👋 Welcome back! ICYMI: Yesterday, we kicked off Hire Innovations—a live event series featuring new products across AI, market data intelligence, video tools for employer brand, and candidate conversion tools. Missed out? No worries, check out the full recording here. Some highlights👇️

🗣️ “AI cannot replace human connection. So my recommendation is to allocate resources, budget, and time for in-person employee activities. Build experiences together, because that will give you much better results.” – Linda Lee, Talent Partner at AI Fund
🗣️ “In my humble opinion, I’d say that employer branding is not an option. It’s a choice in order for us to remain competitive.” – Deidra Cox, Founder and Head of Brand Strategy at Career Imagery

Thank you to our sponsors, Dalia (learn more), Jamyr (learn more), Public Insight (learn more), and TeamTailor (learn more) for their support in making this event possible! And psst … save the date for our next event on October 2! 📆

Questions? Comments? Feedback? As always, let us know—we’d love to hear from you.

— Team Talivity ✨

Today’s edition is a 5-minute read. Here’s what to expect👇

🗞️ Gen Z is looking to TikTok for career inspo
🌎️ CHROs, CEOs expect to increase hiring soon
💰️ JobGet makes acquisition
💻 Open roles at Coinbase, OpenAI
💼 Layoffs at Yext, MoonPay

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This week, culture and workplace reporter Te-Ping Chen from The Wall Street Journal revealed how some young folks are opting to skip the bachelor’s degree altogether—instead taking up blue-collar jobs, creating content from these jobs, and turning their social media fame into a lucrative career.

Why it matters.
Well, it looks like this type of career path is attracting growing interest from Gen Z. As skepticism about the cost and value of four-year degrees grows, more young people are opting for well-paying, low-debt, blue-collar jobs with the potential for self-employment: Vocational-focused community college enrollments surged 16% last year, reaching their highest level since the National Student Clearinghouse began tracking in 2018. And with 57% of Gen Z’ers saying they would become an influencer if given the chance, it makes sense that blending practical careers with social media fame is picking up steam.

And it’s not a bad gig …
… when you realize just how much cash these folks are raking in. In an interview with the WSJ, New York-based electrician Lexis Czumak-Abreu says she now earns $200,000 annually from clicks and brand deals with companies like Klein Tools and Carhartt, collecting a following of 2.2 million people across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook for her short videos that showcase tasks like fixing electric panels in water-damaged basements. Another creator, Matt Panella, who has a popular YouTube channel where he posts time-lapses of him erecting house frames, says he collects more than $200,000 in annual income from sponsorships with companies such as 3M.

Giving the people what they want.
There’s definitely an appetite on social for learning about these types of jobs. Chen reported that on TikTok, the hashtag #bluecollar gathered 500k posts in the first quarter of 2024, up 64% over the same period in 2023. Posts with #electrician increased 77% over the same time, with #constructionworker and #mechanic seeing similar jumps, TikTok told the WSJ.

A new way to explore careers.
Many young professionals are turning to these videos on TikTok for career inspo. “Kids aren’t going to job sites saying, hey, man, can you hire me?” said one content creator interviewed for the article. “They’re getting to know it on social media, giving them the idea that this is a legit possibility.”

Jobs that AI can’t replace.
Last week, Elon Musk reiterated his stance that artificial intelligence will eventually “eliminate the need for humans to work.” But AI hasn’t quite yet learned how to install a toilet or fix that leaky pipe—a reassuring thought for Gen Z as they explore career paths in a social-first world.

