8 Insights Every CEO Needs to Know About Today's Workforce
If you're the CEO or just work for one, here are the 8 insights I believe you must know and embrace.
Whether you’re the CEO, business owner, CFO or HR leader - you play a crucial role in shaping company culture, mitigating risk, and driving employee engagement. But unless the CEO is 100% onboard, change won’t happen. To be truly effective in today’s workplace, CEOs to understand and champion these key insights:
1. Performance Management Must Be a Continuous Conversation
The old model of annual reviews doesn’t work. Employees need regular feedback, clear expectations, and meaningful conversations with their managers. A regular, frequent check-in culture improves performance, engagement, and retention.
2. Leadership Defines Employee Retention and Engagement
Your organization can have as many aspirational goals as you want, but if you want to keep your best people, you need strong leadership at every level – especially among direct supervisors. Investing in leadership development, coaching, and accountability is non-negotiable.
3. AI is Changing HR, But Leadership is Still Human
AI can streamline recruiting, performance tracking, and compliance, but it can’t replace emotional intelligence, trust, and strategic decision-making. Use AI wisely—without losing the human touch that makes great workplaces.
4. Wage & Hour Compliance is a Ticking Time Bomb
Misclassifications, overtime violations, and wage errors can lead to costly lawsuits. A proactive wage & hour audit ensures compliance and protects the company from legal and financial risks—especially in states like California.
Training is fine, but you can’t train all your problems away.
5. Workplace Conduct Training Can’t Be a Check-the-Box Exercise
Harassment videos and one-off training sessions don’t create a safe, respectful culture. Real change happens when leaders reinforce behavioral expectations, address misconduct, and set the right tone from the top. (Training is fine, but you can’t train all your problems away).
6. Managing Multiple Locations Requires Consistency and Connection
When you have employees working in multiple different locations, communication and accountability must be crystal clear. Daily check-ins, structured feedback loops, and consistent policies across sites prevent confusion and disengagement. Your goal is consistency in every location you have.
7. The ‘Big Stay’ is a Bigger Problem Than Turnover
Disengaged employees who stay in their jobs hurt morale and productivity. We need to re-energize our workforce with leadership development, career pathing, and intentional engagement strategies. And focus on getting rid of your bad apples. There’s not just a bad employee; there’s the bad employee and the manager that keeps them.
8. A Strong HR Strategy is a Business Strategy
HR isn’t just about compliance—it’s about driving business success. A well-structured HR strategy helps attract top talent, retain high performers, and create a scalable foundation for growth.
If you’re in leadership, your job is to help your CEOs not just understand these realities but act on them. If you are the CEO or business owner, it’s time to think the way you’ve always done things.
Which of these is most urgent for your organization right now?
Just so you know, I personally write each one of my posts. There’s no AI or ghostwriter here; it’s just me.