How To Move to a New Role Before The End of This Year

August 29, 2025

A common belief (or myth) is that at a certain point in the year, companies stop hiring. Sometimes they do, but in many cases, the opposite happens.

Here is the truth.

Teams have open roles they need to fill. Budgets must be used, as hiring managers don’t want to start the next quarter short-staffed.

Logically, this is a smart time for candidates to make a move, especially when they’re not switching industries but looking for something new within the field they already know.

It’s easy to tell yourself there’s not enough runway left in the year, and it is better to wait until January. In reality, waiting might mean missing the quietest moment in the hiring cycle, when fewer candidates are applying, but roles still need to be filled.

Right now, another shift is happening. More companies hire based on skills and outcomes rather than ticking boxes on a CV. That means experience matters, and not always in the way it used to. If you’ve been in a job for a while and know you’re ready for a different challenge, there’s room to move before the year ends.

Here is where to start.

Assess Your Current Position & Define Your Target

You don’t have to do a full career reset to make a change. Sometimes it’s more about refining than reinventing. Think about your current role. What parts of your day do you enjoy most? Where do you feel your energy is being drained?

Consider your skills, not just what you have qualifications for, but what you do well.

Once you have a clear idea of your abilities and priorities, start narrowing down where you want to go. Look at a handful of job descriptions in your sector that catch your eye, even if they feel slightly out of reach. You’re not applying yet. You’re collecting patterns.

What do those roles seem to expect? What’s already familiar? What’s new, but learnable? You’re not trying to tick every box. You’re trying to see the shape of the move.

Remember that if money is the main reason for moving, first check if your salary is below market rate, and if all else is fine with your current employer, ask for a pay increase.

If that is unsuccessful, then move to stage two. Do some early research. Look at public salary ranges. Browse live listings. If you have a recruiter you trust, check in with them.

Make sure you have something to fall back on, too, a financial buffer you can rely on while you wait for the right role to come your way.

Leverage the Skills-Based Hiring Shift

One of the more useful changes in hiring right now is that job titles don’t carry as much weight as they used to. Employers are paying closer attention to what people can do, not just where they’ve worked or what their CV/Resume says on the first line.

Some reports suggest that around 81% of companies have shifted to skills-based hiring. That transition is an opportunity, if you know how to use it.

Suppose you’ve been working in your sector for a while. In that case, you’ve probably built up a mix of practical skills, problem-solving instincts, and lived experience that doesn’t always show up cleanly on a CV/Resume, in a more traditional hiring model, that might’ve worked against you. It’s more likely to count in your favour, especially if you know how to present it.

  • Get clear on what transfers: A good place to start is with the last six to twelve months of your work. Think about a few projects or problems you’ve handled, and write down the core skills that made a difference. Communication, decision-making, and time management are broad and transferable skills.
  • Show it where it counts: Once you know your core skills, the next step is weaving them into the places where recruiters and employers look. Start with your LinkedIn headline. Add a short phrase or two about what you’re good at, not just your job title. Something real. “Operations manager focused on clarity and follow-through.” “Product marketer with a bias for clear messaging.”
  • Prepare for a new interview: Companies hiring for skills ask different interview questions. Behavioural questions “tell me about a time…” are common. Prepare for these with a few STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) stories that share real examples of your value.

Working With Recruiters

You don’t have to go through a job move alone. If you’ve never worked with a recruiter before, it’s easy to assume they only call when you’re not looking for work or only focus on senior roles. But if you find someone who knows your sector and gives them something clear to work with, they can help you find opportunities faster than you ever could.

Look for a focused recruiter that understands what you need. Find out if they have a strong track record in your industry, read online reviews and case studies, and ask questions.

Once you start communicating, be clear and honest about what you want, your timeline, and where you’re flexible. Build and maintain that relationship when you find a recruiter who works with you. Respond when they reach out (even if you’re not looking for work anymore), provide honest feedback, and keep them updated on any changes to your situation.

Apply Smart, Interview Strong

The hardest part of a job search isn’t usually the work. It’s the uncertainty. You send out an application and hear nothing. You get an interview and then wait weeks. Sometimes you make it to the final round and don’t get the offer.

That’s the cycle. For most people, it’s frustrating, even when it’s expected. The way to get through it is to focus on the parts you can control.

Start with your applications. You don’t need to rewrite your CV every time. Just pay attention to the role. Ask yourself: what’s this job actually about? If your experience overlaps, make sure that’s easy to spot. Use the same language where it fits. Cut anything that doesn’t speak to the work.

Cover letters don’t need to be long, though they do need to be relevant. Two short paragraphs. Why this role, why now, and what you bring that’s relevant.

When interviews come around, rehearse and remember that people want to know what working with you is like. Can you explain what you do? Can you talk through how you solve problems? Are you someone they’d trust to follow through?

Pick a few moments from your recent work, where you figured something out, or made something better. You don’t need a script. Just have them in your head. So, when someone asks, “Can you give me an example?” you already have one.

Your Year-End Job Search Timeline

A solid timeline is important, particularly if you want to switch roles by the end of the year. A good strategy is to plan out a 90-day sprint, focusing on tasks to do month by month.

Month 1: The Basics

Get your CV in good shape. Then, update your LinkedIn so it reflects what you actually do, not just your title.

Start looking into recruiters who can help you find opportunities you might miss. Ask them questions about their process. Request feedback from these experts on how to make yourself more appealing to employers.

Next, set up a few alerts. Use job boards you trust, whatever’s most active in your field. Keep the filters tight enough to be useful but not so narrow that you miss something close enough to consider.

Month 2: Active Applying

Apply to roles that feel like a real match. Close enough that you can write a genuine cover message or tailor your CV without forcing it. Even three or four focused applications a week is enough, as long as they’re targeted.

Month 3: Follow through

By the third month, a few things might be happening at once. Maybe you’ve had a couple of interviews. Perhaps you’re in final conversations. Maybe it’s quieter than you’d like.

That silence can be hard, especially if you’ve put time into it. But it’s common. Hiring managers get busy. Budgets stall. Teams pause decisions. None of that has much to do with you.

What helps is staying in motion. This could mean sending a short follow-up message after an interview, checking in with a recruiter, or reaching out to someone you spoke with earlier in the process.

Don’t Put Your Future On Hold

Most people wait until January to make a move. They tell themselves they’ll start fresh once things quiet down. The truth is, by the time they get going, the best roles are already filled, and the momentum is gone.

Now is a good time if you’re thinking about a change. The hiring market hasn’t stopped. Managers still have teams to build and roles to close. There’s less noise this time of year, which makes it easier to be seen.

You don’t need a perfect plan. Just a clear one. Something steady enough to keep you moving, even when the process feels slow. Making a move doesn’t require a new year. Just a decision.

Addressing Employment Gaps: Strategies for Explaining Breaks in Your Career

August 21, 2025

If you’re taking the next step in your Healthcare career this year, and you’re already aware of a glaring gap in your employment history, don’t panic. You’re not alone and probably not at as much of a disadvantage as you’d think. Realistically, career timeline breaks are very common.

Around 62% of employees say they’ve had a gap at some point in their career. Sometimes gaps result from personal circumstances, health issues, or deciding to dive back into your education. Other times, they’re a side-effect of something you can’t control, like the pandemic, or a change in your company’s hiring strategy.

It’s natural to feel anxious about “explaining” these gaps to your next employer, particularly when the current job market is so competitive. But with the right preparation, discussing an employment gap doesn’t have to feel like revealing a shameful secret. Sometimes, your story can make you more compelling to a potential employer.

Here’s how you can confidently ensure you’re ready to explain breaks in your career.

The Job Market Reality: Gaps Are Commonplace

The traditional “linear” career path is becoming somewhat outdated. Today’s Healthcare employees don’t always progress steadily from one role to another. Most people have career moments when they need to pause, pivot, or change something.

Career timeline breaks are now standard due to shifting priorities, unexpected life changes, or the need to regroup.

It’s not because people today are lazy, but because their lives and priorities don’t always follow a tidy path. The good news is that most employers understand. They’re increasingly open to hearing career pause explanations that are open, honest, or backed by a specific purpose.

However, some business leaders expect a more “in-depth” explanation than others. In certain industries, particularly where hiring cycles are extending, you might need to explain yourself repeatedly. Still, they will likely listen if you present your story with confidence, clarity, and a sense of growth.

The Types of Employment Gaps and Their Specific Challenges

Employment gaps in the Healthcare industry happen for many different reasons. The reason behind your break shapes how you talk about it, and understanding that from the start can help you feel more confident and less stuck. For instance:

Family-Related Gaps (Like Parental Leave Or Caregiving):

You might worry that employers will question your availability or commitment, but don’t overlook what you have gained. During these gaps, you may have gained empathy, learned how to stay organised under pressure, and mastered navigating emotional situations.

Health-Related Gaps (For Yourself Or Someone Else):

Gaps related to health can be difficult to talk about. You don’t necessarily have to share personal details if you have to take time out to focus on your wellbeing (or your family). Focus on the fact that you’re ready to re-engage in the Healthcare workplace. Sometimes, you might also be able to draw attention to how the experience made you more resilient or motivated.

Education Or Retraining Gaps:

This is one of the easiest types of career break explanations to frame. Upskilling shows initiative. Make sure you link what you’ve learned to the job you’re now pursuing. If you’ve switched industries or roles, you can highlight how you had to step back, reorient, and develop new skills to ensure you were ready for the next stage in your career.

Voluntary Breaks

Taking a break for yourself doesn’t make you less committed. It can lead to renewed energy and perspective. If you gained life experience, worked on a personal project, or just recharged, talk about what that gave you, not just what you stepped away from.

Layoffs and Economic Downturns

These are more common than ever, especially post-pandemic. What matters is how you used the time. Did you network, consult, take a course, or explore new roles? Share that. Employers respect candidates who take setbacks and stay proactive.