Read more in The Wall Street Journal 📥️

NUMBERS

Numbers That’ll Make You Think

• 15% — The percentage of job seekers who confessed to lying during the recruitment process, according to a new poll (Wtop)

• 72% — The percentage of companies who said they have made skills-based hiring a higher priority than last year (Inc)

• 1/5 — The fraction of American billionaires who attended an Ivy League school, according to an updated analysis (Forbes)

• 209,000 — The number of tech job postings in May, with AI mentioned in the titles or requirements in 12% of all postings (PR Newswire)

• 41% — The percentage of CHROs expect to increase their hiring over the next six months, up from 36% in a survey for the first quarter of 2024 (SIA)

• 55% — The percentage of CEOs who expect to increase headcount over the next two years because of AI (ManpowerGroup)

• 20% — The percentage of workers who say they feel “lonely” on the job, according to a new workplace survey (Gallup)

INDUSTRY INTEL

M&A Deals, Industry Moves, & Other Things To Know

• Human capital management software provider ClearCompany has acquired Brainier Solutions, a provider of learning management software, for an undisclosed amount (HR Tech Feed)

• App-first hiring platform JobGet has acquired recruiting platform for malls and retail stores Wirkn, for an undisclosed amount (HR Tech Feed)

• Staffing firm Kelly Services sold its leadership development business Ayers Group to Keystone Partners (SIA)

• IT services company Cognizant Technology Solutions struck a deal to buy Belcan, a Cincinnati-based engineering services firm, for $1.29 billion (SIA)

• Tech hiring intent is at its highest point since last year, according to a new report (PR Newswire)

• Staffing firm The DeWinter Group has named Derek DeWinter as its new CEO (SIA)

A MESSAGE FROM RECRUITICS

In today’s competitive talent landscape, we understand the challenges organizations face in scaling their paid and organic efforts effectively. Join Recruitics (learn more) for an engaging discussion filled with practical tips, best practices, and real-world examples to help you optimize your talent acquisition strategies and achieve your hiring goals.

Discover actionable strategies to optimize your organic efforts, learn how to measure and track the performance of your organic initiatives, gain insights into content repurposing and amplification for organic growth, and explore the role of video content in enhancing your organic reach.

👉️ Register today!

OPEN ROLES

Jobs You Might Want (For Yourself!)

For more of these roles delivered to your inbox every Monday, subscribe to the Talivity Weekly Jobs newsletter by clicking here. For a full list of open roles, head over to our TAlent Job Board by clicking here.

• Data company Nielsen is hiring a Global HR Business Partner, based remote, with headquarters in Oldsmar, FL

• Crypto trading platform Coinbase is hiring a Senior Manager of Recruiting, based in New York, NY

• Artificial intelligence platform OpenAI is hiring a Manager of Recruiting Coordination, based in San Francisco, CA

• Home retailer Ruggable is hiring a Director of Sourcing, based in Los Angeles, CA

• Restaurant chain CAVA is hiring a People and Culture Manager, based remote, with headquarters in Washington, DC

• Marketing software platform Klaviyo is hiring a Senior Director of Human Resources, based in San Mateo, CA

• Payments platform Stripe is hiring a People Partner, based in New York, NY

• Collaboration software platform Asana is hiring a Senior People Partner, based in San Francisco, CA

• Fitness company Equinox is hiring a Director of People and Culture, based in New York, NY

LAYOFFS

Places For You To Source Fresh Talent

• Fintech company Paytm announced it will lay off 3,500 employees after the Reserve Bank of India imposed a ban on services provided by the firm (Mint)

• SaaS startup Kissflow said it will reduce 11% of its workforce, or 45 employees, citing lacking annual performance reviews (The Economic Times)

• E-commerce startup Copia said it will lay off 1,060 employees, suggesting a near company shutdown after reports it is struggling to make payroll (Techcabal)

• Rideshare company Revel will lay off 1,000 staff members, primarily drivers, in a move to a gig-worker model similar to competitors Uber and Lyft (TechCrunch)

• Tech company Yext said it will reduce about 12% of its workforce in an effort to reduce costs (Investing.com)

• Crypto company MoonPay will cut 10% of its workforce, about 30 people, noting increased cost structure (The Block)

• Delivery startup Oda said it will lay off 150 employees to scale back expansion ambitions in an effort to focus on two main markets in Norway and Sweden (TechCrunch)

👋 Thanks for reading!