“The old system is gone. The new one has not yet formed,” said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the 2025 ASEAN Summit. While this is truer than ever for geopolitics, it’s also true for how we work. For the second (or even third) time this decade, the concept of “work” is changing, and AI is a big reason for it. Layoffs have begun at major tech companies driven by automation and a shift towards AI-driven work models, and within HR technology, there’s been significant consolidation and acquisition as vendors make investments that only the big players can handle. Offerings, messaging, pricing, and AI use are in flux, and we’ve yet to see how things will land. My research aims to help HR leaders make […]
Analyst Insight: What Makes a Certified Great Place To Work Company
Many careers pages today seem to carry a badge: “Great Place To Work Certified.” But to the job market, what does it typically signal, and where does it fall short? As an analyst engaging with HR leaders, employees, and HR tech vendors, it seems like Great Place To Work certification is seen less as the sole indicator of a “good company” and more as part of a body of evidence that includes retention statistics, internal mobility metrics, cultural trends, and employee feedback initiatives. Taking a Closer Look Great Place To Work (GPTW) is a workplace culture consultancy that has spent over 30 years researching employee experience and positioning itself as a global authority on workplace culture. GPTW says more than 10,000 companies across 60 countries […]
Analyst Insight: California Labor Laws and Compliance – Burden, Benchmark, or Competitive Advantage?
In more than one phone call with customers, vendors, or other analysts in the HR technology industry, I’ve heard the claim that it’s hard to do business in the state of California. According to these conversations, the state is riddled with unnecessary compliance, too many hoops to jump through, a mountain of litigation risk, and constant changes to the rules. Business groups frequently cite labor, wage, and climate regulations as part of a broader, burdensome business environment. So, I decided to take a look. Is the situation in California really as out of control as people claim? Fact vs Fiction To start, there is a significant kernel of truth behind these claims, especially when compared to the rest of the United States. California’s 2025 statewide […]
California Labor Laws and Compliance: Burden, Benchmark, or Competitive Advantage? | Perception, Future Trends, and the Role of HR Tech
Part 3 of 3: Perception, Future Trends, and the Role of HR Tech In this final installment, we shift from diagnosis to implications. After situating California within the US and global context, we’ll explore why the “impossible to operate” narrative persists and how HR technology can transform high-compliance environments into lasting advantages. High wages, aggressive enforcement, litigation exposure, and complex rules do create real operational friction, and business-oriented groups consistently highlight these burdens. But in practice, part of this also stems less from irrational rules but more from the collision of California’s modern workforce standards with outdated, under-resourced HR teams and fragmented systems. For many companies, these laws and their internal resources are like oil and water. Multi-jurisdiction employers face friction, especially if their HR […]
California Labor Laws and Compliance: Burden, Benchmark, or Competitive Advantage? | Global Context & Real-World Impacts
Part 2 of 3: Global Context & Real-World Impacts Having established California as a state with high compliance standards in the US, this second installment broadens the perspective to a global context. We’ll compare California with similar economies and analyze how its policies impact workers and employers in real-world situations. How Does California Compare Globally? Compared to other major Western economies, California is much less extreme. To start, most of these countries already have many of these workplace laws in place, but also have unique nuances. In Canada, the American concept of “at-will employment” is not recognized and broadly considered illegal. Unlike in the US, where employment can be terminated at any time for any legal reason, Canadian employers are required to provide proper notice […]
Small Gestures, Big Impact: Elevating Customer Experience in HR Technology
In our calls with multiple HR tech end-users in 2025, Nick Biron and I repeatedly came across a similar theme: when vendors appear similar on paper, service and genuine human relationships often become the real differentiators. This ties into a video Nick recently shared with me that touches on the concept of creating ‘moments that matter’ in sales and customer service. It’s those moments where a vendor goes just a little bit further than they need to to make you feel special or like your specific needs are being heard. According to the presenter, a 10% improvement across seven such moments can “double” revenue with that customer. I’m not sure the math is that simple, but anecdotally, it tracks with what we hear in HR […]