Pre-Interview Strategies: Addressing Gaps on Your CV

If you’re worried about explaining employment gaps, remember you don’t necessarily have to wait until you’re face-to-face with an interviewer to address the issue. Your resume, cover letter, and even your employer brand online can clarify your career story.

Updating Your Resume and Cover Letter

The first step is updating your CV to reduce the focus on your career gaps. If you’ve had multiple career timeline breaks, consider a skills-based or functional format. That way, you can focus on what you can do and what you’ve achieved rather than “when” you did certain things.

If you need to follow a chronological layout, try mentioning the years when you accomplished certain things rather than exact dates. It’s also worth highlighting your proactive work during those Healthcare career gaps.

Maybe you completed a certification online, volunteered for a local community group, or did some freelance work part-time. Combine your updated resume with an effective cover letter.

You can acknowledge the gap in your cover letter, briefly explain its reasoning, and then focus on what you gained. Finally, explain why you’re excited and ready to explore the new opportunity.

Optimising Your Online Brand

Most companies will check your online profiles when considering you for a role, as well as your CV and cover letter. Usually, that means tracking down your LinkedIn account. The good news is that LinkedIn allows you to add career pauses (with reasons) to your profile.

You can label the break (e.g., “Parental Leave,” “Career Transition,” “Professional Development”) and include a short description.

However, you choose to label your breaks, make sure your message is consistent across platforms. If an employer sees a professional gap on LinkedIn that is explained differently in your resume, it can raise unnecessary questions.

Think About the Applicant Tracking Systems

Most employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter CVs before a human sees them. These systems can flag unexplained CV/resume employment history gaps, so prepare accordingly:

  • Use keywords from the job description
  • Fill in the gap periods with anything relevant, learning, volunteering, or consulting
  • Avoid large blank spots with no explanation at all

A well-structured resume helps you pass the first round and sets the stage for a more confident conversation later.

Discussing Gaps Confidently During an Interview

Interviews are often stressful enough without the added worry of having to explain your career timeline break. But you don’t need to dread the question. All you need to do is ensure you’re prepared to explain your story confidently.

Prepare a Clear, Honest Explanation

Reflect on your employment gap before entering an interview (or logging in to one). What was happening during that time? What did you learn? How did you grow?

You don’t need to go in with a defensive mindset. Instead, think about how you can give the interviewer a clear, honest insight into what’s happened throughout your career.

Don’t avoid the question; explain yourself clearly and honestly. The PAR method can help with this (Problem, Action, Result):

  • Problem: Briefly state the reason for your gap.
  • Action: Explain what you did then, the skills gained, courses taken, and personal development you achieved.
  • Result: Discuss how you’re better prepared and ready for this new Healthcare role.

Emphasize Transferable Skills and Current Value

Whatever the reason behind your Healthcare career break, there’s a good chance you picked up some valuable skills. They may not be obvious technical skills, like new data analysis abilities or a new certification. However, they could still be worthwhile.

You might have learned how to communicate more effectively when travelling worldwide. Maybe you became more resilient and emotionally intelligent when caring with a sick family member. Perhaps you learned how to manage your time more effectively.

Draw attention to the transferrable skills that make you a great choice for your chosen role. Pivot back to the present whenever possible, too, talking about the relevant experience you already gained in other roles or all the new abilities you have to bring to the table after a period of learning.

Tackle Concerns Head-On

There’s a chance that your Healthcare interviewer might have some concerns about your gap, particularly if you’ve been out of the industry for a while. They may worry that your skills have become outdated or you’re unaware of the latest industry changes.

Address those concerns directly. Talk about what you’ve done to stay current, whether taking online courses, updating your certifications, or attending industry events. Maybe you’re following relevant thought leaders online or networking with professional peers.

You could even do some pre-interview homework to be extra prepared. Please read about the topics affecting your industry online and be ready to share your thoughts and opinions. That shows your future employer that you’re staying proactive.

Turning Career Gaps into Strengths

One of the best things you can do now is stop thinking of your employment gap as a setback. If you view it as a black mark on your CV, you will also present the wrong perspective to interviewers.

The key to success is reframing the narrative. Look at your professional gap not just as time away from work, but as a valuable chapter of your life. Find ways to:

  • Introduce New Skills: Highlight all the skills you’ve developed, from technical skills to soft skills like agility, resilience, or just strong communication skills.
  • Show Proactivity: Reassure future employers that you weren’t just sitting back and relaxing during your break. Discuss how you explored volunteering opportunities, took online courses, built your network, or worked on yourself.
  • Connect to Company Values: Show how your growth during your break aligns perfectly with the company’s mission. For instance, volunteering for your local community could resonate with a company focused on positive impact.
  • Show Clarity: Sometimes, stepping back from work helps you see the bigger picture clearly. If you used that time to reassess where you want to be and confirm your priorities, share that with your potential Healthcare employer.
  • Demonstrate Commitment to Growth: Even if you fell behind on training during your gap, show your potential employer that you’re keen to learn and grow now. Tell them about how you’re seeking out new courses, mentoring opportunities, and development strategies.

Address your employment gap from a positive, confident perspective, and it’s much less likely to drive potential job offers out of your hands.

Embracing Your Complete Career Story

Explaining gaps in your employment can feel daunting. You don’t want your future employer to overlook you because your career path hasn’t been linear.

Fortunately, most Healthcare employers now expect to interview candidates with career gaps. They’re not opposed to hiring people with breaks in their employment. They want you to explain the situation clearly, highlight what you gained from it, and show them that you’re ready for the next stage in your growth.

Your career journey, including its pauses, reflects your resilience and adaptability. Embrace your complete story confidently and let it propel you toward new opportunities.

The Return-to-Office Dilemma: Balancing Company Needs and Talent Expectations

August 14, 2025

The Office and Commercial workplace is still in flux. The initial scramble to implement remote work policies during the pandemic has diminished, but now there are deeper decisions to make. How do companies balance business needs with an ongoing employee demand for flexibility?

83% of employees worldwide still want hybrid work. They’ve tasted flexibility and autonomy, and they want more. At the same time, companies are worried about maintaining collaboration, productivity, and company culture in the age of hybrid work.

There’s no easy solution.

Finding the right strategy is equally complex worldwide, as candidates continue to prioritise flexibility and work-life balance.

Ultimately, if you want to attract and retain the right talent in 2025, you’ll need to quickly develop your RTO roadmap.

The Current Landscape: Flexibility Everywhere

The Office and Commercial workplace today has changed dramatically. Once, remote and hybrid work was just an emergency response to a complex situation; now, it’s what talented candidates expect.

Of course, hybrid maturity varies worldwide.

In the UK, about 28% of adults follow a hybrid schedule. In the US, more than 50% of employees are hybrid workers. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data, 37% of Australians worked from home at least once a week throughout 2023, a significant increase from the pre-pandemic level of just 13% of full-time workers.

Adoption is even higher among knowledge-based professionals, with 96% of Australian knowledge-based workers working hybrid or fully remote and 69% of employers now offering hybrid work arrangements.

The main reason for the shift is a change in candidate priorities. Employees don’t just want a wage anymore; they want to work with companies that don’t treat their health, well-being, or personal priorities as an afterthought.

However, while empowering, hybrid models can be complex. Flexibility is liberating for some employees, while others struggle to find a balance between their work and home lives. At the same time, leaders struggle to preserve the benefits of in-person collaboration in a hybrid setting.

The Business Case for the Office Return

On the surface, the demand for hybrid work seems great for businesses. They benefit from happier employees who suffer less burnout and feel more engaged. Plus, many companies have found that hybrid work can reduce operational costs at scale.

However, hybrid work also has challenges.

Although teams embrace technology to help bridge communication gaps, collaboration still thrives in the office. A Stanford University study even found that teams working in physical offices generate 15% more ideas than remote workers.

When Office and Commercial employees share a physical space, interactions are more organic and dynamic. Quick hallway chats turn into game-changing ideas, and a junior employee gains invaluable mentorship by brainstorming with a seasoned professional.

Equity among team members can also improve. Many leaders struggle to give remote workers the attention they offer in-person staff. Proximity bias can be a real problem, particularly for companies with larger teams.

However, it’s not just human connections and company culture that benefit from RTO mandates. Physical spaces cost money. Globally, companies spend billions on real estate, furniture, utilities, and infrastructure annually. These spaces weren’t designed to house people; they were built to enable focus, collaboration, and innovation. Walking away from those investments is difficult, particularly when budgets are tight.

The Talent Perspective: Shifting Priorities

From the perspective of Office and Commercial employees, things that used to be considered perks (flexible hours, remote options, and autonomy) are now crucial. A Guardian global survey found that work-life balance is the most important factor for any employee choosing a role, even ranking higher than salary.

Demand for flexibility is even higher among certain cohorts. Millennials and Generation Z employees crave mental wellbeing, meaning, and freedom in their roles. They want to design professions that work for them, rather than just accepting jobs that pay the bills.

Burnout is rampant, and candidates view companies that offer flexible and remote work options as more willing to actively support their mental health. They’re also more likely to see those companies as innovators in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion. When companies can hire team members from anywhere, they align teams from numerous different backgrounds and walks of life.

Simply ignoring that employees today choose workplaces that align with their lives (not the other way around) isn’t an option. That’s why so many rigid return-to-office mandates have failed, causing massive turnover, workplace tension, and higher recruitment costs.

Developing Your RTO Strategy: Decision-Making Ideas

Simply asking employees to return to the office full-time won’t work for most Office and Commercial employers.

The truth is, no single model fits every team, role, or person. The companies that get the right results are the ones that don’t just roll out rules. They build flexible frameworks grounded in trust, data, and understanding. Here’s how to start building your strategy.

Ask yourself why it matters before asking people to show up at a desk. What value does the office add for them, not just for the business?

Some types of work thrive in an in-person environment. Employees who need to interact regularly with colleagues or customers, or mentor other staff members, benefit from real-world human connections. But not every task requires a dedicated desk.

