The Connector: Edition 131
Dec 3rd, 2025 | The Connector
At The O’Connor Group, giving back is at the heart of who we are. This Giving Tuesday, we’re proud to highlight our recent partnership with the Upper Merion Area Community Cupboard (UMACC), an incredible organization dedicated to fighting food insecurity right here in our community.
Our team came together to support UMACC’s food drive, collecting essential items and helping stock their shelves for families who rely on their services. We’re continually inspired by the work UMACC does each week to ensure that no neighbor goes without access to healthy, reliable food.
A huge thank-you to our employees, clients, and community partners who contributed. Your generosity makes a real impact.
Thank you to our Director of Internal HR, Kate Rybak, for delivering our donations to the UMACC team.
1. 2026 Hiring Outlook: A More Balanced Job Market
After a year of layoffs and uncertainty, HireQuest’s Nov. 18 report suggests that 2026 could bring a steadier, skills-based labor market, characterized by stable time-to-fill, an increase in contract and fractional roles, and enhanced reskilling.
Recruiters expect AI to speed hiring, possible tariff shifts to boost construction and manufacturing, and widening pay-expectation gaps as employers seek “unicorn” talent. Growth is projected in skilled, hard-to-automate roles across manufacturing, construction, healthcare, life sciences, and supply chain. Glassdoor also notes that power has shifted back toward employers amid ongoing layoffs and pressure to return to the office. Read the full article here!
2. AI’s Hidden Work and Hidden Risks
AI isn’t just automating tasks; it’s creating new, often invisible layers of human work and organizational risk. The paradox: the smarter the system, the more attention it needs to behave as expected, which McKinsey describes as “the age of superagency,” where people spend less time doing tasks and more time supervising intelligent systems.
That supervision is increasingly complicated by a “silent workforce” of unapproved AI use: more than half of workers reportedly use AI tools secretly, and some share sensitive data with consumer chatbots, raising privacy and compliance concerns. The issue isn’t AI adoption itself, but using it outside data governance. When AI goes underground, it can also fracture shared learning, trapping insights in personal chat histories and making organizations less intelligent overall.
Even when use is sanctioned, “AI-assisted” workflows still require hidden human effort, verification, correction, and interpretation, to ensure outputs are accurate, compliant, and aligned with company values. In other words, AI can make teams faster, but also busier, because someone still has to manage the machine. Read the full article here!
3. Beating the Winter Slump: Supporting Employee Wellbeing and Focus
Winter’s shorter, darker days can drag on employees’ mood and focus: two in five adults say their mood shifts during the season, which can affect wellbeing, productivity, and morale. Rula Health’s Lolly Coleman notes HR should watch for signs that go beyond the “winter blues,” including persistent fatigue, difficulty concentrating, oversleeping, and low motivation, potential indicators of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
To help, she recommends practical supports like access to light therapy lamps, built-in movement breaks, and more opportunities for connection (interactive meetings or team lunches). HR should also equip managers to encourage professional support when needed, such as therapy or virtual mental health care, and ensure schedules are flexible enough to accommodate appointments. Read the full article here!
4. Let's Get Local
December just rolled in, ready to dive into Philly’s festive side? The city’s brimming with holiday adventures for every age. Here’s your shortcut to the season’s best. Jump in! Learn more here!
5. Wellness Wednesday
The holidays bring joy and connection, but they can also leave you feeling worn out. Try a few quick, no-equipment mind-body habits throughout the day to support your energy, digestion, and stress levels, so you finish the season feeling refreshed instead of depleted. Learn more here!