Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network.

This week, hosts Al Elliott and Leanne Elliott unpack the sleep science taking over TikTok, a massive shift in how Google interviews tech talent, and the ethical dilemma of corporate accountability after a major cyberattack. Plus, we dive deep into the data to see if "years of experience" actually matters on a CV, and answer community questions from the experts at The Business Psycho.

🔥 Stories Covered

1. Word of the Week: Dark Showering

Imagine a simple way to wind down your body and brain after a hard day at work using something you already do every day. Leanne introduces "dark showering"—the practice of showering in a completely dim or pitch-black bathroom as part of a bedtime routine. Far from just a social media trend, sleep researchers explain that the rapid cooling of your body post-shower mimics natural circadian signals, while the darkness stimulates melatonin production and lowers cortisol.

Source: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/dark-showering-improved-sleep-experts-debunk

2. Google Embraces AI in Job Interviews

While most companies are actively trying to ban candidates from using AI during interviews, Google is leaning all the way in. Starting later this year, software engineering candidates will be allowed to use Google's Gemini AI assistant during code comprehension interview assessments. Instead of testing rote memory, interviewers will explicitly evaluate "AI fluency," including prompt engineering, output validation, and debugging skills.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-job-interview-software-engineers-ai-assistant-coding-2026-5

3. The M&S Cyberattack: Who Pays for Corporate Failures?

Following a massive cyberattack that wiped £131.3 million off annual profits and dropped market value by 12%, UK retailer Marks & Spencer made a sweeping decision: no employee bonuses will be paid this year. This affects 63,000 workers, from the shop floor straight up to the CEO. While leadership "sharing the pain" equally sounds noble, it raises major workplace culture questions.

Source: https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/m-and-s-cyberattack-wipes-131m-off-annual-profits-xrlldf7lb

🧠 Truth or Lie: Is Experience the Best Predictor of Job Performance?

We have all seen job postings demanding "5 to 10 years of experience". It feels like the safest metric for hiring managers. But does a century of organisational psychology actually back this up?

💬 Workplace Surgery – Special Edition with 'The Business Psycho'

This week, Al and Leanne take a trip into the online community forum The Business Psycho—a hub founded by Mary Luu for business psychologists, HR leaders, and curious professionals. Leanne tackles three brilliant questions submitted straight from the community members:

Can business and occupational psychology skills be applied outside work and in everyday life?
What is the single hardest workplace problem Leanne has ever had to solve as a Chartered Occupational Psychologist?
Is work-life balance actually realistic in highly competitive industries?

Connect with Mary Luu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trambaoluu/
Check out the community forum: thebusinesspsycho.framer.website/forum

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne – Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au Global helplines https://findahelpline.com