Deep-focus work, writing, coding, and data analysis can often be done better from the quiet of home. Define which Office and Commercial roles need an in-office environment, and exactly how frequently team members need to be in the office to get the best results.

Once you’ve gathered the “what” and the “why,” you can start shaping a flexible model that respects both business goals and individual work styles.

Remember, your RTO policies don’t have to be carved in stone; they can evolve with your people and your Office and Commercial business.

RTO Policy Implementation: Ideas for Success

A good return-to-office policy on paper means nothing if it lands flat in practice. Implementation isn’t just about sending out emails and updating your online schedule. Here are some top tips for initiating an RTO mandate that doesn’t drive your top people away.

Start Small with Pilot and Phase-In Approaches

Change in the Office and Commercial workplace is easier to manage when it’s delivered in small doses. Rather than rolling out a full company-wide policy overnight, start with pilot programs. Select a few diverse teams and test various hybrid models.

Remember, different teams may work better with other frameworks. The product team could excel with two in-office days a week, while the marketing team prefers a fully remote setup with regular monthly sync-ups. Track what works, and use that to guide you.

Communicate with Clarity

There’s no such thing as too much communication during times of change. But clarity is everything. Don’t just announce policy changes, tell the story. Share the why and the reasoning behind your decisions. Share the trade-offs, the data, and the goals.

Be transparent about what you know and what you’re still figuring out. This kind of honesty builds trust and can help ensure your Office and Commercial employees feel more “involved” in the process.

Invest in Tools that Support Flexibility

If you’re asking people to work in new ways, you need to give them the tools to do so correctly. This could include smart scheduling platforms, digital calendars, virtual collaboration tools, and desk booking and space management systems.

Experiment with project management tools and cutting-edge communication solutions designed to bring people together in inclusive, immersive video meetings. Ask your team members what kind of technology they need to work more effectively wherever they are, and give your business leaders the resources to track performance metrics for all employees.

Measure What Matters and Keep Evolving

A return-to-office strategy shouldn’t be a one-and-done decision. It should be alive, and adaptive, informed by real results and honest feedback.

Track what really matters:

  • Are people engaged?
  • Are teams collaborating better?
  • Has productivity improved, or dropped?
  • Are we losing good people because of our policies?

Use surveys, retention data, performance insights, and regular pulse checks. Build a rhythm of reflection. Adjust when needed. The best leaders in 2025 aren’t chasing perfection—they’re staying curious, agile, and open.

The right RTO strategy shouldn’t actually be about “going back”, but about moving forward. The workplace and your employees will continue to change, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to keeping both your stakeholders and your teams happy.

The only way to thrive is to experiment. Use data and insights to guide your decisions, and resist the urge to stunt flexibility to avoid complexity.

Recognise that productivity doesn’t always come from presence, and remember that putting your employees’ needs first often pays off more than you’d think.

Career Growth vs. Stability: Making Informed Decisions in Today’s Market

August 7, 2025

One of the biggest questions keeping Retail professionals up at night this year is: “Do I chase growth and new opportunities, or hold onto stability?”

There’s no easy answer. Many people feel stuck between the urge to level up their career and the need to feel more secure.

In the UK, hiring is slowing, while employment costs rise. In America, hiring cycles are growing longer and longer. Australia is dealing with critical skill shortages, and in Canada, economic shifts are forcing companies to rethink their long-term plans. Everyone is struggling.

It’s no wonder that 72% of job candidates say job hunting harms their well-being. Finding the right role is incredibly difficult, but staying put isn’t always the best bet, particularly as companies move forward with AI and automation.

So, how do you ensure you’re taking steps to support you and your priorities this year?

The Realities of the Job Market Today

From a big picture perspective, the current job market is complicated and continues to change fast. In the UK, changes to tax and the minimum wage affect recruitment strategies. Job vacancies are disappearing fast, and pay growth is cooling.

In the United States, it takes candidates an average of five months or more to find a role, and the challenges are even greater for those with limited skill sets. In Australia, the conversation is still about skill shortages, particularly in major sectors like healthcare and cybersecurity. All the while, Retail companies worldwide are rethinking the skills they need.

With AI and automation reshaping everything, you may soon struggle to keep up if you haven’t updated your skill sets. According to CIPD, nine in every ten employees must reskill by 2030. There are still opportunities in this market – if you know where to look for them – but putting growth on hold for stability is becoming more tempting.

Defining Career Growth vs Stability

So, what does it mean to choose between career growth and stability?

Let’s talk about career growth first. Growth in a Retail career doesn’t necessarily mean chasing bigger salaries or promotions. For many candidates, the focus is more likely on stretching skills, learning new tools, exploring different responsibilities, or gaining exposure to technologies as they emerge.

Growth could mean pursuing a new title, exploring more innovative companies, or even pivoting into a different connected field with transferable skills. It could also mean developing resilience in the face of change.

Career stability is about predictability. It means finding a job that feels steady, regularly pays the bills, offers dependable benefits, and comes with a leadership team that doesn’t change every couple of months. It may not be as challenging or rewarding as pursuing growth, but it gives you balance and supports your life, particularly if you have personal commitments to consider.

Most Retail professionals don’t realise that growth and stability don’t always have to be mutually exclusive. Sometimes you can find both – a role that gives you peace of mind and learning opportunities. But that also sometimes means making compromises. For instance, a fast-paced start-up might offer great development but little work-life balance.

Assessing Your Personal Risk Tolerance

Deciding whether you will pursue growth or stability starts with assessing your personal tolerance to risk. Often, most people begin with a financial assessment. Do you have savings you can rely on if something doesn’t work out? Are you managing hefty student loans, supporting a family, or paying a mortgage? How hard would an income gap hit you?

If your budget is tight, you might prefer to focus on stability. Your position in your career, or “career stage”, matters too. If you’re starting in the Retail industry, you might have more room to experiment. You might feel more pressure to climb if you’re in the middle of your career.

Don’t forget your personal circumstances, either. Are you the primary caregiver for kids or parents? Do you have the flexibility to relocate or work long hours? Sometimes, it’s not about what you want professionally but what you can realistically manage right now.

Your mental and physical health count too. If you’re already stretched thin or burned out, making a high-risk career leap might not be right.

Try asking yourself a few honest questions:

  • If this role didn’t work out, how long could I stay afloat?
  • What kind of pressure am I already under outside of work?
  • Do I feel energised by uncertainty, or does it stress me out?
  • What does “too much risk” feel to me, and have I felt that before?

This isn’t about fear. It’s about clarity. When you understand your limits and values, making decisions you won’t regret later is much easier.

Strategies for Growth-Seekers in Unstable Times

If you decide it’s time to grow your Retail career, you might be in for a rocky road. But you can still manage the hurdles carefully, strategically, and proactively.

Target High-Demand Skills

Start with your skillset. Building skills that matter to today’s Retail employers is the fastest way to ensure you stand out and boost your chances of getting a new role.

Focus on a blend of relevant hard skills, AI proficiency, data analysis, digital literacy, and soft skills like communication and resilience. Find out what skills are showing up on job descriptions if you don’t know where to start. Remember, you don’t have to earn entirely new certifications either. Micro-credentials and online courses are great ways to learn.

Demonstrate Your Adaptability and Learning Mindset

Your personal brand matters in a growth-focused job search. That doesn’t mean becoming a thought leader overnight; it just means being visible and intentional.

Polish your LinkedIn profile to highlight what you’ve accomplished lately, the types of projects you’ve been working on, and your interests. Share industry insights or project takeaways that show you’re engaged and curious. Let recruiters and hiring managers see your learning mindset.

Look for Growth Inside Stability

Remember, you don’t have to choose between a fast-moving startup and long-term security. Some larger, well-established companies offer internal mobility, leadership development programs, and innovative opportunities, with the bonus of a reliable paycheck and benefits.

Strategies for Stability-Seekers That Don’t Sacrifice Growth

Before committing to a “stable” job, ensure it’s built to last. A big name or long history doesn’t guarantee security anymore. Look into a company’s financial reports, recent news, and industry trends.

  • Are they hiring or downsizing?
  • Are they investing in innovation or cutting corners?

Stability often exists in sectors that weather economic storms well, such as healthcare, education, utilities, and public services. But even within those, evaluating how each organisation supports its people during tough times is important.

Find Employers Who Promote From Within

Some companies commit to offering long-term careers. Look for Retail businesses known for internal mobility, learning programs, or leadership development tracks. These environments allow you to stay in a secure role while gaining new responsibilities, skills, or even a promotion.

During interviews, ask about the path to promotion or for examples of people who have grown their careers internally at the company.

Invest in Transferable Skills and Specialist Skills

You don’t need to jump roles every year to keep growing, but you do need to stay sharp. Focus on building transferable skills like project management, communication, digital literacy, and emotional intelligence. These abilities add value in any workplace.

They make you more effective where you are now and more agile if circumstances change later. If you want to boost your chances of a promotion, specialist skills can be helpful too. Consider earning specific credentials that will make you crucial to a company’s growth.

Nurture Your Professional Reputation

One of the most valuable forms of career insurance you can invest in is your professional network. Even if you’re not job-hunting actively, make sure you stay connected. Attend industry events, join relevant associations, and build relationships with mentors.

The more you connect and expand your professional reputation, the more valuable you become to companies searching for Retail talent.

Career Growth vs Stability: Making Your Decision

It’s time to decide once you’ve taken stock of the current market and reflected on your priorities. What do you want to focus on right now? Remember, you can change your mind later, but for now, ask yourself some key questions:

  • What are my non-negotiables in a role? This could include flexibility, culture, benefits, whatever you need to feel happy in a Retail role.
  • What does success look like for me in 2–5 years? Try to picture it. Is it a bigger title? More freedom? Work-life balance? A sense of purpose? Let that vision shape your next move.
  • How does this choice align with my long-term goals? Which path will open more doors for you down the line, or give you a sense of fulfilment?
  • If it doesn’t work out, what’s next? Do you have a backup plan if your current choice doesn’t pan out as expected?
  • How will this impact my mental health and overall well-being? Always put your health and well-being first. Your next step should support you, not just your career.

