Jobs & employment blogs

  I first left my homeland of England in search of personal and professional development in 1998 to venture to the other side of the world and settle in New Zealand. I spent the next 12 years working in New Zealand and Australia before being asked to depart the relatively familiar and comfortable antipodes to lead and grow the Hays business in Hong Kong. Adapting to a whole new...

  This July marks a significant moment not just in the Hays story, but my own story with Hays. As I step into my new role as Managing Director, Asia, I reflect on our new strapline and brand promise – Working for your tomorrow – and what it means for us as a business as we continue to lead the recruitment industry in Asia. Much has been said about the changes we’ve undergone in the...

  At the end of 2019, environmental, social and governance (ESG) momentum around the world was strong – especially with regard to improving the sustainability of many organisations. But then came COVID-19, forcing many businesses into survival mode. As the world recovers, how can businesses ensure that being greener moves back up the agenda? Over the past few years, businesses have...

  If your next career goal is to become a people manager, then there’s one crucial skill you need to develop: adaptability.  The best manager will shift and flex in response to the changing environment around them and, crucially, the different motivations of the individuals they lead. In short, they are a chameleon who can adapt to suit the situation at hand. For instance,...

  The COVID-era cohort of school and university leavers are facing unique challenges entering the world of work. What role can employers play in helping the next generation take the first steps of their career journey? One of the lasting legacies of COVID-19 will be the unprecedented experience of young people who looked for, or started, their very first job during this pandemic. The...

  A good employee value proposition, or EVP, helps an organisation draw the attention of top talent. It is a clear and consistent message about the experience of working at your organisation and highlights the unique experience you offer that attracts, engages and retains top talent. In short, it helps you understand and share what successful employees like best about working for you....

  As we lead longer and healthier lives, the reality for many of us is that we will need to, or indeed want to, work longer than previous generations. However, despite this, ageism in the workplace continues to hold people, and businesses back. Ageism at work largely ignores the many positive attributes mature-age colleagues bring to the workforce. Knowledge, expertise, experience and...

  Are you considering a new job? If so, what are you hoping a new role with a different employer will offer you? A more attractive salary and benefits package? Improved career progression? Challenging and exciting work? Better work-life balance? These are all obvious and reasonable criteria of course – but have you considered the importance of working for an employer who places...

  Project confidence at all times, even when you don’t feel it, and you will be amazed at the positivity that you create around you.   Are you currently preparing for an interview, pitch or a big client meeting? Confidence will be a deciding factor in how well it goes. I have interviewed many candidates over the years with impressive CVs but who, at interview, showed a lack of...

  So, you’ve been invited to interview for your dream job, and you’re starting your all-important preparation. As part of that preparation, you’ve thought about the most likely things you could be asked, such as “why do you want to work here?” or “what first attracted you to this role?” and you have diligently prepared your answers. But, are you prepared to answer those trickier...