It’s the hot topic on every HR professional and recruiter’s lips – the skills shortage. And no where is this more pronounced than at the leading edge of technology. But what do we really mean when we talk about a digital skills shortage? Most of the us own a smart phone, are active on at…

For a small company, the quality of its employees has a huge influence on its success. But when the pressure is on to hire someone quickly (as is often the case in a small business), mistakes and poor choices are easily made. When the stakes are high, you need to be sure your new recruits…

Take a look around. What’s it like in your office? Are people wandering round looking like silent zombies, afraid to speak out or, dare we say it, have fun? Developing a good office culture will help create a more productive atmosphere and encourage teams to work better together. They’ll be more enthusiastic. More effective. And…

Despite stating in your CV you have all the skills to ‘hit the ground running’, finding your feet in a new role always takes a bit of time. There is only so much you can learn from an employee handbook and previous experience. Figuring out the culture is key, and each workplace has its unique rhythms you…

Think you know what an entrepreneur is? Most of us would claim we do. That it’s “a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.” (Thanks, Google.) But what about everything else we’ve come to expect – the broad strokes of paint the media uses to give…

If you have delusions of business grandeur, there’s never been a better time to go it alone. According to StartUp Britain, a whopping great 581,173 new businesses were registered in 2014 and that number looks to increase this year. But before you put a deposit down on that office down the road, it’s probably a good idea to…

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the latest UK employment stats earlier today. The number of people in work has dipped slightly from the three months to February 2015, to 73.3%. However, it’s good news for those of us in work, with wages up 3.2% (including bonuses). But what does this mean for businesses? Comparing this…

So George Osborne dusted off that famous red suitcase again today. We all got our dibbers out ready to play Budget 2015 Bingo, with words like “Northern Powerhouse”, “budget security” and “responsibility”, all getting over played. But what did it all mean for workers and businesses? Well workers will now benefit from an increase in…

As any manager knows, there are some things you simply can’t delegate. And for successful managers, it might be difficult to let go of one of the most important parts of the job – recruitment. The people you work with are your most important asset. Companies can’t exist without people and successful companies can’t exist…

Congratulations! You’ve gone through the hiring process and found yourself a brilliant candidate. Not only someone who can do the job, but someone who glows with positivity, passion… and has also promised to bake cakes every day and buy everyone a beer on Fridays. Nice work. Such a candidate is a rare find. Which is…