Remember, no decision must be final. Careers are long and nonlinear. All you need to do is decide what’s right for you right now. If you’re struggling with that, remember that Retail recruitment companies are always available to help you.

From Flexibility to Productivity: Making Hybrid Work Models Deliver Results

August 1, 2025

A massive 83% of employees worldwide say they prefer hybrid work models to traditional workplace schedules, but many businesses are still struggling to make flexible models work for them.

What began as an emergency response to an unprecedented crisis has now solidified into a long-term expectation for Office and Commercial employees worldwide. Professionals have discovered the benefits of flexible schedules – better work-life balance, lower travel costs, and less stress- and they don’t want to go back to the way things were.

Unfortunately for business leaders, offering hybrid work options is easy enough, but ensuring teams stay productive, engaged, and aligned is much harder.

Many Office and Commercial employers are walking a tricky tightrope. On the one hand, employees crave autonomy more than ever, while managers need to maintain collaboration, innovation, and constant performance. Fortunately, there are ways to navigate the challenges of hybrid work effectively. You need to be proactive.

The Current State of Hybrid Work in 2025

Employees and business leaders both agree that work needs to be more flexible. According to Zoom, four out of five executives say the future of work will be hybrid. However, actual adoption of hybrid work policies varies across the globe. In the UK, about 28% of adults are hybrid workers. In the US, 52% of remote-capable employees work in a hybrid environment.

Worldwide, everyone seems to be making the shift, but this transition does come with growing pains. Companies are still struggling with:

  • In-office vs. remote tension: While some employees thrive in remote settings, others miss the spontaneity of in-person collaboration. Leaders struggle to create policies that don’t feel arbitrary or unevenly applied.
  • Team cohesion: Distributed teams often feel fragmented, with a noticeable dip in informal bonding and peer learning.
  • Technology gaps: Not all organisations have closed the digital divide, leaving some employees over-reliant on outdated tools or overwhelmed by disconnected platforms.
  • Productivity measurement: Many companies still default to activity tracking rather than outcome-based performance, creating inefficiencies and misaligned expectations.

Plus, hybrid expectations vary widely among Office and Commercial employers. Senior leaders sometimes prefer more in-office time to maintain visibility and influence. Gen Z and working parents (millennials) value location and schedule flexibility more. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution that works for everyone.

Why Hybrid Work Matters to Your Talent Strategy

Embracing hybrid work can be challenging, so some Office and Commercial leaders are tempted to avoid changing anything. But ignoring the growing demand for flexibility could be dangerous. The truth is that flexible work solutions deliver:

Competitive Advantages in Recruitment

As Office and Commercial companies fight for scarce talent, hybrid work becomes a major selling point. Studies show that up to half of all graduates in the UK wouldn’t even consider applying for a job that forces them to be in an office five days a week. Offering hybrid work allows companies to appeal to a wider range of candidates. Plus, it can help expand talent pools by attracting talented professionals located further away from a local office.

Enhanced Employee Retention and Engagement

Hybrid work models regularly improve employee satisfaction and loyalty. According to one survey, employees working for a company that supported hybrid work scored 6% higher on engagement levels compared to the UK average. Those required to return to the office full-time scored 7% lower. Additionally, Stanford found resignation levels fell by 33% for companies that shifted from a full-time in-office to a hybrid work model.

Improved Diversity and Inclusion

Hybrid work arrangements are also excellent for promoting inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. A Office and Commercial company with a hybrid strategy can appeal to a wider range of talented professionals and avoid overlooking candidates with specific schedule requirements. Greater diversity and inclusion generally lead to higher profits and creativity, too.

Common Pitfalls in Hybrid Work Implementation

Hybrid work benefits employers and employees alike. The problem is that implementing hybrid strategies isn’t always simple. The most common hurdles Office and Commercial companies deal with include:

Poor Communication

Communication can start to suffer when people rely on digital tools rather than face-to-face interactions. Employees waste time struggling with complex video conferencing tools, miss important messages or emails, and feel left out of the loop, which can cause productivity and engagement levels to fall.

Proximity Bias

It’s much easier for managers to build relationships with and recognise Office and Commercial employees they see daily. Sometimes, this leads to in-office staff getting preferential treatment over their colleagues. One study found that about 96% of executives admit that they notice in-office efforts more than the contributions of remote workers.

Technology Adoption Challenges

Hybrid work is really only possible with technology—cloud-based platforms, productivity apps, and communication tools. However, not everyone feels comfortable using these tools straight away. A lack of training and integration can mean that tools aren’t used properly, and efficiency begins to wane. User-friendly platforms are a must.

Management Resistance and Traditional Mindsets

As evidenced by countless companies implementing “Return to Office” mandates in recent years, not everyone is comfortable with the idea of hybrid work. Some managers and stakeholders simply don’t believe employees can be productive outside of the office. Others struggle to measure productivity and performance without resorting to tracking things like “hours in the office”.

Corporate Culture Dilution

Preserving a cohesive and supportive company culture can be difficult for a company embracing hybrid work. Some employees can feel disconnected from business values and goals, which leads to a breakdown in collaboration and problems with morale. Business leaders need to make a clear effort to keep everyone involved in the company culture.

Five Strategies to Make Hybrid Work Productive

Demand for hybrid work in the Office and Commercial space isn’t going to disappear. But there are ways to tackle the most common challenges that affect businesses and their teams.

Here are some of the most valuable strategies you can try.

1.    Switch to Outcome-Based Performance Frameworks

The number of hours an employee spends at a specific desk doesn’t really matter to your Office and Commercial company’s overall success. The outcomes they achieve, whether they’re working in an office or from home, are what really count.

Rethink how you track and measure performance. Focus on how productive team members are, how often they innovate, and how regularly they contribute to real business goals. Look at what they’re accomplishing rather than logging their locations and time spent.

2.    Design Intentional Collaboration Strategies

Collaboration is crucial in any Office and Commercial workplace, but it doesn’t happen spontaneously in a hybrid environment, at least not as often. Business leaders need to focus on intentionally bringing teams together. Establish schedules for how frequently teams should meet in group meetings, video conferencing sessions, or in-person meetings.

Schedule regular check-ins between managers and people who regularly work remotely. Make sure hybrid workers know which tools to use for different types of collaboration. For instance, they might work on documents in real time on Google Workspace or chat with colleagues via Slack.

3.    Integrate Seamless Technology Solutions

Technology is the glue connecting hybrid teams, but everything falls apart if staff members don’t know how to use it. The ideal tools for your teams will be the ones that feel natural and intuitive. Look for platforms that integrate communication, project management, document sharing, and more into a single pane of glass—a new “digital workplace.”

Ensure staff members know how these tools work with training sessions and workshops, and ensure they have someone to contact whenever they face technical issues.

4.    Provide Management Training for Hybrid Leadership

Keeping hybrid teams motivated and aligned requires different leadership skills. Managers and supervisors need to know how to share feedback regularly with out-of-office workers, and how to foster inclusivity and cohesion between different groups.

Upgrade your training resources, focusing on skills that will benefit hybrid teams, such as digital communication, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Listen to the feedback given by hybrid employees about their management preferences.

5.    Reinforce Company Culture Across Distributed Teams

Your Office and Commercial company culture shouldn’t disappear when schedules are more flexible. You’ll need to proactively reinforce your values, share your vision, and highlight your mission to everyone. Host virtual events, create recognition programs, and keep communication constant and transparent.

Find ways to strengthen relationships between all kinds of employees with virtual team-building sessions, social interactions, and even gamified experiences. Ensure everyone feels like they belong to the same cohesive family.

How to Attract Top Talent with Your Hybrid Model

Once you’ve ironed out the perfect approach to managing your hybrid team, the next step is using your model to attract new Office and Commercial talent. Be intentional with how you highlight your approach to flexible and hybrid working by:

  • Showcasing Flexibility in Employer Branding: Highlight your hybrid approach on your careers page, social media platforms, and in employee testimonials. Showing flexibility is one of your values, not just something you’re experimenting with.
  • Update Job Descriptions: Be clear and transparent in job descriptions. Vague references to “flexibility” are confusing. Clearly outline how your hybrid policy works, and whether you’re willing to negotiate on schedules.
  • Showcase Success in Interviews: Use interviews as a platform to demonstrate how hybrid work operates in practice. Share stories of team collaboration, remote onboarding wins, and how employees thrive in your model.
  • Optimise Onboarding: Make sure your onboarding process is structured to support people working outside of the office. Set up remote orientation videos, guides for technology configuration, and digital learning resources.
  • Use Feedback to Refine: Don’t just assume you’re grabbing the right attention with your efforts. Use post-survey interviews and candidate reviews to constantly improve your approach.

Make Hybrid Work Your Competitive Advantage

Hybrid work models aren’t experiments anymore; they’re quickly becoming the new operating system for modern workforces. Success, however, depends on more than just embracing flexibility. You need to design your hybrid model to work for you.

If you take a proactive approach now, reworking your approach to everything from recruitment to employee management, you’ll set yourself up for success in the years ahead. The future of the Office and Commercial industry will depend on adaptability and the ability to balance freedom and autonomy with accountability and consistency.

Struggling to build your hybrid team? Let’s talk about how your hybrid model can attract top talent, reduce friction, and drive better business results.

From Application to Offer: Navigating Longer Hiring Cycles Without Losing Momentum

July 10, 2025

If your Healthcare job search starts to feel like a marathon with no end, you’re not alone. In 2025, hiring timelines are stretching, with some estimates suggesting it takes up to 6 months to find a role. There are various reasons for this.

Companies are reluctant to hire when they’re not sure what the future of work will look like. AI is reshaping roles and responsibilities, new challenges are emerging constantly, and even the workplace is changing, with new versions of hybrid work.

