliances and channels account. Rule spoke with Alexandra Urban, senior solutions consultant at Coursera during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Silicon Valley conference. Rule’s anecdote underscores a broader trend as artificial intelligence (AI) transforms industry workflows: Professionals who upskill strategically have a critical competitive edge as organizations race to keep up. Coursera is at the forefront of this global shift, with 168 million learners from anywhere. The speakers shared insights on how AI disrupts jobs, increases demand for new skills, and reshapes corporate learning strategies. Gen AI tools like ChatGPT have grown tremendously, reaching over 100 million users less than two months after launch. “Technology is advancing at an ever-increasing rate,” Rule noted, emphasizing that while AI will disrupt some roles, it’s more likely to augment productivity than replace humans outright. For example, humans working with AI enjoy an 11% productivity boost according to research from Accenture. The economic incentives are clear, and the demand for AI-related roles has surged, per Lightcast data. Employers offer premium salaries for expertise in fields like prompt engineering and machine learning. Coursera’s Gen AI course enrollments have skyrocketed, driven by people seeking these high-value skills. Technical Expertise Meets Human-centered LearningAccording to the World Economic Forum, AI literacy, analytical thinking, and leadership are the top skills to have in the AI era. However, mastery in any of these areas requires more than technical know-how. Zac Rule, VP Global Enterprise Sales, Alliances and Channels Account at Coursera (pictured), spoke along with Alexandra Urban, Senior Solutions Consultant, Coursera (featured photo)“Nothing of impact gets done unless you work effectively cross-functionally,” Rule said. For example, a marketer who uses Gen AI tools must also translate results into business value for stakeholders.Coursera launched its Gen AI Academy to address this reality, offering role-specific training for executives, engineers, and non-technical teams. “Legal, finance, and HR professionals are already experimenting with AI tools,” Urban said. “We’re creating unified upskilling strategies tailored to their workflows.”Coursera Coach: Personalized Tutoring at ScaleOne of Coursera's most innovative tools is Coursera Coach, an AI-powered tutor embedded in courses on its platform. Unlike generic chatbots, Coursera Coach draws from in-house expert-created content, provides practice exercises, and explains concepts in various languages. Since its 2024 rollout, Coach has assisted over a million learners, with 89% reporting high satisfaction with its capabilities. Coursera Coach is narrowing gaps for traditionally underserved groups like: Women are 11% more likely to use Coach because of increased “psychological safety” when asking questions. Engagement rates are 40% higher with early-career learners. Learners with college degrees show higher completion rates with Coach. “Learners using Coach are 9.5% more likely to pass quizzes on their first attempt,” Urban said. “And they move through content faster, critical for working professionals.”Coursera also uses AI tools to grade assignments and peer reviews. AI graders are surprisingly stricter than humans, with average scores dropping from 88% when graded by humans to 72% with AI. “Learners assessed by AI submit more attempts to pass,” Urban added. “It increases rigor and completion rates by delivering faster, detailed feedback.”Coursera’s Course Builder curates AI-powered programs, combining courses from universities like Stanford and companies like Google for corporate clients. “It reduces manual effort for L&D teams,” Urban said, “while generating new assessments aligned to business goals.”The Path Forward: AI as a Collaborative ForceRule reflected on his early career at Silicon Graphics, a predecessor of today’s GPU giants, highlighting how organizations that adapt quickly emerge as winners during technological waves. “Upskilling isn’t just about avoiding disruption,” Rule said. “It’s about unlocking new ways to engage customers and redefine industries.”Coursera aims to democratize access to these opportunities by providing tools like Coach and its Gen AI Academy. AI literacy is no longer optional—it’s the currency of the future. Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Coursera, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Ade Akin specializes in the emerging applications of artificial intelligence.(Photos by David Coe for From Day One)

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Student Debt in 2025: Essential Benefits for Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent

BY Tabitha Cabrera April 03, 2025

The student debt landscape has undergone rapid change in the past four years, with new repayment options, proposed forgiveness programs and further shifts anticipated under the new presidential administration. According to BestColleges, public college tuition increased an average of 5% a year between 2001 and 2021. During a From Day One webinar, Jon Harold, head of sales and partnership success at SoFi at Work, shared the big picture of student loans, the student debt crisis, and how that’s affecting employees. SoFi at Work is a division of SoFi, a company known for pioneering student loan refinancing and being a one stop shop for your financial needs. “Student loans are now at $1.7 trillion, a crisis in the United States, with over about 25% of Americans holding student debt,” said Harold, making the topic especially pertinent. As the workforce not only accumulates more student debt for degrees and advanced degrees, student debt programs can have a large factor in which position to take. “62% of private sector employees indicate that student debt influences their job decision,” said Harold. Additionally, “56% of employees spend three or more hours a week thinking about their finances, including student debt, and then, 36% of employees with student debt are less likely to remain with their employer than those without student debt, meaning if you have student loans, there’s not some sort of benefit, you’re less likely to stay if you don’t have student debt,” he said.The workforce is not unfamiliar with student debt associated with higher paying salaries within industries but even with the enticement of higher paying salaries through education student debt often becomes a great concern when seeking employment and staying within an organization. Employer Help With Student DebtHarold outlines four things employers can do to support their employees with student debt. The first is education, “giving employees access to guides, articles, webinars, with areas for them to ask questions.” The landscape of student loans is consistently changing, and employers can provide updates to their employees to keep them informed about the rapid changes in the student loan policies. Harold of SoFi spoke with journalist Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza (photo by From Day One)Second is advice, and third is navigating student debt, Harold says. Providing counseling around student debt, such as talking to a student loan specialist. Sometimes the most impactful conversations are those that provide a variety of answers to a hard pressed question, like ‘What should I do with my student loans? Which payment plan is right for me?’ The fourth step is refinancing. Saving money whenever possible, whether by refinancing your student loans, consolidating them, or securing better terms, is essential.Often student loan borrowers are released into the workforce not fully understanding the options in front of them regarding payment plans, reimbursement, and loan forgiveness, employers can bridge the gap by providing resources to their employees. Offering Student Loan BenefitsLooking at the objectives of the company can provide the answer to these questions, says Harold. “We can help you evaluate student debt within your workforce, and then based on that you know, what are your objectives?” Companies can look at if they are having trouble recruiting a specific population or retaining a specific population, or do you want to just offer broader financial or student debt and financial well-being benefits. The percentage of companies offering student loan repayment benefits has doubled, jumping from 17% to 34% by the end of 2023, according to research. Currently, employers can offer up to $5,250 combined in tax-free student loan repayment and tuition assistance per employee through 2025, with the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Student loan repayment can create a strategic advantage that helps strengthen employee loyalty. The amount of changes in student loan repayment options, changes in the governmental role, rising cost in education, and gravity of stress related to finances provides an avenue for employers to harness benefits for employees that center around the mounting financial concerns including student loan payments. “Student debt is worsening and employees need help now. The government is incentivizing employer action and reducing support directly to borrowers” Harold said, encouraging employers to take action. “Companies that are offering student debt benefits gain an advantage in recruitment and retention–and SoFi makes it simple,” he said.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, SoFi, for sponsoring this webinar. Tabitha Cabrera, Esq. is a writer and attorney, who has a series of inclusive children's books, called Spectacular Spectrum Books.(Photo by Inna Kot/iStock)