MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO’S DESK

Friday afternoon, we posted a part-time HR Consultant role. By Saturday afternoon, we'd pulled it down because there were over 500 applications and dozens of DMs, more than I could ever respond to individually. I had to post an update just asking people to stop applying, which has NEVER happened to us before.

First of all, this is FLATTERING! And it’s not an accident. I've worked hard to build an internal culture and an external brand that are actually true to where I'd want to work myself - autonomy to succeed, interesting work with exciting clients, diversity as the rule and not the exception. People want IN. And that’s amazing!

But 500 applications in 24 hours over a single weekend says more about the market than it does about us.

Here's what I think it's telling us:

• There's a lot of great talent out there right now, and layoffs are a big reason why. Years of cuts across tech and beyond have put strong people back in the job hunt at the same time.

• People are job hugging. They're stuck in full-time roles they can't stand but can't afford to leave, and they're quietly looking for a way out.

• Portfolio careers are the future. More people are going to stitch together income the way we do at PFunc through part-time roles, contract work, really, a mix of everything instead of betting it all on one employer.

And this experience also reminded me who I never want to be. Within hours of the post going up, two fractional HR firms slid into my comments and DMs pitching me their fractional services…to a fractional HR company. I couldn't help myself and sent one a snarky reply back. An AI recruiting tool commented "use our tool!" on my post and my colleague's, which is exactly the kind of spam that makes me never want to touch their tool. A couple of executive search firms also reached out about a part-time, $75-an-hour role that got about 200 reactions, 29 comments, and 17 reshares. Read the room. 🙄

I happen to be very close to this hiring process, so maybe I notice the noise more than most founders would. But it's a good reminder that the outreach that actually works is the outreach that pays attention first.

Anyway, we've got an incredible shortlist to go through now. Wish us luck!

THE HR BRIEFING 🗞️

THE LATEST NEWS TO KNOW

HR headlines and stories, curated with our perspective. 🤝

Workday and a female former engineer dropped a lawsuit in which she claimed she had to bypass internal channels because it was "too risky to use HR" to report manager misconduct.

• ↪️ PFunc’s Perspective: When your employees believe that talking to HR will threaten their career, HR isn’t the problem - YOU are. Build clear, transparent investigation pathways that protect the whistleblower so your employees don’t have to use external workarounds (or the media - I’m looking at YOU, Unwell) to avoid you.

The latest jobs data shows a cooling labor market—with just 57,000 jobs added in June and a low official unemployment rate of 4.2%—but the True Rate of Unemployment tracks the metric at 24.6% in its latest data.

• ↪️ PFunc’s Perspective: Based on the entire intro section to this newsletter, we agree. Despite what government data might say, the market is tough. It’s unfortunately a time when jobseekers have to get really clear on what they want in their role, and what they’re willing to forego (i.e. prioritize compensation, deprioritize industry, etc.).

A couple of other trending stories:

• HR News: How HR teams can prevent burnout for the 41% of workers reporting stress or anxiety from notification overload.

• Dice: AI has transitioned from a workplace perk to a requirement, with 73% of tech job postings now requiring at least one AI skill.

COMPLIANCE CHECK

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

• New York (eff. 7/15) – Employers with 10 to 14 employees that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan have until TOMORROW to register or certify an exemption with the New York Secure Choice Savings Program.

• Maine (eff. 7/29) – The state has shortened the mandatory window for employees to enter rehabilitation following a positive drug test from six months to 12 weeks, while giving applicants a clear path to challenge initial "non-negative" results.

• Federal (eff. 7/31) – ERISA-regulated employers must file annual Form 5500 benefit plan reports, detailing retirement and welfare plans.

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 the latest job openings in our network.

• People Ops & Culture Associate, Inspiren (New York City) – As the tactical backbone of the team, you’ll manage day-to-day HR, compliance, and NYC office operations while designing scalable workflows in this four-day in-office role.

• Senior Brand Creative Manager, Thatgamecompany (New York City) – This role is for you if you can blend a deep passion for global gaming subcultures with the ability to balance cinematic storytelling and user acquisition metrics.

• Machine Learning Engineer, Allocate (Remote) – This role requires an experienced ML engineer to build and evaluate production-ready models while leveraging AI-assisted development tools like Claude Code and Cursor.

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.

CHRONICALLY ONLINE📱

Watch Emma share some HR-Un-Approved icebreakers that we highly, strongly recommend you never actually use, unless you want to tank a team introduction in under 10 seconds. 😅

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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.💡

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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. 🫢)