In addition, the World Economic Forum highlights that skill necessities are shifting, with around 40% of the skills companies screen for today set to be obsolete by 2030. When companies do decide what they need, the competition for roles is fierce, meaning business leaders often have more applications to sort through and interviews to schedule than ever before.

While AI and automation can help streamline hiring cycles to some extent, many companies face major delays, directly impacting you as a candidate.

The challenge? Staying proactive and motivated during long periods of silence and uncertainty.

Understanding Current Hiring Timelines

On average, healthcare candidates can expect to spend between 3 and 6 months just finding a relevant role, but that timeline can vary drastically. Depending on the role a company wants to fill, candidates could spend weeks sorting through applications, months arranging pre-screening interviews, and even longer analysing skill tests.

Certain industries experience even longer timelines. For instance, the energy and defence sectors have some of the most extended hiring periods, often exceeding 60 days, due to rigorous security clearances and specialized skill requirements. That means you could wait two months or more for a job offer even after an interview.

The truth is that the modern recruitment funnel has changed a lot. There are various stages involved that weren’t common in the past. After you apply, it might be screened by AI tools and then passed to human experts for review.

From there, there’s a first round of screening interviews, followed by skill assessments, second-round interviews, and even final interviews with panels. Every stage takes time, and as companies struggle with limited administrative support, hiring cycles naturally extend.

Maintaining Momentum: Strategies for Each Stage of the Process

When days stretch into weeks and months, it’s easy to lose motivation, feel disheartened, or feel your confidence dip. The key to success is learning how to maintain energy and momentum through each stage of the process—from application to negotiation and offer.

Application Phase: Quality Over Quantity

It often takes 10-20 applications for one job interview, regardless of your Healthcare role. In certain sectors, like Professional Services, you could send dozens of applications and hear nothing back. The answer isn’t just to send out more applications.

Upgrade the quality of your submissions first. Use keywords from the job description to ensure your resume passes Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Customise each application based on the role and company you’re applying for. Look for ways to differentiate yourself from competitors by focusing on your agility, resilience, or commitment to constant development.

Interview Stage: Staying Engaged

Many Healthcare companies today take a multi-stage approach to interviewing. Even if you excel in the “pre-screening” phase, you must maintain enthusiasm through each subsequent stage.

To keep your energy up, reframe each interview as a two-way conversation. This isn’t just about proving yourself – it’s also your chance to evaluate the company. Come prepared with thoughtful questions that show your curiosity and give you insights into the team culture and expectations.

Prepare yourself for different interview formats with mock practice sessions with friends. Explore the differences between virtual interviews, panel-based interviews, and so on. Know how to follow up politely if you don’t hear back for a week or two after each phase. Remember, don’t pester—just check in once in a while to find out if they need help making a decision.

Assessment Phase: Showcasing Skills

Your credentials and resume can’t guarantee you a job offer anymore. Companies are switching to skills-based hiring – an approach considered up to five times more predictive of future job performance. Be prepared to show your skills in action.

Create portfolios you can share online, showcasing your accomplishments or the projects you worked on in different roles, and share them with employers. Review the core skills listed in job descriptions and seek out practice tools or platforms. If the role requires Excel modelling build a few practice models.

Don’t forget soft skills – many employers will look at your ability to collaborate, adapt and lead, so prepare stories you can tell in interviews that showcase those skills.

Negotiation and Offer Stage: Patience and Preparation

The final stage of the Healthcare job search can be frustrating. Delayed offers are increasingly common as companies finalize budgets, compare finalists, or navigate internal approvals. That doesn’t mean you’re out of the running – it just means it’s time to play the long game with clarity and confidence.

Start by doing your homework. Research market compensation for your role, factoring in location, seniority, and industry. Tools like Glassdoor, Levels, fyi, and recruiter insights can help. Prepare not just for salary, but for the total package.

When an offer is delayed, stay in contact, without being pushy. If and when an offer does arrive, don’t feel pressured to accept on the spot; be ready to negotiate if necessary.

Staying Resilient and Ready: Smart Moves

Beyond carefully preparing for every stage of the new hiring process, it also helps to have a “toolkit” in place to help maintain momentum. Here are some quick tips for success.

Stay Organised with Applications

An organised approach is crucial during an extended Healthcare job search. Applying here and there without a clear system quickly leads to confusion and missed opportunities.

Use tools like Trello, Notion, or Airtable to build a visual pipeline of where you’ve applied, who you’ve heard back from, and what’s next. Create reusable templates you can use for each application, but remember to personalise them for each role.

Watch out for application fatigue. Don’t try to push out 50 applications in one day. Take breaks, and give your brain time to reset.

Managing Uncertainty and Anxiety

Patience might be a virtue, but it isn’t easy to maintain. The silence you experience after submitting an application or completing an interview can easily lead to nerves. Establish a daily routine and implement ways to keep your mind occupied when you’re anxious.

Look after your mental well-being, and touch base with friends and family members when you start to feel overwhelmed. Invest in your confidence. If you’re rejected for a role, don’t beat yourself up—tell yourself you’re learning from each experience.

You could even create a “win” journal to log positive progress, like callbacks, good interviews, and positive feedback from Healthcare leaders.

Using the Extended Timeline to Your Advantage

It might be hard to see, but there is an upside to longer hiring cycles – you have more time to level up. While waiting for an opportunity to arise, you can actively work on filling skill gaps. Find out what matters to the Healthcare companies you’re targeting, like digital literacy or resilience, and invest in workshops and programs to boost your skills.

Experiment with new projects, even if that means volunteering or taking on different tasks in an existing role. Develop your personal brand on channels like LinkedIn with thought leadership content and build out your network.

Join industry groups on Slack or LinkedIn, attend webinars, and connect with like-minded individuals who can help you throughout your job search. Consider partnering with a recruitment expert who understands the current landscape for personalised guidance and a competitive edge. They might even be able to introduce you to new opportunities you wouldn’t find elsewhere.

Know When to Move On

Sometimes, the hardest part of a long hiring process isn’t waiting – knowing when to walk away. In a slow-moving market, stepping back from any opportunity can feel risky. But sometimes, you must identify when an opportunity isn’t right for you.

Pay attention to red flags in the hiring process, such as vague answers to questions, limited feedback, or inconsistent communication. If you lose confidence in the employer and their ability to deliver a great employee experience, it’s okay to step back.

Watch out for signs that the company culture or experience isn’t suitable for you either. How a company communicates during hiring often mirrors how it operates day-to-day. Do they respect your time? Keep you informed? Offer transparency around the role and expectations?

These are strong indicators of how they treat employees, too. If something feels off now, chances are it won’t feel better once you’re on the inside.

Thriving in the New Job Market

Unfortunately, extended hiring cycles are the new normal for many Healthcare professionals. They can feel exhausting, but they don’t have to drain your confidence or derail your career path.

By protecting your energy and confidence, staying organised and focused, and being ready to adapt at all times, you can consistently evolve and grow, even while you’re waiting for feedback from a potential employer.

Need some extra help? Work with a recruitment professional for unique insights into the hiring market, how you can prepare for new recruitment stages, and even access to roles you wouldn’t find anywhere else. A little help can go a long way.

Beyond the CV: Implementing Effective Skills-Based Hiring in Your Company

June 30, 2025

How much can you learn about someone from a CV? These documents might offer a brief insight into a Retail candidate’s previous roles or credentials, but they don’t show you how competent a candidate will be, or how well they’ll mesh with your company’s culture.

These days, they may not even tell you if your candidate has the skills they’ll need to thrive in a specific role. After all, with innovations in AI and technology happening constantly, a degree in a particular topic doesn’t necessarily guarantee a candidate’s future success.

That’s why 72% of hiring managers prefer skill-based hiring over CV assessments.

Ultimately, hiring the right talent has become much harder. Economic pressures, rising operational costs, and what’s now called a “bifurcated labour market” are making it even more difficult. Some sectors struggle to fill roles, while others face an oversupply of candidates. It’s a confusing, frustrating landscape for both employers and job seekers.

That’s why a skills-based approach is so valuable. In 2025, organisations that shift their focus to examining real capabilities rather than credentials will be better positioned to adapt, innovate, and grow.

The Limitations of Traditional CV-Based Hiring

It’s estimated that around 60% of companies use CV screening in the hiring process. That’s nothing new – Retail employers have relied on these documents for decades, typically using software to immediately “narrow” candidate pools based on specific credentials.

Unfortunately, this approach doesn’t work. Often, your hiring team or automated system will automatically ignore candidates who could be ideal for a role just because they haven’t listed a particular skill or credential.

One Harvard Business Review report found that around 61% of employers reject qualified candidates because they don’t meet “degree” requirements. However, someone without a degree could still be incredibly valuable for a role if they have the right skills.

Plus, it’s worth remembering that roles change faster than educational paths evolve. Today’s candidates don’t always have degrees in things like “data science” or machine learning, but they could have transferrable skills that align with those roles.

Beyond that, traditional hiring methods have inherent biases. Hiring teams have a habit of inadvertently favouring candidates from specific backgrounds or people with a certain amount of experience.

An obvious example is how immigrants in Canada are regularly rejected for roles because they have “no Canadian experience.” Unfortunately, AI can sometimes make this bias problem worse. Although AI screening tools save hiring teams time, they can also prioritise candidates based on the existing CVs  and employee data they’re trained on.

What is Skills-Based Hiring?

Many experts believe skills-based hiring is the future of recruitment. This strategy focuses on a candidate’s competencies—both technical and interpersonal—over traditional things like previous job titles or degrees.

The idea is that instead of trying to estimate whether a person will be effective in a role based on what they’ve accomplished in the past, you look at what they can do now and what kind of potential they’ll have in the future.

