The HR Director

1. When Hiring Managers Keep Asking for More Candidates, the Problem May Be the Hiring Brief

   When a role stays open for months, the instinct is often to source more candidates. But if hiring managers keep rejecting strong people with “not quite right,” the real issue may be the brief. Vague criteria, shifting must-haves and misaligned stakeholders turn recruitment into a moving-target exercise. Before adding more job boards, agencies or interviews, define what success actually looks like, agree on the trade-offs and make every interviewer assess candidates against the same standard.

2. Prevention is the ER metric we don’t measure

   Prevention is the ER metric we don't measure. Should we? After 20 years working in HR across organisations ranging from EY, Chelsea Football Club, Gartner and BT to smaller, purpose-led organisations, I’ve seen my fair share of people problems. Some were genuinely complex from the outset. Others really weren’t. They became complex because somewhere along the way, a manager said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing, or did absolutely nothing when action was needed. Every experienced HR pro knows the feeling

3. What does HR bring to an M&A Deal?

   HR is often brought into M&A deals to manage people risks and compliance. But its role can be much bigger. From assessing culture and critical talent to shaping integration and communication, HR can directly influence whether a deal delivers the value the business expected, and whether the right deal gets done.

4. When organisations run out of emotional energy

   Change programmes are usually driven by financial pressures and performance targets. Their success depends on something else entirely: the emotional health of the organisation.

5. Case study: Building a culture of belonging

   Catrinel Stanila, Chief People Officer at not-for-profit housing provider, Orbit, on why building a people-first culture drives excellent customer experience.