As American tech companies race to compete in the burgeoning global AI market, some startups are looking to China for inspiration. They’re not stealing code or poaching talent, but these firms are importing employee expectations that echo the controversial 996 work system.

“996 has been around for a really long time, like decades,” said Caitlin Collins, an organizational psychologist and principal implementation consultant with Betterworks. “It really started in an environment where the ethos of winning at all cost within a market was priority.”

What is 996? Start your work at 9am, work until 9pm, repeat six days a week. The grueling expectations popularized by some Chinese tech firms have received backlash from employees online in China and have even been linked to employee deaths.

Workforce impacts. Collins warned that companies looking for a leg up in the AI arms race won’t actually be well served by adopting a 996 ethos.

For more on what HR should know about 996, keep reading here.—AD

When Jaylene Gonzalez joined online learning platform Skillshare as its people operations manager in November 2024, the company was in the midst of yet another reorganization.

So, while she was acclimating to her new role, Gonzalez embarked on a listening tour. Over the course of a few weeks, she scheduled 30-minute, one-on-one conversations with employees across different levels and functions. She asked about their roles, satisfaction, goals, priorities, and thoughts on what the company was and wasn’t doing well. From their feedback, she shared insights with Skillshare’s executive team and devised a strategy for improving the employee experience.

“With that listening tour, we were able to make some really positive changes for the employees and take their feedback and turn it into action,” she told HR Brew.

For other HR pros who may join a company during a similar period of change, Gonzalez recommends taking the time to listen to employees—all employees.

For more from our conversation with Gonzalez, keep reading here.—PM

We know all about challenges facing the accounting pipeline. But how’s the corporate finance and accounting hiring environment looking?

A recent survey by the Controllers Council, a national association of controllers, CFOs, and other finance professionals, helps answer the question.

The survey polled more than 300 executive-level finance and accounting leaders across North America, and included private, public, and nonprofit companies across 31 industries. Over half (53%) of respondents reported that their companies suffered no staffing shortages in corporate F&A, a stark change from the 69% of respondents who dubbed hiring “difficult or very difficult” in 2024.

For more on what these hiring trends suggest about the labor market, keep reading on CFO Brew.—NP

DEI is weathering quite a storm in 2025. From Supreme Court rulings and Trump’s executive orders to companies doubling down—or dialing back—on inclusion, explore how at least 50 organizations are reshaping their DEI strategies and why staying informed is more crucial than ever.

Compliance failures don’t just cost money—they derail growth. On Sept. 3, join us for a focused session showing how automation prevents errors, tackles EOR pitfalls, and builds resilience for HR and finance leaders managing global teams. Register here.