Skills-based hiring encourages a careful evaluation of all types of skills:

  • Hard Skills: These are measurable, Retail job-specific abilities acquired through education or training, such as proficiency in a programming language or expertise in data analysis.​
  • Soft Skills: These encompass interpersonal attributes like communication, teamwork, and adaptability, which are crucial for effective collaboration and leadership.​
  • Transferable Skills: Skills applicable across various roles and industries, such as problem-solving or critical thinking, allow individuals to adapt to different job functions.​

So, why is this approach so valuable? Skills-based hiring opens doors for a broader range of candidates by focusing on actual abilities rather than formal qualifications. It allows you to overcome the biases in traditional hiring practices and offer opportunities to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

This doesn’t just improve DEI metrics – it means you gain access to more valuable talent, at a time when 87% of global companies are experiencing skill gaps.

Benefits of Skills-Based Hiring for Employers

Studies from McKinsey show that skills-based hiring is incredibly valuable. It expands your talent pool, creates a more resilient workforce (through diversity), and accelerates the hiring cycle. When you focus on skills first, you get:

Access to a Broader Talent Pool

Companies can tap into a more extensive and diverse candidate base by prioritising competencies over traditional credentials. Some studies suggest skills-based hiring can expand the talent pool by up to ten times. In the Retail landscape where access to talent is limited, this greatly impacts your ability to fill skill gaps fast.

Enhanced Diversity and Inclusion

Focusing on skills, rather than arbitrary things like degrees and prior experience, helps reduce biases in hiring, creating a more inclusive recruitment process. That means you end up with a more diverse team, more capable of innovating and sharing unique perspectives. Research shows diverse teams lead to more profitable companies—diverse companies are 70% more likely to capture new markets and 87% better at making decisions.

Better Retention and Reduced Turnover

A skills-focused approach can streamline hiring, resulting in significant cost and time savings. Organisations have reported up to a 91% faster hiring process and nearly a 90% reduction in hiring costs.

Moreover, candidates selected based on their competencies are more likely to excel in their roles, leading to higher job satisfaction and reduced turnover.

Practical Implementation: A Step-by-Step Guide

So, how can companies embrace the era of skills-based hiring?

Ultimately, it’s all about rethinking how you review candidates.

Step 1: Conduct a Skills Audit of Current Roles

Begin by analysing existing positions to identify the specific skills and competencies required for success. The important thing to remember here is to take a forward-thinking approach. Don’t just consider the skills team members need now.

Think about the skills relevant to your Retail roles in the future. According to the World Economic Forum, around 40% of the skills that today’s employers screen for might be obsolete by 2030.

Step 2: Update Your Job Descriptions

Stop listing things like “degree in [x]” or “[x] years of experience in [role]” on your job descriptions. Instead, focus on the skills you need. Clearly outline the essential competencies you’re looking for and why they matter, such as “knowledge of data analysis” or “excellent team collaboration skills”. This will help you attract a broader pool of candidates.

Step 3: Design Skill Assessments

Instead of validating whether Retail candidates have the right skills based on their credentials, put their competencies to the test. Create assessments that accurately evaluate each candidate’s reasoning skills, data knowledge, or cognitive abilities. This will show you whether your employees can leverage the abilities they have in the workplace.

Step 4: Implement Structured Interviewing Techniques

Structured interviewing is a great way to remove bias from the hiring process and gain a deeper insight into the potential of the people you meet. Create a list of specific questions that probe your candidate’s abilities, experiences, and behaviours. Consider using a scoring mechanism to evaluate everyone’s responses fairly.

Step 5: Leverage Technology Effectively

AI and automation can create problems in the Retail recruitment process, but they can also be helpful. Train your models to identify the key competencies linked to a role in candidate applications and assessments. Use predictive analysis tools for deeper insights into which candidates might have the most potential based on their abilities.

Step 6: Address the Need for Upskilling

As Retail roles continue to change, there’s a good chance you won’t find a candidate with the complete set of skills you’re looking for. With that in mind, ensure you have a plan for upskilling. Look for ways to build on impressive candidates by giving them access to new training resources, mentorship programs, and online courses.

Overcoming Common Challenges and Resistance

Although many companies are discovering the benefits of skills-based hiring, certain team members and employees might still resist a shift to a new strategy. Most hiring managers are used to focusing heavily on CVs and resumes.

The best way to address this issue is with education. Show your hiring managers clear evidence of the benefits of a skills-based approach, such as improved performance and diversity outcomes. Engage stakeholders through workshops and discussions that address their concerns.

During the transition period, gather as much data and feedback as possible. Highlight how skills-based strategies are reducing hiring costs or improving productivity.

Remember to focus on a comprehensive approach to assessing skills, too. While it’s important to find candidates with the right technical skills, it’s much easier to “teach” hard skills than to reshape a candidate to fit your company culture.

Skills-based hiring should incorporate evaluations of interpersonal skills and adaptability to maintain and enhance a cohesive workplace culture.

Rethinking Hiring for a More Resilient Workforce

Ultimately, for Retail companies, the case for skills-based hiring has never been stronger. In the years ahead, demand for these strategies will only grow. Thanks to the impact of AI and automation, the types of skills companies need in their employees are changing at an incredible pace.

Human skills, such as resilience and adaptability, are becoming increasingly important, and these competencies cannot be measured in degrees and certifications.

Switching your attention to skills over CVs will ensure you can more rapidly adapt to a changing market and access a wider range of talented professionals. It’s the key to faster, more effective, and more strategic hiring in a dynamic world.

Mental Health and Job Searching: Maintaining Wellbeing During Career Transitions

June 12, 2025

Navigating the Health and Social Care job market has never been easy for candidates – but lately, job hunting is starting to feel like a major mental health challenge. That’s particularly true for professionals feeling the squeeze of the “white collar recession”.

Thanks to the rise of AI and automation, alongside numerous economic channels, many positions once considered crucial to corporate growth seem to be slowly disappearing. Wide-spread layoffs, hiring freezes, and an increasingly competitive market are creating an uncomfortable sense of “job limbo” for many. In fact, around 41% of candidates say they’re applying for more roles than ever, but they’re hearing back from employers less and less.

It’s no wonder job seekers are feeling exhausted, stressed, and discouraged. Fortunately, there are ways to regain control over your mental health (and wellbeing), even in a complicated market. Here’s how you can stay resilient during tricky career transitions.

Understanding the Current Job Market Reality

The job market in 2025 is packed with challenges for all kinds of Health and Social Care candidates. For white-collar professionals in sectors like finance, technology, and consulting, the post-pandemic hiring surge has given way to a far more complex landscape. Roles that previously only attracted a handful of applications are now receiving hundreds, making it harder than ever to stand out.

With more candidates to consider, the hiring process is becoming more drawn-out and opaque too. Most candidates end up with virtually no feedback, and limited updates, leaving them wondering what their next steps should be.

On top of all that, it’s not just increasing human talent that’s causing issues for candidates. AI solutions are displacing roles across industries – with up to 41% of employers using AI bots in place of traditional workers. At the same time, the roles left behind require new skills and capabilities from workers – but employers still aren’t sure of which future-ready skills they need.

That’s leading to a serious case of “job market limbo”, where candidates are desperate to find attractive positions, but opportunities are diminishing.

All of this sounds very negative – but the important thing to remember is the challenges Health and Social Care candidates face today are systemic – not personal. If you’re struggling land interviews or feeling lost in the application process, it’s not a reflection of your worth or capabilities – it’s a sign of a market in a state of flux. Recognising this is the first step to protecting your mental health.

Common Mental Health Challenges During Job Searches

For many Health and Social Care professionals, job hunting often feels like a full-time role on its own. Unfortunately, unlike most jobs, it comes without the pay, stability, or structure. The emotional toll can be intense – particularly in an increasingly high-pressure environment.

Countless candidates suffer from a range of “job hunting” side effects. You might suffer from identity challenges (or imposter syndrome) when transitioning between roles – asking yourself whether you really deserve to be in a new position. Every time you’re rejected for a role, this can chip away at your self-esteem even further.

As your self-worth continues to fluctuate you might find yourself experiencing an “always-on” mentality – believing that you should be networking, applying, and upskilling around the clock – something that eventually leads to burnout and emotional fatigue.

All the while, you’re dealing with the feelings of “isolation” that come from transitioning between Health and Social Care roles, and the constant threat of financial insecurity lingering over your head. Ultimately, the modern job search creates the ultimate recipe for poor mental health.

Job Search Stress Management: Building Career Resilience

So, how do you prevent job market uncertainty, and endless sources of stress from eventually causing burnout, and problems with both your mental and physical health? The simple answer is to build a strategic framework for preserving your wellbeing, with the following tips:

1. Create Structure and Routine

Studies constantly demonstrate a clear link between “lack of routine” and stress. Lack of structure in your day-to-day life creates uncertainty, and triggers increased anxiety. Plus, without a routine, your days searching for a Health and Social Care role start to blur together, amplifying stress, and harming motivation.

So, build your own schedule. Set designated hours for job search tasks (maybe 9am to 1pm each day), and treat the time like focused work. Outside of those hours, step away. Take breaks, move your body, and carve out time for hobbies or social connections. This separation helps prevent the “always-on” mentality that so often leads to burnout.

Most importantly, celebrate small wins: submitting a great application, updating your CV, or reaching out to a new contact. These micro-milestones reinforce momentum and can help you to feel like you’re constantly moving forward.

2. Use Skill Development for Empowerment

The skills prioritised by Health and Social Care employers are changing fast, particularly with the rise of AI and new technologies. Investing in new skills doesn’t just improve your chances of standing out when you apply for roles – it can give you confidence and peace of mind.

Research the high-demand skills gaining attention in your industry, like AI proficiency or data analysis. Consider new ways to build those skills. Remember, you don’t always need another degree to make yourself marketable. “New-collar” pathways like certifications, micro credentials, or bootcamps can be just as effective, more affordable, and faster to explore.

Use the new skills you develop to boost your self-esteem, reminding yourself regularly of your growing value and adaptability for the current job market.

