Issue #6 • August 5, 2025
The HR playbook is being rewritten again. With hybrid work preferences surging, AI reshaping roles, and global compliance getting more complex, staying current isn’t optional. This week’s edition brings you practical insights and timely reads at the intersection of people, strategy, and tech.
🖋️ In This Edition of People Stack:
Why 83% of employees now prefer hybrid work
Remote.com: top pick for global hiring and payroll
Fresh guides on EOR strategy, HR automation, and UAE hiring
New data on AI’s real influence on workforce planning
How HR teams are rethinking upskilling in 2025
Whether you're growing across borders or navigating local laws, these reads will help you lead with clarity and confidence.
✏ Editorial
The Hybrid Work Era Is Here: Detailed Stats
What started as a temporary fix has now become a permanent shift. Remote and hybrid work are no longer “nice-to-haves”; they're shaping how companies hire, manage, and retain people around the world.
But while the novelty of working from home has faded, the deeper questions remain: Are we building systems that support long-term remote work? Are leaders listening to what employees want? And is the productivity debate finally settled?
We recently pulled together 60+ recent stats to paint a full picture of where remote work really stands today.
Here are some that stood out:
28% of the global workforce is engaged in some form of remote work.
40% was the number in 2024. While remote work declined, the hybrid model has significantly increased.
83% of workers globally prefer hybrid work arrangements
83% of employers reported that remote work has been successful for their company.
90% of remote workers are as productive or more productive working remotely compared to the office.
82% of workers want to work from home at least once a week.
There’s a growing gap between what employees value and how some companies are responding. Flexibility, autonomy, and trust are driving retention and engagement. But unclear policies and inconsistent communication are eroding that trust just as fast.
The future of work isn’t about location, it’s about intention. And the companies that figure that out will be the ones that attract and keep the best people.
Tool in Focus: Multiplier
Best for: End-to-end global employment, payroll, and contractor management for remote-first teams.
Remote.com is a leading Employer of Record (EOR) platform designed to help companies hire, manage, and pay global employees and contractors, all without setting up legal entities.
With a strong compliance backbone and transparent pricing, it’s ideal for distributed teams prioritizing scale, simplicity, and data security.
✅ Key Features:
Hire employees & pay in 190+ countries using this platform
Manage compliant global payroll with built-in tax and benefit tools
Automate onboarding, contracts, and localized HR compliance
Integrate with major HRIS, ATS, and accounting platforms
Ensure data security with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance
Why We Like It:
Remote stands out for its balance of enterprise-grade compliance with startup-friendly usability. Their transparent pricing model, country-specific hiring guides, and in-house legal infrastructure make it especially attractive for fast-growing remote companies.
It's a reliable choice for scaling globally while keeping compliance, equity, and culture in sync.
📚 Good to Read: Fresh Picks for HR Teams
From Our Publications:
From Around the Web:
AI bots are now handling interviews across major hiring platforms. This piece explores how candidates are interacting with them, what companies are gaining, and where the risks lie in terms of fairness and transparency.
Meta is piloting a hiring process where coding candidates can leverage AI assistants during interviews. This experiment is reshaping the debate over AI literacy, fairness, and the evolving nature of candidate performance in tech hiring.
CEO statements often link job cuts to AI adoption. This AP News article unpacks whether AI is really driving layoffs or if broader economic and strategic factors are at play, while noting where AI is actually spurring job growth.
As per this article on TIME, Over 212,000 women left the U.S. workforce in 2025 as remote work policies rolled back and childcare costs rose. This analysis explores how shifting policies are reshaping gender equity and economic stability.
With tech skills in short supply, companies are turning inward: using mentorship, skills matrices, lateral moves and inclusion strategies to unearth latent employee potential.
