RESOURCES

AI is Doing the Work - Are Employees Still Thinking? | HR Hot Topics October 2026

HRM Services October 9, 2026 11:09 am

AI can take on more of the work every day, but it cannot replace human judgment. In this month’s HR Hot Topics, Jodi Schafer looks at AI through an HR lens, exploring how organizations can build employee skills, protect critical thinking, and prepare early-career employees for a workplace where AI handles more and more of the task work. You’ll also meet AI Jodi, who makes a guest appearance you won’t want to miss.

Topics include:

✅ Why most employees are already using AI at work
✅ Why every organization needs an AI policy
✅ What AI does well, and where it falls short
✅ Cognitive surrender and the risk of trusting AI too much
✅ Using AI for the first 75–80% of a draft
✅ The looming apprenticeship problem for early-career employees
✅ Using AI to reevaluate job descriptions
✅ Is it time to rethink “human resources”?


Jodi also shares a sample AI policy template with subscribers, and AI Jodi announces HRM Services’ in-person leadership training on October 28 in Okemos, Michigan, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Whether your team is just beginning to experiment with AI or already relies on it every day, this episode raises the questions every employer should be asking. If you’d like help developing an AI policy, building training programs, or navigating any HR challenge, we’d love to partner with you. Visit https://www.workwithhrm.com/ to learn more.

Timestamps

0:00 Intro
0:37 Welcome
1:07 Meet AI Jodi
1:49 Are Your Employees Using AI at Work?
2:54 Do You Have an AI Policy?
3:18 AI Is Good at Tasks, Not Judgment
4:08 How Do You Build Mastery?
4:44 What Is Cognitive Surrender?
5:22 AI Hallucinations and Quality Control
6:01 AI for the First 75–80% of a Draft
6:21 Why Early-Career Employees Are Most at Risk
6:51 Preparing the Next Generation of Workers
7:30 Training Must Be Intentional
7:55 Solving the Apprenticeship Problem
8:29 Using AI to Reassess Job Descriptions
9:23 Redistributing Freed-Up Time
9:42 Is It Still “Human Resources”?
10:50 Start With an AI Policy
11:45 AI Jodi Returns: October 28 Leadership Training and Closing ...

E-Verify: How to Know If Your Business should Use It | HR Hot Topics September 2026

HRM Services September 8, 2026 6:00 am

E-Verify is free, federal, and — for most Michigan employers — completely optional. Knowing which category your business falls into is the part that carries real consequences. In this edition of HR Hot Topics, Jodi Schafer walks through the E-Verify system from the ground up: what it is, how it differs from the Form I-9 obligation every employer already has, who is actually required to participate, and how to decide whether voluntary enrollment makes sense. Jodi also covers the practical requirements that come with it — Social Security numbers, photo ID matching, employee notice, and the administrative lift most employers underestimate.

Topics include:

✅ What Form I-9 requires of every employer, for every W-2 hire
✅ What E-Verify does — and why it does not replace the I-9
✅ Why E-Verify is voluntary for most Michigan private employers
✅ The federal contract and licensing rules that make it mandatory
✅ How remote and hybrid staff pull other states' requirements into play
✅ How the system matches documents against government databases
✅ When voluntary enrollment is worth it — and when it is not
✅ Social Security number, photo ID, notice, and posting requirements

Subscribe to the HRM email list for the E-Verify and I-9 resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.workwithhrm.com/email_list/

UPCOMING TRAINING

HR 101: Practical Knowledge for Non-HR Professionals
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT
Michigan Dental Association, 3657 Okemos Road, Okemos, MI 48864
Eligible for six SHRM PDCs. Limited to 40 participants, and registration closes October 2.

Register: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/hrmservices/1976276

Whether you're hiring your first employee or your fiftieth, this episode gives you a clear way to tell which verification rules actually apply to your business. HRM Services partners with employers who want an HR function that actually fits their business — policy, compliance, training, and the judgment calls in between. Learn more at WorkWithHRM.com.

Timestamps
0:00 Intro: what this month covers
0:38 Welcome, and why E-Verify now
1:19 E-Verify in plain terms
1:31 The I-9 requirement every employer already has
1:53 What documents employees present
2:16 How the I-9 gets completed and filed
2:48 E-Verify does not replace the I-9
3:15 Why it is voluntary for most Michigan employers
3:32 Federal contracts, licensing, and other states
4:11 Remote staff and multi-state compliance
5:04 How the E-Verify system works
5:53 Matching documents against government databases
7:05 When E-Verify is worth considering
8:02 When it is not the right fit
8:49 What participation actually requires
10:06 Employee notice and posting requirements
10:43 Questions, and how to reach Jodi
10:59 Upcoming training: HR 101 in Okemos

#HRHotTopics #EVerify #I9Compliance #HRCompliance #MichiganEmployers #SmallBusinessHR #HumanResources #Onboarding ...