3. Explore Social Support Strategies

Searching for a job can feel isolating – you’re no longer surrounded everyday by likeminded colleagues and peers. But really, you’re not alone. Actively building a support network, and taking advantage of it, can seriously improve your mental health.

Consider looking for a Health and Social Care job search accountability partner – a friend, peer, or even recruitment professional who checks in weekly to help keep you motivated and grounded. Join local professional or networking groups. Platforms like LinkedIn, Meetup, and Eventbrite regularly host virtual job seeker sessions, skill shares, and informal chats that can lead to surprising opportunities.

Equally powerful is connecting with others in the same boat. Go to job fairs or join job searching groups to connect with people who are facing the same challenges.

4. Master Mindfulness and Stress Management

Having your application for a Health and Social Care role rejected, or ignored, hurts. But how you respond to it can shape your emotional health over time. Mindfulness techniques, such as mindful breathing, meditation, or simply pausing to recognise your feelings (without judging yourself), can help get you back in the right mindset.

Try reframing rejection or missed opportunities. Think of each “no” as something that might be guiding you towards a role that’s better suited to you. Practice dealing with uncertainty – when you ask yourself “What if I don’t get this role”, look for positive outcomes, rather than just focusing on the negative. Additionally, remember to set boundaries.

When it comes to job searching, you can’t be “always on”. Avoid checking emails late at night, and don’t let the hunt consume your entire identity. You are more than your employment status.

5. Preserving Financial Wellbeing

Money worries often escalate stress during a job transition. If possible, create a financial buffer by cutting non-essential expenses early or exploring part-time, freelance, or contract work during the search, so you don’t have to worry too much about bills.

Revisit your budget regularly and focus on the essentials. Additionally, consider seeking out advice from experts. There are plenty of free financial advice services that can help you access emergency funds, benefits, or just give you tips for managing your money.

Don’t just bury your head in the sand, recognise financial issues as they arise and take a proactive approach to exploring solutions.

Career Transition Wellbeing: Reframing the Job Search

On a broad scale, your mindset will make a huge difference to how you manage any job transition. Don’t look at job searches (or how long they take), as an indicator of your worth. Searching for a job is a project, and as such it involves strategy, experimentation, setbacks, and progress.

Practice shifting your thinking from “Why am I not getting hired?” to “What’s my next move?” Remind yourself that you’re not alone in this predicament. Roles are becoming harder and harder to access – across all industries.

Additionally, keep in mind that periods of transition also offer opportunities for growth. You can use this time to reflect, upskill, or rediscover what matters to you professionally. Ask: “What do I want more of in my next role?” rather than “How do I get back to where I was?”

Adopt a growth mindset, and accept that your career path might not follow a linear trajectory – learning to tolerate ambiguity, learn from each mistake, and reframe uncertainty as possibility will prepare you for a more complex Health and Social Care job market.

If you still find yourself struggling – dealing with persistent anxiety, sleep disruptions, or feelings of hopeless, know when to reach out for help. Seek out online resources, support groups, and professional support – when needed. Asking for help doesn’t mean “showing weakness”.

Protect your Mental Health During Career Transitions

Navigating a Health and Social Care job search in 2025 isn’t just about updating your CV or perfecting your interview technique. You also need a plan for protecting your wellbeing throughout the process. Disruption and uncertainty are everywhere, but don’t let them derail your future.

Job seeking can test your patience, confidence, and emotional resilience -so be kind to yourself, develop a proactive strategy for resilience, and celebrate every win. Your wellbeing matters just as much (if not more) than your next role.

From Boomers to Gen Z – How to Lead Your Multi-Generational Team

June 5, 2025

The Office and Commercial workforce has never been more diverse. For the first time in history, teams are made up of five generations of professionals, spanning from the silent generation to Gen Z. That’s a good thing. More diversity means more creativity and perspectives.

Studies show that diversity in a workforce significantly increases a company’s profit potential. However, when each generation has its own working styles, communication methods, and priorities to consider, managing a multi-generational team can be complex.

For instance, while younger employees may prefer digital communication, older team members might value face-to-face interactions. Building an inclusive environment that values and leverages generational differences is crucial for success in today’s Office and Commercial space.

So, how do leaders effectively bridge the gaps, ensuring employees of all ages can thrive in their roles? Here’s your guide to managing the multi-generational workforce.

Understanding Generational Dynamics

Every generation is associated with specific character traits. Some of these traits are little more than stereotypes, while others offer a useful insight into how different team members’ priorities and working styles might differ.

For instance, studies suggest that Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) often prefer structured working environments, while Gen Z and millennials value collaborative work and autonomy. According to SHRM, communication styles differ between generations, too. Gen Z don’t rely on in-person contact, as many started their careers remotely. However, older employees still value face-to-face interactions.

Other major differences between generations can be seen in:

  • Values and Priorities: Some research suggests Baby Boomers are less likely to prioritise work-life balance and flexible work, but millennials and Gen Z employees demand it. Gen Z even values being able to choose their own benefits.
  • Technology Adoption: Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen X employees are generally more comfortable with technology. However, Google found that older generations still spend a lot of time using devices but may adapt to new technologies more slowly.
  • Career Expectations: Generation X seeks career progression but values lateral moves that enhance skills. Millennials expect rapid advancement and continuous learning opportunities, often valuing experiences over tenure. Generation Z desires stability but also values flexibility, with many aiming for diverse experiences and entrepreneurial ventures.

Notably, though, the divide between generations is narrowing. Many employees no longer fit into specific “generational boxes.” A survey by Deloitte even found that Gen Z, Gen X, and millennial employees are becoming more alike.

This highlights a need for Office and Commercial leaders to move beyond focusing on perceived differences and learn more about the individual traits of their employees.

The Multi-Generation Workplace: Common Leadership Challenges

Even if the divides between generations are narrowing, Office and Commercial leaders still face challenges when it comes to managing employees with various priorities. Many organisations still face challenges with overcoming issues like:

Communication Barriers

Diverse communication styles across generations can lead to misunderstandings and feelings of disengagement. The isolation created by communication gaps adds tension to team dynamics, increases turnover, and limits innovation.

For instance, Baby Boomers might prefer face-to-face interactions, while Millennials and Generation Z are more inclined to use digital communication methods like instant messaging and emails. Office and Commercial business leaders must rethink their communication strategy to meet every need.

Work Approach Conflicts

Different generational groups take different approaches to work. Gen X, often known as the silent generation, includes many workers who prefer individual, focused work. Millennials, on the other hand, usually thrive in collaborative settings.

Focus on work-life balance can vary, too. Baby Boomers are accustomed to working long hours and don’t worry as much about regular breaks. Gen Z and millennials are unwilling to sacrifice their well-being for work and want more time for personal endeavours. Notably, all generations appreciate flexibility. In fact, Baby Boomers are 15% more likely to apply for remote work positions than other generations.

Technology Adoption Gaps

All generations are becoming more accustomed to technology. Adoption rates have grown drastically across the Office and Commercial industry in the last few years. However, younger generations, who have grown up with access to digital tools, may adapt to new innovations faster.

Older generations may be open to exploring new technologies but may need additional training and support – at least initially. Business leaders must take a holistic approach to developing new initiatives that support all generations.

Knowledge Transfer Issues

As seasoned employees approach retirement, valuable institutional knowledge risks being lost. Simultaneously, younger employees may feel their innovative ideas are undervalued. Facilitating effective knowledge transfer between generations is crucial.

Strategies like reverse mentoring, where younger employees share technological insights with older colleagues, can be beneficial. However, Office and Commercial leaders need to ensure that teams from different backgrounds feel comfortable sharing their knowledge.

Recognition Preference Differences

All generations of Office and Commercial employees value recognition, but some need it more often than others. For instance, Gen Z employees are 73% more likely to say they want to receive recognition at least a few times per month than Baby Boomers.

Employees’ preferences for recognition differ, too. For instance, Gen X employees and baby boomers are likely to prefer private messages over public announcements.

Building Bridges Between Generations: Top Strategies

Managing a multi-generational Office and Commercial team effectively requires business leaders to learn more about their employees’ individual needs and adapt their strategy with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here are some of the top strategies companies can explore.

Cross-Generational Mentoring

Introducing cross-generational mentoring programs, where younger and older employees share their unique experiences and insights with others, helps to bridge generational divides. It can facilitate faster knowledge sharing and improve relationships between teams.

Pairing individuals from different generations creates an environment of consistent peer-to-peer learning. Baby boomers in the Office and Commercial industry can share insights based on long-term experience and history, while Gen Z employees can offer fresh ideas and technological proficiency. This reciprocal relationship not only enhances individual growth but also strengthens team cohesion

Collaborative Project Design

Designing projects that require input from multiple generations encourages collaboration and leverages diverse skill sets. By forming mixed-age teams, Office and Commercial leaders can combine the experience of seasoned employees with the innovative approaches of younger staff.

This process can also help accelerate technology adoption, as employees who are less comfortable with innovative tools can learn from their peers in real time throughout projects. With cross-functional and cross-generational teams, employees learn faster, develop stronger relationships, and improve their communication skills.

Communication Frameworks

Navigating communication barriers is a major challenge in the cross-generational Office and Commercial workplace. The easiest way to address communication issues is with the right framework. Establish clear guidelines and expectations on how teams should use different communication channels.

Ensure that employees have an opportunity to learn their peers’ communication preferences and encourage them to adapt accordingly, when necessary, to strengthen team cohesion and reduce conflicts. Invest in bringing teams together in regular all-hands meetings and sessions where everyone has an equal voice and opportunity to share insights.

Skill Exchange Programs

Implementing Office and Commercial skills exchange programs allows employees to share their expertise, fostering ongoing learning. For example, younger employees can lead workshops on emerging technologies, while more experienced staff can offer sessions on industry-specific knowledge.

This process enhances individual competencies among teams and promotes intergenerational respect and collaboration. To facilitate a culture of continuous improvement, give everyone an equal opportunity to lead their own workshop or suggest a training program on your team.

