This Week's Top Five HR Stories

How Apple Built a Culture of High Performance Over 50 Years

Forbes has ranked Apple as America’s ninth best large employer as a result of an employee-based survey. The survey asked employees to rate their employer on a number of different factors, including pay, career progression and the work environment. 

This recognition comes as the company prepares to turn 50, with CEO Tim Cook sharing in an all-hands meeting reported on by Bloomberg that he has been feeling “unusually reflective”, as he looks back on the transformation that has taken place at the company. 

He said: “We've been going back through the products, the services, the people, and I am struck by how much Apple has changed things, how much Apple has changed the world, how much Apple has given to the world.”

Much of this change has occurred due to Apple’s people strategy, with the company taking a thorough approach to acquiring top talent and ensuring employees have a high sense of ownership and pride in the work they do to facilitate success. 

Is Klarna Planning to Reduce its Workforce?

Klarna has seen rapid growth following significant AI adoption, with its Q3 2025 earnings reaching US$903m, up 28% from the previous year. 

The business has embedded AI across its teams globally to drive further efficiencies – including an AI assistant that now handles two thirds of its customer service chats, reducing resolution times from 11 minutes to under two. 

Internally, the company has created Kiki, a generative AI assistant designed to boost employee productivity and streamline workflows. According to Klarna, Kiki can help employees evaluate the sentiment of documents and draft common types of contract. 

To ensure its workforce was prepared for AI integration, team members were trained to manage the technology, while its hiring focus shifted to prioritising AI-ready talent – with 96% of its staff using AI for tasks. 

The company has said high rates of AI adoption have driven a 152% increase in revenue per employee since Q1 2023. 

As this growth scales, the company is slowing down its hiring. 

Sebastian said that while Klarna “hire[s] somebody here and there”, if you “go to LinkedIn and look at the insights, you’re going to see how the company is shrinking”. 

How Agentic AI is Reshaping Procurement Talent Strategies

In recent years, procurement has shifted from a transactional function to a driver of resilience, growth and sustainability, but organisations are straining under volatility, inflation and data overload.

With the rise of AI in the workforce, the skills gap is widening – particularly as legacy systems slow sourcing and negotiations for employees in procurement teams. 

According to estimates from McKinsey, most procurement functions are using less than 20% of their available data for key decision making. To combat this, more organisations are implementing agentic AI – leading to a rethink of skills, roles and team culture across the procurement function.

Why Bank of America's CEO Thinks AI Will Drive Job Growth

Employee anxieties around AI are rising, particularly in young people. 

A survey conducted for the King’s Trust found that three quarters of people aged between 16 and 25 are concerned about their future careers, with 59% expressing concern specifically about AI. 

But Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, is not worried. 

Speaking on the This is Working podcast, Bryan shared that he believes that, while AI will disrupt the way the banking industry works, he does not see it leading to significant job losses. 

Brian said: "People wrote … in 1969 that there would be no managers left in business because the computer itself would eliminate the need for managers, because they just moved information. 

“Well, guess what? We have 20,000 managers today at Bank of America. And we were told in 1969, there was going to be no manufacturing left in the US, there were going to be no jobs left, the computers were going to take it away, that Japan was going to take over. 

“You go through all that stuff, and then we doubled the amount of people who worked in the United States in 50 years.”

Is Culture Behind 100 Years of Success at American Airlines?

American Airlines is celebrating its 100th anniversary in April 2026, with the company having made significant strides in the past century to elevate the experience of its employees. 

Reflecting on the company’s evolution in a LinkedIn post discussing its Black History Month celebration, Cole Brown, Chief People Officer at American Airlines, said: “As American Airlines celebrates our centennial year, this month carries an even deeper meaning. 

“We’re reflecting not only on 100 years of our history – but we’re also recognising the people who made this history possible.”

The company’s people strategy has historically centred on hiring diverse talent, building a culture of care and providing learning and development opportunities that enable internal growth.