By Conor Grant

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In the Workplace

Work from home is here to stay -- even if some CEOs don't love it. Though many big companies have trumpeted their return-to-office mandates, the evidence suggests that the return to the office has stalled out across the broader economy.

More companies are using "backdoor" job references to counter AI. As more candidates use AI in job applications, some companies are quietly contacting past managers and co-workers to get a more candid assessment, writes Callum Borchers.

The secret to better office design isn't the office design. Employees who feel like they have some control over their workspace are more engaged and more productive, writes Leidy Klotz, a professor at the University of Virginia.

Management & Leadership

The job interview is broken -- here's how AI could fix it. Since human gut instinct is a terrible predictor of performance, companies aim to use technology to make better hiring decisions. WSJ's Ray A. Smith breaks down how hiring managers plan to use AI.

To get honest feedback from employees, bosses need to ask these questions. Leaders can make it easier for workers to tell the truth by being specific, normalizing feedback and closing the loop, writes CEO coach Sabina Nawaz.

The Big Number

The number of tech workers let go so far this year, a 66% increase from the same period in 2025. Robinhood Markets this week said it will cut 10% of its workforce. WSJ's 2026 layoffs tracker shows how this year's job cuts are stacking up.

State of the Workforce

Coders were tech's MVPs, but now they're fighting to stay in the game. With the AI boom reshaping the tech industry, job openings for software developers through late May are down about 70% from the 2022 peak, according to Indeed.

Does remote work make employees happier? Research shows that although working from home a couple of days a week boosts job satisfaction and makes employees less likely to quit, full-time remote work is more likely to make people anxious and lonely.

AI was supposed to kill court reporting, but the job needs more humans than ever. Court reporters -- who often rely on nonverbal cues and work with traumatized witnesses -- are an example of AI's limitations in replacing human skill in the real world.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 17, 2026 10:55 ET (14:55 GMT)

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