📝 No-Poach Agreements Now a Major Antitrust Risk in the EU + A Chance to Win 2 Free Tickets to CultureCon

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🤝 HR Trend Spotlight: No-Poach Agreements Now a Major Antitrust Risk in the EU

In June 2025, the European Commission and the French Competition Authority fined five companies nearly €360 million for their involvement in no-poach agreements. These informal deals, which restricted companies from hiring or soliciting each other's employees, were found to breach EU antitrust laws. The penalties highlight a clear warning: HR decisions are no longer outside the scope of competition law. Employment-related arrangements between competitors are now being treated as seriously as price-fixing or market-sharing. Regulators at both the EU and national levels are watching closely. Read more.

🎧 HR Insights

In this episode of the HR Works podcast, empathy takes center stage—not as a soft skill, but as a leadership strategy. Scaling empathy means integrating it into how teams operate, how decisions are made, and how feedback is given and received. Leaders today face the challenge of being both operationally sharp and emotionally attuned, especially when teams span geographies and cultures.

💡 HR Tips & Tricks

Tip of the Day: Schedule quarterly "role exchange days" where two employees from different departments swap roles for a day. This builds understanding, empathy, and cross-functional insight that improves collaboration across teams.

Trick of the Day: When rolling out new policies, use reverse feedback memos. Instead of only sharing information top-down, ask employees to submit short anonymous memos on how the policy affects their daily work. It helps detect unseen friction early and fine-tune policies before they create problems.

Get 2 Free Tickets to CultureCon

We’ve got 2 free tickets to CultureCon happening at Madison, WI on August 5 - 7 and want to give them to readers of HR Jolt.

How to enter (reply by June 30th):

1. Hit “Reply” to this email

2. Tell us the name, role, and email of an HR pro you think should attend with you

That’s it -- one referral = one entry. We’ll do a random draw on July 1 and let you know if you win. Each attendee must subscribe to HR Jolt before June 30th, so please share with your friends!

Thanks for helping us grow the HR Jolt community!

🧾 HR Case Files - How Cape Union Mart Built a Global Team with Precision and Agility

Cape Union Mart, a leading South African retailer, needed a smarter approach to hiring international talent as it expanded its digital capabilities. With over 300 stores and several brands under its banner, the company faced challenges in speed, compliance, and onboarding for remote teams. To meet its goals, Cape Union Mart partnered with Deel to simplify its global hiring process. They were able to onboard qualified candidates from different countries in days rather than weeks. The solution handled everything from localized contracts to compliance with local tax laws. This allowed Cape Union Mart to stay focused on growth without being slowed down by administrative complexity.

Key Takeaways

• Cape Union Mart reduced onboarding time from weeks to days.

• The company maintained full legal compliance in multiple countries.

• They gained access to a wider talent pool without setting up foreign entities.

🧰 HR Toolbox

Stay equipped with the latest HR events and resources.

Resource of the Day

A report by Vantage Circle and CPHR Alberta highlights growing dissatisfaction with traditional recognition programs. While 83 percent of Canadian organizations claim to have a formal employee recognition program, fewer than half of employees feel truly appreciated. What’s missing is personalization. Standardized reward systems often fail to resonate. The report recommends tailoring recognition efforts to individual preferences, offering peer-to-peer feedback opportunities, and making recognition timely. HR teams are encouraged to move away from once-a-year gestures and focus on consistent, meaningful acknowledgement that aligns with employee values.

Event of the Day

CultureCon returns in 2025 with a renewed focus on workplace culture, inclusion, and purpose-driven leadership. Scheduled to take place in Madison, Wisconsin from August 5 to 7, the event will bring together people leaders, strategists, and creatives shaping the future of work. Sessions will cover how to sustain belonging in hybrid environments, the new science of team motivation, and real-world applications of inclusive hiring..

For event details and registration, visit the website. Scroll up for a chance to win two free tickets to CultureCon.

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