Future of Talent Weekly Newsletter

Future of Talent Weekly Newsletter

Why Companies Won’t Pay for Average Talent Anymore, Per-Employee Pricing is Dying, and more. . .

Future of Talent Intelligence Report | October 2026

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Kevin Wheeler
Oct 07, 2026
∙ Paid

This is the new Future of Talent Intelligence Report. Every month, I’ll tell you what’s really changing in talent and AI, and what to do about it. It’s not a news roundup. You can get the headlines anywhere. This is my read on where the money is moving, which vendors are rising or slipping, which startups matter, and my predictions.

It’s for paid subscribers only. If you lead talent and want to see what’s coming before your CFO asks, join today.


Meta has reportedly offered some AI researchers packages worth up to $300 million. At the same time, it’s leaving thousands of jobs unfilled. That’s not a weak labor market. It’s not a strong one either. It’s a split one.

This month I look at what that split means for your hiring plan. I also look at the quiet crisis hitting Workday, SAP, and Oracle, and why your HR tech bill might go up even as your headcount goes down.

Plus: the startup charging search firm fees with no recruiters, five questions to ask your HR tech vendor before renewal, and my first set of predictions.

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