Jobs & employment blogs

  You weren’t even actively looking for a job – you thought you were reasonably happy in your current one, but now, almost out of nowhere, you’ve received a message on LinkedIn from a recruiter saying that they want to have a discussion with you about a job opportunity. This isn’t an uncommon situation to find yourself in. Digital technology has seen the recruitment industry evolve at...

  Gone are the days when a salary-boosting counter offer would successfully retain a resigning staff member. Today people leave jobs for a range of reasons, which are seldom addressed by a counter offer. From looking for a new challenge to career advancement, a desire to work with newer technology or within an organisation where they can contribute and feel valued, people change...

  Whilst consumer preferences for online channels were unquestionably present prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the unexpected global events of the pandemic accelerated this trend on an unprecedented scale.   Many businesses reacted to the onset of the crisis by fast-tracking their digital transformation initiatives, and there was a sharp increase in the number of businesses...

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, is the...

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...

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...

“Skills” and “competencies” are two terms you’ll come across regularly when searching for your next job.  It might seem as if these two words are interchangeable – but it’s actually not quite right to describe “competency” as a mere synonym of “skill”. There is, in fact, a very real difference between these two terms. If you’re looking for a new job or are keen to understand how you...

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...

If you have a science or science related degree, a PhD or experience in a related industry, you have already met the base level qualifications requirement for working in a research-focused team, such as medical affairs, in the life sciences industry. The main objective of the medical affairs team is to strategically partner with the commercial and research roles within a...

The life sciences industry is growing, and it’s not just because of the pandemic. As I explained in my last blog, we are still trying to conquer diseases for patients with unmet medical needs like cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, Crohn’s disease and rheumatology that affect millions of people every day. Cancer, Haematology and Neurology dominate in the arena of new treatments being made...

  Be honest. Have you ever really thought about where you want to be in five years’ time? Are you worried your development career might be going down a road which you know probably isn’t right for you? If so, it’s important to take control now.   First up – don’t panic. As a developer in today’s market, you’re in an amazing position. Thanks to the widening digital skills...

  It’s a new year and many of us are feeling a lot more settled than we were 12 months ago in the world of work. As was the case in 2020, last year’s events meant we had to constantly revise the plans and ambitions we had set out in January. The Cambridge Dictionary has announced that ‘perseverance’ is its Word of the Year for 2021. Defined as ‘continued effort to do or achieve...

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. ...

It’s one of the most common interview questions, and often one of the easiest to slip up on. On the face of it, the interviewer is simply asking “Why are you sat across from me in the interview room today?” As such, many candidates provide simplistic answers like “I want this job because I need a new challenge” or “because you seem like a good company to work for”. But these candidates often...

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...

It is no surprise that the last 18 months have made so many people question what is important to them. What are their values and what do they want out of life? The pandemic has altered all of our lives and thinking deeply about what we want from life is a natural reaction to this. It’s also a healthy discipline that can be a catalyst to something better, yet often overlooked, so I welcome...

Whether you were actively looking for a new position or not, you have found yourself in a situation where you have been offered a new role. What’s more, the role pays far more than your current one for doing pretty much the same thing, so on the face of it, the choice seems obvious – go where the money is. But is this decision really that clear cut? The answer is rarely yes. There are many...

Due to the pandemic, professionals across the world have had to adapt quickly to a new way of working, including working remotely or as part of a hybrid team. As a result, it can be difficult to maintain visibility, leaving many unsure about how they can really shine and progress in this new world of work. So in this podcast, we’re joined by Transformational Wellbeing Coach, Rosalyn...

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...

It’s one of the things that many of us dread happening to us at work: that person in the office that we’re always going out to lunch, sharing our work worries and stresses, and celebrating our successes with, leaving the organisation. They’ve been a part of your professional and personal life for so long, you’re so reliant on them, and you look forward to seeing them every time you arrive at...