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From the age of 16, we’re expected to know what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Most of us follow a linear path through life, whether it’s doing A-Levels and heading off to university or finishing school and then looking to find a job. We are then expected to stick to that sector until the age of 67 when we retire.

In March 2020, businesses were thrown into turmoil, facing situations no leader had ever faced before. Overnight, teams were forced to work remotely, and businesses lost huge sums of revenue. In the following months, mental health began to decline, redundancies spiked, 11.7 million people were furloughed and leaders were leaning on HR more than ever before in an attempt to keep their heads above water and to ensure that their teams felt supported in this incredibly turbulent time.

When Boris Johnson said that working from home isn’t productive because of the ‘distractions of cheese and coffee’, and when Lord Alan Sugar came out and said that the pandemic has ‘unleashed a workshy, entitled culture in which people demand — and are allowed — to work from home’, there’s perhaps no surprise that the business world divided into two.

Let’s face it, recruiters and recruitment agencies don’t have the best reputation in the eyes of some. Apparently, we’re CV pushers with our eyes only on the commission prize. Of course, there may be some individuals that warrant such bad press but, overall, it’s a myth!

The legal sector looks vastly different from how it did even just a few months ago. There’s no denying that it has been a sector that has taken a little longer than others to catch up with change and digital transformation, tied very much to the traditional apron strings. Nevertheless, it’s clear that the legal sector has evolved, and employers must be aware of what this means for hiring.

Lifelong learning and continuous professional development are linked with a wealth of benefits from better financial security to improved health. Additionally, in this day and age, with technology rapidly changing, it also gives job security to those who keep up with or stay one step ahead of change.

By the end of 2021, the job market was showing signs of recovery after the most turbulent two years it had faced since the recession of 2008. Employment rates were up and, thankfully, unemployment rates were falling.  However, employers continued to face challenges.

According to LinkedIn, 4.5 per cent of new recruits on its platform were ‘boomerangs’, a term which is applied to those who return to a company which they have previously left, in comparison to only 3.9 per cent the year prior.

Whether a boy or girl, child or adult, the fear of failure is something that affects over 30 per cent of the population. A phobia that controls us more than our dislike of spiders, being home alone and even the paranormal.

This stress awareness month, we explore not only how to spot stress symptoms within your employees and colleagues, but ways in which stress can be mitigated.

One sector in which women are still vastly underrepresented is STEM. Last year, it was reported by UNESCO that women make up only 24 per cent of the core STEM workforce, a worryingly low number. However, there seems to be hope on the horizon.

Whatever the cause for an extended career break, returning to the workplace after a long-term hiatus can be a daunting prospect. Some individuals struggle with feelings of overwhelm or lack of confidence and will need to seek career advice from their employers or recruitment agencies to regain the self-assurance they need.