MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO’S DESK

New York is losing its mind right now because the Knicks just won their first NBA championship in 53 years, and everyone’s preparing for Thursday’s parade. Meanwhile, I can't stop thinking about a huge HR lesson this series revealed: the cost of an organization betting everything on a sore loser. 

I’m obviously talking about Victor Wembanyama, the 7'4" generational talent who spent his offseason training with Shaolin monks, engaging in 90-minute meditation sessions, kung fu forms, and frog jumps through forests, then told reporters it transformed him. Very reminiscent of the zen techbusiness leader of the 2010’s who was cold-plunging at 4 a.m. for productivity and mindfulness, and tweeting about it endlessly (and obnoxiously). 

When the Spurs lost, Wemby walked off without shaking a single Knicks player’s hand. When his former teammate tried to engage with him on the bench, Wemby shouldered past him without making eye contact. At the final press conference, he told reporters, "See you… never," and left. I believe your true colors come out in your lowest moments.

WE HAVE ALL SEEN THIS PERSON INSIDE OUR ORGANIZATIONS! 

They arrive with credentials that make the board nod with approval, but their energy is discomfiting. Instead of this person’s edges eventually smoothing out, they sharpen. And the organization ends up contorting itself around this person then holding the bill when they walk out the door with a "see you never."

The brilliant jerk doesn't just affect their own performance. They take the team down with them by also redefining what's acceptable for everyone else.

In contrast, when the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson in 2022, the league laughed. He was the first non-All-Star in NBA history to sign a 9-figure contract, and critics called it an overpay from an inexperienced front office. Nobody believed a 6'2" second option was going to transform a franchise. (Boy did he prove them wrong!!)

Brunson then left $113 million on the table by signing a below-market extension so the Knicks could bring in OG Anunoby, trade for Mikal Bridges, and absorb Karl-Anthony Towns. He said taking that pay cut was "100% worth it… even if we didn't achieve this." When the final buzzer went off Saturday, Brunson sprinted across the court to shake hands with every single Spur before celebrating all he’d accomplished.

We’ve also seen THIS leader. 

The true leader is willing to make real sacrifices for the greater good, to carry the culture, and to be the A-player we need when we need them. 

The Wembanyama archetype lurking in your organization has a cost that most likely isn’t showing up in your P&L. Instead, it shows up in the disgruntled colleagues that couldn’t take it and left, the growing culture of exception-making, and the team that stopped going all-in because the rules don’t apply to everyone.

Here’s how to make sure you’re not building your org around the wrong person:

• Hold everyone to the same standards. Set your standards on values and expectations, and stick to them. If your brilliant jerk continues to be a jerk… get them off your team. 

• Audit the exception-making. If one person on your team is consistently held to a different standard, ask yourself: What message does that send to everyone else? What bad might come if I let them go, and what good? 

• Find your dark horse. Who on your team is undervalued because they don't demand attention? The person making everyone around them better is almost always going to be worth more than their comp suggests. Raise them up!

• Watch how people behave when things go wrong. Wembanyama's "see you never" showed us he still has some transcending to do. Anyone can be gracious when they're winning, but how your star player handles a loss tells you everything about the culture to which they’re contributing.

At the heart of the Knicks’ win was 6'2" point guard who made everyone laugh, gave up a fortune to keep his teammates, and shook every hand on the way out. Stop sleeping on your Jalen Brunson!

THE HR BRIEFING 🗞️

THE LATEST NEWS TO KNOW

HR headlines and stories, curated with our perspective. 🤝

New York is cracking down on "ghost jobs." Big employers and job boards must now include a clear hiring timeline or face a $2,500 fine that doubles every 30 days.

• ↪️ PFunc’s Perspective: We love this. With candidate trust at an all-time low, this will inject some much-needed reality back into the job hunt, and hopefully put an end to the forever-open and always-deprioritized open role!

A survey of 6,000 employees reveals workers spend more than six hours a week fixing AI output to make it usable. Many said they’re frustrated that managing and editing AI is taking more time than producing original content.

• ↪️ PFunc’s Perspective: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: AI is not a silver bullet. Leadership should be approaching AI realistically by understanding that you can’t turn it on and increase productivity. It takes a lot of honing, managing, and curating! The work it takes to make AI valuable cannot be overlooked or overstated.

A couple of other trending stories:

• HR Dive: Companies are offering $2,000 vacation stipends to crush workplace burnout.

• The HR Digest: Instead of hiring new college grads, 55% of firms are shifting budgets to AI so a single senior employee can do the work of an entry-level team.

COMPLIANCE CHECK

Watch out for these HR compliances going into effect (or hitting deadlines) this month.

• Colorado (eff. 6/30): Employers using high-risk AI for hiring must implement formal risk management policies and oversight programs.

• Multiple States (eff. 7/1): Dozens of states, including California, New York, and New Jersey, are hiking their minimum wages while the federal rate remains at $7.25.

• New Jersey (7/17): Job-protected leave under the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) is expanding to cover more employees.

THE OPPORTUNITY EXCHANGE 📈

ROLES ON OUR RADAR

The PFunc job board is packed with open roles across our client companies, making it easier than ever to tap into our network.

This week, we’re highlighting job openings for VP-level positions.

• People Function, Social Media and Content Manager - Come work with us! We're looking for a tech-obsessed, full-stack content pro to partner with our leadership (including Emma!) and use cutting-edge AI to scale our content operation.

• Allocate, RIA Relationship Management Associate (Midwest) - Help grow Allocate’s partnerships with wealth advisory firms while fast-tracking your career to manage your own accounts. This role also has openings on the East and West coasts.

• thatgamecompany, Senior Brand Marketing Manager - Shape the global brand narrative for thatgamecompany by creating authentic, community-first campaigns for players who believe games can be a force for good.

See a role you’re interested in? Reply to this email and we’ll try to connect you with the hiring team. Hiring for an open role yourself? Reply to have your job featured in an upcoming PFunc Pulse issue.

WHERE TO NEXT?

Our team is always on the move, popping up at the HR events, conferences, and summits we actually love. Here’s what we’re up to this month.

JUNE

• ATDNYC x MindShift (Savills New York) – June 25 from 6 to 9 p.m.

  • Emma is joining a team of expert panelists to hash out how we build trust and leadership models that survive the AI boom. Refreshments will be served, and spots are limited. RSVP today!

CHRONICALLY ONLINE📱

Emma collaborated with Justworks to dish on why she started People Function, her favorite career advice, and more. Tap the link below to watch the video on LinkedIn!

Join 100,000+ followers across PFunc’s Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, hailed as “one of the best HR accounts online today.” 😉

STAY IN TOUCH 💌

If you’re interested in fractional HR support for your team, reply to this email or contact us to learn more about our offerings, pricing, and how we can support your growing company.

Join the Talent Network here (it’s free!). Whether you’re actively exploring new opportunities or happily employed but open to the right fit, becoming part of our network boosts your profile when roles align with your experience, skills, and career goals.💡

🗣️ Thoughts, feedback, requests? Let us know! 🗣️

Want HR updates to your mailbox every week? Subscribe to PFunc Pulse and join 2,100+ startups and people leaders in our growing community.

Every Tuesday, The PFunc Pulse delivers the HR news and compliance shifts you actually need to know about, without all the corporate fluff. Emma brings her unfiltered take on the trends keeping CEOs awake at night, served with the gritty, practical wisdom of a founder who’s seen it all. Real talk for better people decisions, week by week. (P.S. Do your work bestie a favor and forward this— friends don't let friends do old school HR. 🫢)