Team Bonding Approaches

Organising team-building activities that appeal to all age groups can strengthen relationships and improve collaboration. Activities should be diverse and inclusive, ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and engaged.

This could range from traditional team outings to modern virtual reality experiences. The key is creating opportunities for employees to connect personally, breaking down generational barriers. Remember to account for the needs of remote Office and Commercial workers too, with virtual sessions that also encourage relationship building.

Recognition Strategies

Tailoring recognition strategies to meet the preferences of different generations can boost morale and motivation. Speak to your employees and determine what kind of recognition they want and how often. Do they prefer a quick message over email to a public shout-out?

When it comes to rewards, find out what your Office and Commercial employees actually value. Some employees might prefer to take advantage of flexible work opportunities as a reward, while others are looking for bonuses or financial incentives.

Assessing Success: Measuring Team Cohesion

Once you’ve implemented your strategy for multi-generational team management, track the results. Pay attention to the impact your efforts have on:

  • Collaboration: How often do employees from different teams collaborate and work together on projects? How effectively do they communicate, and what’s the impact on your overall project outcomes and level of team cohesion?
  • Innovation: When teams work together despite generational divides, innovation soars. Track the number of new ideas introduced by your teams after you implement new management styles, and ask for feedback on how confident teams feel about sharing ideas.
  • Satisfaction: Use surveys and one-on-one meetings to learn more about how engaged, comfortable, and confident teams feel at work. Ask them about the overall company culture and how inclusive the workplace feels.
  • Retention: Monitor how often employees leave your business and conduct exit interviews to find out why they depart. This will show if your Office and Commercial company culture drives team members away.
  • Overall Performance: Establish clear performance benchmarks to evaluate individual and team effectiveness. Assessments should consider task completion rates, quality of work, and goal attainment. Regular performance reviews, incorporating self-assessment and peer feedback, offer a comprehensive view of areas for growth.

Investing in a Multi-Generational Future

To thrive in today’s world, Office and Commercial companies need to embrace the multi-generational workforce. A more diverse workplace delivers incredible benefits, but only when leaders know how to manage and motivate different cohorts effectively.

Invest in unifying your teams while respecting their core differences and priorities, and they’ll reward you with higher retention rates, improved productivity, and enhanced creativity.

Now is the time to implement these strategies, actively listen to employees, and refine approaches based on continuous feedback. By taking action today, you lay the foundation for a workforce that is not only diverse but also deeply connected, collaborative, and future-ready.

You Belong Here! Getting Rid of Imposter Syndrome (in the workplace)

May 19, 2025

Do you feel like a fraud in your role? You’re not alone. Imposter syndrome is common, particularly for individuals moving into new roles or taking advantage of promotion opportunities. In fact, around one-third of young employees suffer from imposter syndrome, and around 70% of all professionals encounter the experience at some point in their careers.

This phenomenon doesn’t discriminate. You can experience imposter syndrome regardless of whether you’re new to the industry or you’ve been achieving great results for years. In some cases, imposter syndrome even intensifies with success. As achievements mount and responsibilities grow, we often place more pressure on ourselves to excel.

Unfortunately, while imposter syndrome is common, it’s also extremely detrimental. It can harm your mental and physical health, decrease job satisfaction, and even lead to burnout.

Here, we’ll show you how to recognise and overcome imposter syndrome once and for all. You’ve earned your place—it’s time to stop questioning it.

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome manifests in various ways. While everyone suffering from this condition generally feels like a “fraud,” people respond to this feeling in different ways. For instance, “the perfectionist” feels imposter syndrome because they hold themselves to unrealistic standards.

The “Expert” believes they’re an imposter because they don’t know everything about their role straight away. Some people experience imposter syndrome because they don’t believe they’re naturally competent, the hardest worker among their team members, or capable of doing everything alone. In all situations, you’re probably experiencing imposter syndrome if you’re constantly doubting yourself or attributing your success to external factors, like “luck”.

Many situations can also trigger or exacerbate imposter syndrome. Starting a new job, receiving a promotion, or even gaining access to new opportunities can heighten self-doubt. Simple praise and recognition can make some people feel like frauds.

The trouble is that we often make the situation worse by ignoring our competencies and wins, attributing them to external factors or telling ourselves we’re not “good enough.” Over time, this increases stress and anxiety and can even cause us to miss out on opportunities because we’re afraid we’ll be “exposed” as fraud.

Recognising Imposter Syndrome

The first step in overcoming imposter syndrome is recognising the signs. If you’ve ever thought you weren’t “good enough” for a role or questioned a promotion, you’re probably experiencing imposter syndrome. Key red flags to look out for include:

Behavioural Patterns

If you’re experiencing imposter syndrome in your role, your behaviour might change. You might avoid taking advantage of opportunities because you fear you’ll be exposed, or you might spend too much time on preparation to “compensate” for your inadequacies. Unfortunately, this can lead to burnout and reduced productivity.

Negative Thought Patterns

How often do you tell yourself “I deserve this”, and how often do you think, “I shouldn’t be here”? Persistent self-doubt and negative self-talk are common signs of imposter syndrome. You might even ignore your own accomplishments and try to attribute them elsewhere, telling yourself you were just in the “right place at the right time”.

Emotional Responses

Feelings of anxiety, depression, and guilt frequently accompany imposter syndrome. The constant fear of being exposed as a fraud can lead to heightened stress levels and emotional exhaustion. You might even struggle to sleep or relax after work. Even your physical health can suffer, as increased stress leads to aches, pains, high blood pressure, and fatigue.

Performance Issues

The constant pressure to avoid “failure” can lead to poor performance for professionals. You might avoid taking risks (limiting innovation and creativity) or say “no” to valuable opportunities. This could mean you don’t reach your professional goals as quickly as possible. You may even miss out on promotions and higher wages.

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome isn’t just bad for your well-being; it stops you from reaching your full potential in your role. Fortunately, there are ways you can challenge and overcome imposter syndrome. Here’s how to get yourself back on track.

Prove Your Value: Collect Evidence of Success

One of the best ways to combat imposter syndrome is to start gathering evidence that you deserve the opportunities offered to you. Maintaining a record of your successes, such as positive feedback from colleagues or the results of projects, reminds you of your abilities.

Actively celebrating your wins can also help you counteract negative self-talk, giving you a different perspective to work with. Collecting evidence of your wins means you’ll be able to fight your corner when opportunities for promotions and new responsibilities arise.

Reframe Your Thought Processes

We all have negative thoughts about ourselves at times. You can’t always stop yourself from thinking “I’m not good enough”, – but you can question that thought process. Ask yourself why you feel that way, and look for evidence to the contrary. When you’re successful in your role, focus on attributing that success to yourself.

For instance, maybe you did get a lot of support from your team members on a project, but what did you do that helped drive the right outcomes? What skills and abilities did you use – even if it was just that you collaborated effectively with the right people?

Build a Support Network

Establishing a robust support network can be an excellent way to counteract imposter syndrome. Speaking to your colleagues or a mentor about your failures and successes can help you to think about them in a new way. Even just talking through your doubts with someone you trust can provide reassurance and alternative perspectives.

If you feel that imposter syndrome is holding you back, you can even build on your everyday support network (colleagues, friends, and family members) with therapist guidance.

Adopt a Growth Mindset

Everyone makes mistakes and fails to achieve their goals from time to time. That doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve the opportunities you’re given. Instead of viewing every failure as evidence that you shouldn’t be in your role, look at them as learning opportunities.

Ask yourself what you can do to be more effective in your role. This could mean investing in better time management practices or taking courses to develop new skills. A growth mindset will help you constantly improve and counteract your weaknesses rather than be overwhelmed by them.

Develop Your Confidence and Self-Esteem

Finally, few people are naturally born with high levels of confidence. We need to cultivate our self-esteem over time. Setting realistic goals, acknowledging our progress, and reminding ourselves of our successes can help foster a sense of competency.

Practising self-compassion, such as treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend, can mitigate harsh self-criticism, too. Recognise your feelings of imposter syndrome, but also remind yourself of your value and worth regularly.

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome: Your Daily Plan

Imposter syndrome can be difficult to overcome. You can’t just reframe your thoughts once and expect never to feel self-doubt again. Every day, you need to work on becoming more confident and positive. Set aside time in your schedule for:

  • Morning Affirmations: Begin your day with positive affirmations to set a confident tone. Statements like “I am capable and deserving of my success” can help reframe negative thought patterns.
  • Success Journaling: Dedicate time each day to document your achievements, no matter how small. Recording these successes provides tangible evidence of your capabilities and gives you a resource to revisit during moments of self-doubt.
  • Feedback Integration: Don’t fear feedback – it helps you grow in your role. Actively seek and reflect on feedback (both positive and negative) from colleagues and mentors. Use their insights to guide your growth.
  • Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments, big or small. Treat yourself, share results with a friend or colleague, or just give yourself a mental pat on the back. Don’t overlook your accomplishments.
  • Keep Growing: Maintain that growth mindset by constantly looking for opportunities to improve. Embrace setbacks as part of the growth process and focus on the effort rather than the outcome

Remember to measure your progress, too. Pay attention to how reframing your thought processes and leveraging your support network improve your confidence and self-assurance. Track how your achievements evolve and how often you take advantage of new opportunities.

Monitor your willingness to take on new challenges and your frequency of contributions to different projects. Over time, your efforts will positively impact your career.

You Belong Here: Own Your Success

Imposter syndrome may be persistent, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. The first step to overcoming it is believing in your own worth and recognising that you deserve your achievements. Investing in personal growth through reframing thoughts, tracking successes, and building a support network.

Prioritise daily practices like affirmations, success journaling, and feedback integration to reinforce self-belief. With consistent effort, you’ll see long-term gains: greater career satisfaction, expanded opportunities, and a healthier mindset. You are not a fraud—you are capable, talented, and exactly where you belong.