Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Monday, June 22, 2026
Virginia and Maine Pay Transparency Laws Take Effect This Month
Virginia employers must begin disclosing salary ranges in all job postings on July 1, 2026, while Maine's similar law takes effect July 29. Virginia's law, signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, also bans employers from asking applicants about salary history and prohibits using that history to set pay. Maine requires employers to share the salary range of a current role if an existing employee asks. Together, the two laws expand a patchwork now covering 16 states and Washington D.C. Employers who miss compliance deadlines face civil penalties up to $1,000 for first violations, with fines escalating for each subsequent 30 days of non-compliance.
Sources: HR Brew
SHRM26 Closes with Consensus: Inclusion Requires Top-Down Leadership
The SHRM Annual Conference and Expo, SHRM26, concluded June 19 in Orlando after drawing nearly 20,000 HR professionals, executives, and students to more than 375 expert-led sessions. Speakers from SHRM's Inclusion and Diversity Council, including Ashissh Kaul, Doreen Mosher, and Katharine Panessidi, delivered a consistent message: inclusion must be driven from organizational leadership, not delegated to HR alone. Panessidi noted that globally, the vocabulary around diversity and inclusion may be evolving, but the underlying need for fair and high-performing workforce systems has not diminished. Presenters outlined core pain points intersecting with inclusion efforts, including talent shortages, compliance risk, and a battle for worker trust across remote and hybrid environments.
Sources: HR Dive
EEOC Chair at SHRM26 Tells Recruiters to Revamp DEI Hiring Programs
EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas addressed HR and talent acquisition leaders at SHRM26 in Orlando, urging them to revisit recruiting, training, and workforce development programs in light of new federal enforcement priorities. Lucas explained that the EEOC will prioritize cases involving job advertisements and recruiting practices that explicitly encourage or discourage applicants based on protected characteristics — including postings seeking diverse candidates. The agency also flagged DEI programs involving race- or sex-based quotas, diverse-slate requirements, diverse hiring panels, and executive compensation tied to diversity objectives as active enforcement targets. Lucas's keynote reflects a significant shift in federal hiring scrutiny that recruiting leaders say requires immediate review of sourcing and screening workflows.
Sources: SHRM
Tech Layoffs Reach 185,894 in 2026 as AI Is Cited in More Than Half of Cuts
More than 185,894 tech workers have been laid off across 267 events in 2026, according to TrueUp's live layoffs tracker. Artificial intelligence is cited in 56% of this year's layoff events, affecting 156,270 workers across 150 companies. Oracle's 30,000-person reduction remains the year's single largest cut. Recent June layoffs included Salesforce reducing 86 positions on June 13 and ServiceNow cutting hundreds of staff while citing AI efficiencies, in its first workforce reduction after CEO Bill McDermott's 2023 pledge of no job cuts. Deutsche Bank analysts have warned that AI redundancy washing — companies attributing layoffs to AI that would have occurred regardless — represents a meaningful trend in reported figures.
Sources: TrueUp
Frontline Training Gaps Are Stalling Workforce Readiness Across Industries
A new survey finds training gaps in frontline-heavy industries are undermining employer efforts to build workforce readiness, with organizations recognizing that upskilling cannot keep pace with rapidly evolving technology demands. In HR Dive's 2026 Identity of HR survey, the share of respondents naming employee training their top priority jumped four percentage points year over year, from 5% to 9%, reflecting growing acknowledgment that companies cannot hire their way out of skills shortages. The challenge is particularly acute for frontline workers, where application volume fell 18% year over year even as job openings grew 9%, according to iCIMS data.
Sources: HR Dive
Oprah Winfrey Closes SHRM26 with Call to Keep People at the Center of HR
Oprah Winfrey delivered the closing keynote at SHRM26 on June 19, headlining a main-stage conversation titled 'Leading with Vision: Building Cultures That Inspire, Include, and Transform.' Speaking to HR and talent professionals in Orlando, Winfrey encouraged people leaders not to lose focus on the most important parts of the job: people and the culture that helps them thrive. The SHRM26 conference, held at the Orange County Convention Center June 15–19, drew nearly 20,000 attendees and featured more than 375 sessions. Winfrey joined keynote speakers Simon Sinek, John Maxwell, and SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. in headlining the four-day event.
Sources: SHRM
Simon Sinek at SHRM26: Redesign Work Around People and AI, Not Automation Alone
Author Simon Sinek and BambooHR CEO Brad Rencher joined a featured discussion at SHRM26 exploring how trust, belief, and shared purpose influence leadership in today's workplace. Sinek challenged HR leaders in Orlando to redesign work around people and AI together, rather than pursuing automation as a standalone goal. SHRM characterized the conversation as a challenge to professionals to lead with purpose, trust, and human connection. The session was among more than 375 expert-led discussions at SHRM26, which drew nearly 20,000 HR and talent acquisition professionals to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando June 15–19, 2026.
Sources: SHRM
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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