Spilling the Tea on HR Tech: M&As, Potential Loosening of AI Regulations, and Oracle’s Government Win over Workday

Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson break down a scorching week of HR tech news. (Literally it's over 90 degrees everywhere.)    On the M&A front, they dig into the Engagedly and Energage merger and what it means for talent management data and discuss a new strategic partnership between HiBob and    SLICE to connect HR and finance data, as well as HiBob’s new AI-driven resume screening approach, built around a “glass box” philosophy. They also cover Paylocity's acquisition of the leave management platform Aidora.  Bigger-picture, Stacey and Cliff unpack the Supreme Court decision allowing the firing of FTC commissioners without cause and what this loss of independence could mean for pending FTC cases against major tech platforms and for broader AI regulation.  They also discuss growing workplace concerns around smart glasses and facial recognition and a major class-action lawsuit against Meta over child safety.  Rounding out the episode: Oracle's $395.8M OPM contract win, which came after the government cancelled its contract with Workday (it pays to have friends in high places); Apple's trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI; shifting trends in how people use AI (hint: relationship advice is climbing fast); and a sobering look at the looming labor shortage.  The hosts also preview this year's HR Systems Survey, already tracking as the largest and most detailed dataset yet, with expanded questions on compliance, AI governance, and implementation and rundown where the Sapient Insights team will be this fall — including HR Tech Las Vegas and Workday Rising. Grab your tea (or fan yourself) and settle in for another round of the news you need to know.