Caregiver Leave: How to Support Working Caregivers | HR Hot Topics August 2026

HRM Services August 11, 2026 6:00 am

Roughly a quarter of your employees are caring for someone right now — and about a third of them have not told you. In this edition of HR Hot Topics, Jodi Schafer makes the case for caregiver leave: what it is, why an aging population is turning it into a retention issue for small and mid-sized employers, and how to build real support without creating an expensive new benefit from scratch. Jodi covers expanding the policy definitions you already have, the operational groundwork that flexibility requires, the stigma that keeps caregiving invisible at work, and practical first steps for piloting a program.

Topics include:

✅ Why 20–30% of the workforce is already managing caregiving responsibilities

✅ The demographic shift: more people over 80 than children entering kindergarten

✅ Where ESTA, PTO, and parental leave fall short for Michigan employers

✅ Expanding FMLA and parental leave definitions to increase access

✅ Why 32% of caregivers never disclose their status to their employer

✅ Flexibility, cross-training, sub pools, and job sharing

✅ Using your EAP and outside partners to support caregivers

✅ Launching a caregiver leave pilot and tracking utilization

Whether you are writing your first employee handbook or revisiting policies you have not touched in a decade, this episode gives you a practical place to start. HRM Services partners with employers who want an HR function that actually fits their business — policy, compliance, training, and the judgment calls in between. Learn more at WorkWithHRM.com.

Timestamps

0:00 Welcome

0:12 Why this month’s topic changed

1:01 When a parent falls: a personal story

2:41 Policies written for a different era

3:47 More people over 80 than children entering kindergarten

5:03 The cost of doing nothing

6:12 The sandwich generation, by the numbers

6:46 Why caregivers are often your most valuable employees

7:22 Expanding existing policies instead of adding new ones

8:23 Why 32% of caregivers stay silent

9:38 Manager readiness

10:00 Flexibility, cross-training, and job sharing

11:00 EAP and the emotional toll

11:37 Partnering with elder care experts

12:48 Simple steps to get started

13:10 Expanding FMLA definitions

14:53 Running a pilot program

15:30 Final thoughts

#HRHotTopics #CaregiverLeave #SandwichGeneration #EmployeeRetention #MichiganEmployers #SmallBusinessHR #HumanResources #HRPolicy ...

Strategic Hiring: How to Attract Better Candidates in a Tight Job Market | HR Hot Topics July 2026

HRM Services July 14, 2026 6:00 am

Hiring isn't getting easier—but improving your hiring process can give your organization a significant competitive advantage.

In this month's HR Hot Topics, Jodi Schafer shares practical strategies to help employers attract stronger candidates, improve the candidate experience, and build a hiring process that reflects professionalism from the very first interaction.

Topics include:

✅ Understanding today's labor market
✅ Updating outdated job descriptions
✅ Pricing positions competitively
✅ Using AI to write stronger job postings
✅ Posting jobs where candidates are actually looking
✅ Why communication is your biggest hiring advantage
✅ Creating professional offer letters
✅ Why onboarding begins before Day One

Jodi also highlights new features on the HRM website, including a dedicated Job Openings page featuring positions HRM Services is actively helping clients fill, along with upcoming leadership training opportunities this fall.

Whether you're hiring your first employee or your fiftieth, this episode provides practical ideas you can implement immediately.

Resources Mentioned

• Free HR Resources: https://workwithhrm.com/resources/

• HRM Job Openings:
https://www.workwithhrm.com/job-openings/

• Leadership Training

Mastering Emotional Intelligence at Work – September 16

HR 101: Practical HR Knowledge for Non-HR Professionals – October 21

Leadership Training: Diagnosing and Treating Employee Issues in the Workplace – October 28


Timestamps

00:00 Why Hiring Strategy Matters
00:38 Welcome
01:04 Understanding Today's Hiring Market
03:12 Rethink the Position Before You Post It
04:13 Pricing Jobs Competitively
05:03 Why Salary Transparency Matters
05:35 Using AI to Write Better Job Postings
06:25 Where to Advertise Your Position
08:29 Creating an Outstanding Candidate Experience
10:28 Offer Letters: Why Everything Should Be in Writing
11:56 Hiring Doesn't End on Day One
12:26 New HRM Job Openings Page
13:19 Upcoming Leadership Training
14:16 Closing

If you'd like help with hiring, recruiting, onboarding, or any HR challenge, we'd love to partner with you.

Visit WorkWithHRM.com to learn more. ...