California Labor Laws and Compliance: Burden, Benchmark, or Competitive Advantage? | Myths, Realities, and US Benchmarks
Part 1 of 3: Myths, Realities, and US Benchmarks In more than one phone call with customers, vendors, or other analysts in the HR technology industry, I’ve heard the claim that it’s hard to do business in the state of California. According to these conversations, the state is riddled with unnecessary compliance, too many hoops to jump through, a mountain of litigation risk, and constant changes to the rules. Business groups frequently cite labor, wage, and climate regulations as part of a broader, burdensome business environment. So I decided to take a look. In this opening installment, I outline the context: Is California’s situation truly as dire as they say? Why do so many executives say that California presents challenges for employers, and what does […]
Market Alert: Dayforce Expands Its Single AI Platform to Strengthen Enterprise HCM Capabilities
Dayforce, Inc. is expanding its position in the HCM market with a series of AI-driven product enhancements designed to help large employers manage labor, compliance, and productivity more efficiently. The Minneapolis- and Toronto-based software company, which now counts many large-enterprise customers, along with the Government of Canada and federal agencies in the US, reports steady growth. With more than 7,000 customers using Dayforce, the company boasts a 98% customer retention rate and strong platform loyalty. Recent updates include Strategic Workforce Planning, Dayforce AI Workspace, and Dayforce AI Agents. All of these features are designed to help organizations connect workforce strategy to business outcomes within a single, AI-powered experience. Strategic Workforce Planning, accelerated by the acquisition of Agentnoon, enables the modeling and forecasting of skills, costs, […]
Analyst Insight: AI Goes Nuclear
AI – and with it, HR tech – are going for the nuclear option. No, I don’t mean the whole industry is about to go belly up (or at least I hope not), but in the literal sense of the word. Late last year, major AI and technology companies announced their bold plans to invest in nuclear technology to meet the growing energy demands of their industry. There has already been an avalanche of negative press about the energy demands of AI, or even the energy demands of a single query on an AI platform. The infrastructure that powers AI, such as servers and data centers, is placing a significant strain on the energy grids of many states, leading to increased market-rate controlled energy prices […]
3Sixty Insights Named to Fama’s Favorite Influencers in Q3 2025
We are thrilled to announce that 3Sixty Insights has been recognized alongside our own Nicholas Biron, Dylan Teggart, Nicole Roberts, Mark Feffer, and Geoff Webb as part of the esteemed Fama’s Favorite Influencers in Q3 2024! This honor underscores our commitment to providing actionable insights and research that shape the future of HR and talent acquisition. View the full list: Fama’s Favorite HR Influencers: Q3 2025 Edition
Market Alert: UKG and Google Cloud Deepen Partnership to Accelerate Agentic AI in HR, Pay, and Workforce Management
In a move that underscores the accelerating convergence of HR tech and advanced AI, UKG and Google Cloud announced a major expansion of their partnership earlier this month, designed to bring agentic AI into the daily work experience of tens of millions of employees worldwide. UKG selected Google Cloud as its primary provider for AI and data analytics, integrating Gemini Enterprise, Gemini models, and BigQuery to power its UKG Bryte AI agents across the Workforce Operating Platform. The goal is to provide employees and leaders with conversational, data-driven insights that drive productivity, reduce administrative burdens, and create more adaptable workplaces. Why It Matters: The Bigger Picture in HR Tech UKG’s deep integration with Google Cloud positions it among a growing wave of HCM vendors investing […]
3Sixty Insights Is Proud to Share That Dylan Teggart Has Been Named to Engagedly’s 2025 Top 100 HR Influencers List
3Sixty Insights is proud to share that our very own Dylan Teggart has been named to Engagedly’s 2025 Top 100 HR Influencers list in the category of People Analytics & Workforce Strategy! We’re thrilled to see Dylan’s impactful research and insights recognized among such an impressive group of HR leaders. View the full list on Engagedly’s website here: Engagedly’s 2025 Top 100 HR Influencers
Workday VNDLY Is Defining the Future of Total Workforce Management
