enty-six months ago I wrote a post on the start of the Brexit talent drain and the potential impact this would have on a post Brexit skills shortage. We have been living in an age of uncertainty ever since the June 2016 referendum. As everyone knows, uncertainty and instability are not good for business. So…

At a very entertaining session run by Liz Mackay, Global Head of Talent Acquisition for DSM at #Unleash18 last week, I was introduced to the concept of Tinder for Talent.  As you might imagine I am not in the Tinder demographic, so was expecting eye watering revelations. Indeed the language has changed, some of the…

One of the main paradoxes of any HR conference focusing on digital and tech, is there is always  as much discussion around the human element as the technical stuff. This year at UNLEASH18 I felt it was even more pronounced than usual. Threaded through the event was a strong emphasis on soft skills, emotions, relationships,…

Devising little tests such as a hiring lunch and other tricks have always been around to test job seekers for cultural fit. Thomas Edison is famously reported to have served candidates a bowl of soup when he was interviewing for research assistants. He seemingly wanted to see whether they added salt or pepper to the…

There is much discussion around civility in the workplace and social media. On the one hand you have a demographic quoting from Orwell’s 1984  railing against “thought police” and insisting on the right to free speech. The words cancel culture and woke have crept into our vocabulary in recent months. On the other hand there…