The HR tech sector sits at the center of workplace transformation. As leaders rethink talent strategy, employee experience and culture, media coverage of these shifts plays an important role in shaping how decisions are made.
Alyshia Hull is a work-life journalist, freelancing for publications like Business Insider, Fast Company and Inc. She covers the workplace from every angle, from advice for employers and guidance for employees to navigating today’s job market and making sense of AI’s growing role at work. For HR tech leaders, her reporting offers a window into how the broader workforce interprets the very trends they’re driving.
At its core, Alyshia’s approach is grounded in curiosity, i.e., starting with a question and following it wherever it leads. That instinct turns a fleeting idea into a story that truly resonates with readers navigating change.
Recently, I spoke with her to better understand how her freelance process unfolds from pitch to publication, and what HR and workplace leaders can learn from the way she identifies and frames the trends shaping work today.
Key takeaways
- Strong stories start with a clear question. Journalists look for timely, relevant ideas framed around a compelling question that helps readers understand changes shaping the workplace.
- Credible expertise matters more than titles. Sources are most valuable when they can speak directly and insightfully to a topic based on real experience, rather than relying solely on seniority or brand recognition.
- Audience value always comes first. Even strong pitches or product narratives must ultimately serve the reader’s interests, not promotional goals.
- Clear, concise pitches stand out. Journalists often prefer brief, digestible pitches that clearly state the story angle and identify relevant sources who can contribute meaningful insights.
How do you discover and validate a story?
It starts with an idea. Sometimes it’s an angle I come up with, and sometimes someone pitches me an idea of their own. I get pitched ideas from PR pros all the time. It has to be timely, and it has to be relevant. A lot of times it starts with a question, and often I don’t have the answer yet.
For example, should employees be using AI at work in a certain way? That’s a question that needs an answer. At that point, I’ll take the idea, turn it into a pitch and send it to my editor. If it’s approved, I’ll start looking for sources. Sometimes when pitches come to me, the person pitching is the source and that’s who I’ll interview. Once the story is approved, I interview the source and turn it into an article.
What’s your experience been like working with PR professionals and sourcing expert perspectives? Where do platforms like Qwoted, HARO and ProfNet fit in?
I get a lot of sources from Qwoted. Sometimes, if I’m working on an article or have an idea, I’ll also ask a question on LinkedIn or X, and people will reach out to me that way. When it comes to sources, they really have to be able to speak to the topic. The source also has to fit my beat. You can have a really great story, but if it’s not something I feel I can place with my editor, I might not be the best writer to pitch it to.
How important are a source’s credentials or title versus their ability to speak credibly and insightfully on the topic?
For the most part, it just matters if they can speak to it. But they do have to be connected in some way. For example, if I’m writing a story about getting hired in today’s job market, a great source might be a recruiter or someone who’s worked in recruiting and has experience related to the topic I’m writing about.
What’s it like working with editors when you’re pitching and writing a story?
I might put something into an article and the editor will take it out, or we’ll have a conversation about it. When writing an article, I think it’s important for PR people to understand that I’m writing for the audience, the reader. Even if you have a great product or a great thing you want included, it has to create impact for readers more than it does for you or your client.
Are there themes editors tend to push back on or discuss most often?
It usually comes down to not being overpromotional. Also, just because a source gives advice doesn’t mean it’s good advice. Once, I interviewed an etiquette coach about grocery store etiquette. The source said, “If you don’t want to take care of your grocery cart, just leave it in the median of the parking lot!”
I thought it was hilarious. My editor said, “That’s not going into the article. That’s not good advice.”
You interview a lot of workplace experts about AI. Do you use AI yourself when reporting or writing?
As a journalist, you have to be really careful. When it comes to using AI for writing or creating drafts, you don’t really know where that content is coming from, so you have to be cautious. In my personal life, I don’t mind using AI. I use it to plan goals, New Year’s resolutions or to think through personal questions. But when it comes to work, you really need to be careful.
One of my favorite topics to cover as a journalist is AI. There are so many things we still don’t know. To me, that’s one of the best types of topics. Everyone has questions. What’s going on with AI at work? Being able to interview experts to get those answers is really exciting.
Can you share a recent pitch that really caught your attention? What worked?
One pitch I received for Fast Company really stood out: “Are you the office parent?” It explored the downsides of being the workplace caregiver. It all goes back to being timely and relevant, and it started with a clear question. Is being a caregiver at work always a good thing, and can it hold you back in your career?
When I got that pitch, I was really excited because it was something I didn’t already have the answer to, but I knew I could find out. It’s also something readers could really benefit from. That’s where it comes from for me, that feeling of curiosity.
What are some immediate red flags you notice in a pitch?
It’s really the opposite of what we’ve been talking about: not timely nor relevant. Sometimes I read a pitch and I’m not exactly sure what the story is. That makes it really hard for me to pitch it to my editor because I don’t know what the question or angle is myself.
What’s one thing PR pros should know when pitching you?
Understand that it usually takes time for me to hear back from my editor. Following up is totally fine, but there’s often a gap between me sending the idea to my editor and getting an answer back. For really quick turnaround pieces, I try my best, but as a freelancer, I can’t always move as fast as people might like.
For follow-ups, it depends on my editor’s feedback, but three to four days works. By then, I should be able to give some kind of update, whether the story isn’t going to work or I’m still waiting to hear back.
Is there a pitch format you find most helpful?
I often like pitches with brief bullet points that are easy to digest. Here’s the question, here’s the source who can speak to it. What doesn’t work is sending a Google or Word document. I usually can’t open those for security reasons. Also, if there’s already a full article written, there’s not as much for me to do as a freelancer. I’m usually the one interviewing and writing, so a fully written article isn’t the best fit for me.
Looking ahead, how do you see your beat or coverage evolving over the next few years?
I recently wrote an article about thank-you notes. They’ve always been important after a job interview, but now they’re coming back again because of AI. People are asking, “How do I stand out? I’m getting buried by AI, recruiters aren’t reading my application. What are some easy ways to stand out?” The answer: You go back to the basics, and what others aren’t.
The job market is always evolving. I’m excited to see where tech and AI go five years from now.
Thank you, Alyshia, for sharing your perspective on curiosity, collaboration and what it takes to turn a timely question into a story that resonates. To keep up with her latest reporting on the modern workplace, AI and the evolving job market, follow her work in Business Insider, Fast Company and Inc.