At its town hall yesterday, Workday outlined a clear strategic shift for VNDLY, its vendor management system that helps organizations manage external or contingent workforces (contractors, freelancers, etc.). VNDLY is being revamped from a traditional vendor management system into an AI-enabled “control plane.” Admittedly, I was unfamiliar with this term, but a ‘control plane’ serves as the brain of an enterprise system or systems. It sits above tools a system may have for HR, payroll, ATS, etc, to interpret that data, apply policies, and orchestrate actions through AI and automation. Kind of like a conductor for your HR tech orchestra. Led by Mariana Santiago, John Adkins, Hannah Atkins, and Stephen Middleton, the session highlighted Workday’s VNDLY as a key piece of the company’s wider agentic […]
AT&T’s Market-Based Culture Shift and What It Reveals About the Future of Work – Part 2 of 2
AT&T’s Market-Based Culture Shift and What It Reveals About the Future of Work Part 2 of 2: What It Means for the Job Market, HR Leaders, and the Future of Performance Management Editors note: This is the second part of a two part series on this topic. For the first part, you can find it here [hyperlink]. In my first installment of this series, I broke down AT&T CEO John Stankey’s memo to employees and what it reveals about the company’s shift toward a market-based culture — one focused on competition, accountability, and performance metrics. In this follow-up, I explore how that shift fits within today’s job market and what it means for HR and leadership. Is This What the Modern Job Market is Asking […]
Case Study: How Sparus Strengthens Compliance and Safety with Mitratech AssureHire
Company Overview Sparus Holdings is a growing organization operating in the utility partner, energy, and public safety sectors across the United States. Through its family of subsidiary companies, Sparus delivers a wide range of critical field and professional services. Its teams perform utility locating, meter reading, exchange services, and gas leak surveys, while another subsidiary provides professional services and project management support to engineering, pharmaceutical, and construction firms. Over the years, Sparus has expanded significantly through mergers and acquisitions, resulting in a diverse and complex workforce that requires rigorous oversight in hiring, compliance, and safety. Nicole Moore is the Director of Talent Acquisition. Moore manages recruitment as well as the systems and vendors that help ensure each new hire meets the company’s safety and compliance […]
eightfold.ai Article: Why Only 1 in 5 HR Leaders Has a Say in Their Company’s AI Strategy
HR’s role is shifting from improving talent acquisition and management processes, to helping lead organizational transformation. AI is reshaping HR’s function, but limited budgets make agility and strategic alignment essential for successful adoption of new technologies and practices. To succeed, HR leaders must assess their organization’s readiness for change, surface hidden workforce capabilities, and guide adoption with confidence. If you’ve been in HR for a while, you probably remember the days when your entire system lived in a spreadsheet — and if you don’t, consider yourself lucky. Today, HR technology has advanced significantly, but with that progress comes complexity. The average organization now manages 15 to 20 different HR tools and tech systems. With so many tools and limited budgets, you’re likely facing a critical […]
AT&T’s Market-Based Culture Shift and What It Reveals About the Future of Work – Part 1 of 2
Part 1 of 2: Inside John Stankey’s Memo and the Rise of Market-Based Management at AT&T One piece of workplace-related news that I haven’t been able to get out of my head is the memo AT&T CEO John Stankey sent out to his company this summer. Stankey’s memo has garnered numerous (mostly negative) hot takes from analysts and influencers alike. Admittedly, I’m late to the party on addressing it. However, the reason I am now is because it seems to be evolving into an artifact of corporate transformation in real-time. I dove into the entirety of Stankey’s message and pulled out a few key concepts. Keep in mind, the “memo” is in fact a 4000-word essay that takes about 15 minutes to read on its […]
Video: Risk to Retention: How Strategic Background Screening Drives Trust, Safety, and Talent Retention
In this video, 3Sixty Insights Principal Analyst Dylan Taggart shares key findings from our research note, “Risk to Retention: Background Screening as Strategy.” Discover how modern background screening is evolving from a compliance task into a strategic tool that shapes candidate experience, organizational trust, safety culture, and talent retention. Dylan highlights insights from Mitratech and its clients, including WillowBridge Property Company, showing how technology and human judgment work together to streamline processes, reduce administrative burden, and improve HR effectiveness. Learn how transparency, fairness, and strategic screening can strengthen your organization’s culture, reputation, and competitive advantage in today’s high-turnover, highly regulated environment. Watch to learn: How background screening influences first impressions and candidate confidence The role of screening in safety and public trust How technology […]


