Jobs & employment blog

  We’re coming up to the time of year when many people will overindulge during the festive holiday and then make ambitious resolutions about all the healthy behaviours they are going to undertake in the new year. Gym memberships tend to explode in January, but it is usually quiet again a couple of months later. The problem is we all have some unhealthy habits and replacing them with...

If you, as the Executive (boss, manager, CEO, C-Suite director), want your Assistant (EA, PA) to help you reach your full potential and do the most effective job you can, then there is immense value in building a powerful partnership. A proactive Assistant will do all the traditional tasks plus much more as they are a treasure trove of untapped potential. I have received testimonials from...

  The pandemic has forced change across the world of work and, now that global businesses have had time to adapt, leaders have the opportunity to look ahead and drive innovation as they navigate the new normal. Today I’ll be chatting with Hays CFO, Paul Venables. Paul will be discussing how the pandemic has impacted upon the role of CFO and outlook as a finance leader and giving us...

  The world of work is changing faster than ever before. Huge technological, structural and demographic shifts mean that in order to remain competitive, our organisations must start to better leverage the skills and expertise of their employees. So today we’re joined by Dr Maggi Evans, Director of Mosaic Consulting and co-author of from Talent Management to Talent Liberation....

  Ah, the ever important job advert. No matter how technology changes the way employers sell themselves to candidates; whether it’s giving Virtual Reality tours of the office, or accepting “Snaplications” via Snapchat – job adverts will always remain key to attracting talent. I’ve spoken before on how to get this right, and which mistakes to avoid. But one area I am yet to cover,...

  Being great at giving and receiving feedback speeds your development, accelerates the development of the people you interact with, and builds trust in all those relationships, making you more influential with others (whether those others are across the C-suite or around the dinner table).  And the first step to improving your feedback practice is to work...

As we approach another new year, are you feeling, dreaming and anticipating failure when you think about setting new goals or resolutions? You know that goals work and that you should set them. The Internet is awash with advice for setting SMART or other clever-sounding goals. So, you set some. And then by 1st February, you are back in the guilt of not following through. Is this you? ...

Have you ever noticed how many of the metaphors of talent are linked to water? We’ve had talent pools, talent pipelines, talent flow, talent leakage, talent waves… and I’d like to now add another, the talent puddle. I was recently having a conversation with an HR Director in a global tech business. She was bemoaning the limited supply of talent in her business, saying that it was...

  What role does inclusive leadership play in challenging gender inequality in the workplace?   To find out, watch our live event featuring our panel of experts: Jason Dunwell, Global D&I Council Member at Hays, Sandra Henke, Group Head of People and Culture at Hays, Ife Onwuzulike, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at CBI and Monica Parker,...

  To succeed at work, the ability to deliver strong presentations will always be important. Whether you’re a novice, or a seasoned public speaker, it’s always a good idea to brush up on our presenting skills.   That’s why today I’m lucky to be joined by Jay Surti, keynote speaker and author of several books including Ultimate Presentations: Master the Art of Giving...

Some of the trickiest conversations you can have as a senior figure within an organisation are those around pay rise requests. They’re a veritable minefield to navigate, during which a misconstrued word could quickly escalate the situation into full confrontation, or worse resignation. Having said this, it helps to regard pay rise requests not as a nuisance, but as an opportunity to reward...

Counter-offers – they are an unavoidable reality for most hiring managers far and wide so if you haven’t experienced a candidate being counter-offered yet, then chances are you will at some stage. And whilst you can’t stop an employer from making a counter-offer, you can minimise the chances of the candidate accepting this counter-offer by taking certain steps throughout each stage of the...

Marketing is one of the fastest-changing industries out there, with huge shifts in consumer behaviour and new technologies altering the way that organisations both market and sell their products or services. When faced with this backdrop of continuous change, marketeers must take proactive steps to secure their long-term employability. So today, we’re joined by Keshia Khan, Marketing...

While we have more ways than ever to connect with each other, workplace loneliness is a daily struggle for many employees. In fact, a study by Future Workplaces found that managers and employees spend nearly half of their day communicating via technology, not in person. In the latest Hays Journal, we consider how organisations can work with staff to ensure nobody feels isolated. ...

When it comes to recruiting new team members, most hiring managers fall into two buckets: 1.  they’re either so busy that they find it hard to even find the time to prioritise hiring, or, 2. they’re so busy they simply can’t wait to find a replacement for a recently departed employee, as swiftly as possible. Worryingly, both scenarios can lead to an unnecessarily rushed...

The pandemic has brought both change and uncertainty to the world of work. As a result, many professionals are feeling unsure about their career paths and how best to take the next steps in their professional journeys. So today we’re joined by Sarah Ellis, Co-founder of the professional training and consultancy business, Amazing If. Sarah is here to provide her expert advice to...

If you’re currently in fulltime employment, the change and uncertainty that has come hand-in-hand with the pandemic may have understandably left you with a feeling that you need to somehow prove yourself, or, position your role as ‘indispensable’. After all, this is a highly pressurised time and will inevitably lead many to worry about the future. Failing to manage this situation in the right...

  Careers are full of satisfying, challenging, and rewarding moments but there can also be times when we feel out of our depth, inadequate or depleted. In these instances, resilience is important, it can help us to understand failure and respond to it quickly and bounce back.   So today, we’re joined by Dr Susan Kahn, Business Psychologist and coach, and author of the...

The pressure for companies to go green is growing, from both consumers and employees. Furthermore, they need to show authenticity when evolving. But how can organisations take steps to improve their green credentials, and can it benefit their business? The drive towards a more sustainable, low-carbon way of life to tackle the threat of climate change continues to build momentum. It’s...

  For Generation Z, those who are beginning their career journeys are facing difficult challenges as they try to navigate the current uncertain climate. As a result, approximately one in four ‘Gen Z’ employees have sought support with their mental health since the pandemic began. So today, in support of World Mental Health Day, we are joined by Leadership...