Culture in an AI world

Spotlight, News, Releases, and Events.

May 27, 2025

Ezra Culture Spotlight
News In Recruiting
New Stuff From EQ

Walk-Through: A Culture Engine

I spent an evening at EZRA in London last month; It’s not just a workspace—it’s a working system.

Here’s what stood out:

The space thinks before you do. Even the mugs scream Ezra. Every detail was designed to remind people who they are and why they’re here.

Recognition architecture is everywhere.

Meeting rooms are named after team legends. Wins are projected on loop. Culture isn’t written down—it’s built in.

At 6:00 p.m., Most HQs are silent, but Ezra’s is still buzzing with helpfulness, not hustle.

Why it matters:
A magnetic hiring brand doesn’t start with recruiting. It starts with identity.
When your space, language, and rituals repeat the same story, people know where they are—and want to stay.

This Got Me Thinking…

Remote vs. Hub in 2025 - 6 years post-pandemic. Wow.

When a Hub Wins:

Dense talent clusters
High-touch client experiences
Culture via osmosis

When Remote Wins:

Deep work across time zones
Focus via autonomy
24/7 delivery and async agility

We’ve been tracking the latest Axios Harris Poll 100 rankings, and the message is clear: brands that lead with values, not just volume, are winning trust.

Takeaways

The most magnetic hiring brands aren’t the loudest.
They’re the clearest, the most consistent, and the best at using tech to stay human.

If you’re building your culture system, now’s the time to:
→ Focus your message
→ Operationalize your rituals

Recruiters don’t want chaos; we know this. EQ.app research underscored this, qualitatively and quantitatively. As recruiters, we stepped back in time.

Recruiters want clarity in order to perform.
We created a recruiter simulator for a tech stack that is not fully integrated. Look familiar?

News In Recruiting

JPMorgan is cutting 10% of its operations workforce, citing AI-driven efficiencies, as it reallocates headcount to revenue-generating positions.
→ My POV:
This move signals a growing trend: AI isn't just about automation—it’s about repositioning talent. Recruiters should take note. Roles tied to revenue, product, and growth are becoming increasingly competitive, while traditional operations roles may shrink.

Scientific research and development postings are down 18% since January, according to Indeed. The drop is tied to federal funding cuts, with D.C. especially hard hit.
→ My POV:
For recruiters in specialized sectors, it’s a cue to re-map your sourcing strategies. Candidates from R&D may soon pivot toward adjacent fields (think: healthtech, private biotech, climate AI), opening new cross-sector placement opportunities.

Penn is doubling down on AI, launching new initiatives like the Penn AI Council and opening Amy Gutmann Hall as a hub for interdisciplinary research. Student-led projects are tackling real-world issues—from cyberbullying detection to ethical AI in palliative care—cementing Penn’s role as a leader in socially conscious innovation.
→ My POV:
With grad season finally here, it’s refreshing to see that universities are now taking note of the impact of AI and teaching it at a grassroots level with some specific forces in literature. This will be important for those who are navigating their next journey, not only to have an informal but formal overview of how to leverage AI.

5. New EQ Stuff

We are shipping new updates, currently based on community feedback.

Value-based pricing (work in progress)

We rebuilt our recommendations from the ground up to tackle what actually matters to you—real outcomes, not extra overhead—because your feedback drives everything we do.

Take a look and tell us what’s missing—seriously.

Value Based AI Models For Recruiting