Belonging. It's the most natural human yearning, right? All of us want to find somewhere we can feel happy and comfortable and valued - somewhere where we fit in and are included. It's one of the most powerful behavioural drivers there is.

Wouldn’t it be nice to present a truly authentic C.V. to a prospective employer?

You know the reasons why you haven’t worked for a period and they make perfect sense, but it’s not really the done thing to shout about the times you haven’t worked. Being a seasoned HR professional, and having had multiple periods of elected time out of employment, I would assume that you haven’t chosen to twiddle your thumbs all day… But sadly many wouldn’t.

Ahead of World Menopause Day on Tuesday 18th October we get the lowdown on work vs. menopause from Jo Haggas, an HR Leader, experienced Line Manager and long standing flexible working advocate (she’s also fast becoming a menopause expert through personal perimenopause challenges)...

September - with it’s “back to school” mentality and the move from the highs of summer (though surely no one is going to miss that blisteringly hot weather!?) to the chillier, jumper wearing days of Autumn. However you feel about it, it’s all to often a period of change.

Our wonderfully wise friend, Lindsey at Start to Thrive, has written us a super article about how we tackle this tricky beast. Whether it’s starting a new job, looking to change roles or maybe shipping kids off to school for the first time and looking to step back into the workplace…

Last week, active job adverts hit the highest number of 2022 so far - 2.08 million jobs. There were 269,000 new jobs posted, the second highest figure recorded for 2022. The first was the week before at 309,000. (Data from REC)

Now, if you’re like many other companies and held off hiring during the summer holidays, getting the message out about your role and finding spot on candidates, is going to be like finding a matching pair for Every. Single. One. of your child’s socks - nigh on impossible. And frustratingly time consuming.

And so August is well and truly here and we’re over halfway through the summer holidays with its seemingly endless days of sunshine, ice cream, and madly scrambling to ensure holiday clubs are definitely booked for one’s offspring. There’s no question that the long summer holiday can be a stressful – and expensive - experience for parents.

CVs – often one of the simplest but also hardest parts of applying for a new job. We can make them too long, too wordy, too sparse, too complicated and there are endless tips out on the great world wide web that can make it as daunting a house renovation Pinterest board you’ve collated over the last 10 years.