When was the last time you updated your resume? Regardless of whether you're actively searching for a new role, passively keeping an eye on the market, or content in your current position, it's important to regularly review and update your CV. You never know when a dream opportunity may come along, and passive candidates often benefit most from being able to apply for a role swiftly.

The summer period in particular is a prime time to reflect on your next career move and strengthen your position for new opportunities as many professionals see this period as downtime. Regularly adding tangible key achievements, polishing any career advancements and generally reviewing your development is a great way to stay ahead and stand out from the competition.

As part of our specialised service at EMEA Recruitment, we offer in-depth Career Consultations covering career development and CV reviews to help our network excel in the market.

If you need help updating your profile, cv consultation, or assistance with mapping out your career trajectory, contact our Procurement, Supply Chain & Operations recruitment team for more information. We're here to support and guide you towards your next move!

The HR recruitment market has seen an interesting shift over the last year. The hiring frenzy that followed the post-COVID period has inevitably slowed, as businesses adopt a more cautious approach due to the unpredictable external factors affecting the economy.

However, businesses are still experiencing skills gaps in their organisations, impacting the ability to grow and evolve. As a result, we’ve witnessed an increased focus on developing internal talent, and with it an uplift in demand for Talent Management professionals able to bring a more integrated approach to employee development and fill key HR jobs.

Businesses are ensuring that the right conversations are happening by implementing a talent management framework. Many of our clients emphasise the importance of their performance management process in ensuring they manage and drive performance correctly. Implementing a robust succession plan and having a strong ‘bench’ is similarly high on the agenda.

If your organisation is facing similar challenges, or if you're looking to strengthen your talent management strategy, contact our HR Recruitment Team to learn how we can help you build a future-ready workforce and access top-tier talent.

The Netherlands, like many countries, is experiencing a dynamic shift in work culture. Our conversations with clients and candidates alike reflect a growing trend: employers are increasingly keen to coax employees back to regular, office based hours. But what does this mean for employees who have grown accustomed to the flexibility of working a remote job?

The Statistics

In 2021, 2 million people in the Netherlands ‘frequently’ worked remotely. Fast forward to 2023 and their number has dropped to 1.25 million. Additionally, employees who 'occasionally' worked from home rose from 3 million in 2021 to 3.75 million in 2023, confirming indications that hybrid arrangements that combine office and home-working are on the rise.

The Impact

The transition back to the office has led to tension between employers and employees. Some companies face increased turnover rates as employees seek alternative opportunities that ensure the flexible working arrangements they’ve come to value. As a result, employers are experiencing business disruption and incurring costs associated with the loss of established skilled workers. So, the question is whether the push to return to the office is truly worthwhile?

At EMEA Recruitment, we work with world-renowned businesses across various sectors, providing us a comprehensive understanding of current and emerging models for hybrid working. As a consultative business, we pride ourselves on educating our clients on how to best position themselves in the market to attract top talent.

If your business is grappling with changes to your hybrid working model/employee retention and satisfaction rates, or if you’re looking for heightened flexibility in your next career move, we are here to support you. Reach out to one of our dedicated team members and see how we can support you in your efforts.

As the prevalence of Artificial Intelligence increases, businesses are aiming to automate processes and improve efficiency, with the Recruitment industry beginning to tap into this. From talent identification to candidate updates, could AI significantly impact the future of recruitment specialists? We argue that AI is best considered a supporting tool and should not replace the role of specialist recruitment consultants.

HR and Talent divisions are already exploring AI tools to streamline administrative aspects of recruitment processes, such as writing job adverts and automating key processes. One potential benefit is that the introduction of AI frees up valuable time to be better invested in the end-to-end candidate, ensuring a more personalised approach from the recruiter or hiring manager. And, as AI continues to develop, it has the potential to eliminate human bias in the hiring process, ensuring greater diversity in the workforce.

However, talent attraction and hiring managers should not rely solely on AI during recruitment processes.

Impersonal approaches leave a negative impression on prospective employees and can lead to top talent being inadvertently rejected during the screening process. Whilst AI has huge potential, it's unable to currently replicate human understanding of cultural and 'soft-skill' compatibility that an experienced recruiter brings. The importance of a people-first approach will remain significant over time.

At EMEA Recruitment, we use AI-enabled tools to maximise reach in early-stage candidate search and, in doing so, spend a greater proportion of time focussed on delivering best-in-class candidate and client experience throughout the process. There’s no doubt that AI will continue to play a supporting role in our mission to be ‘the bastion of people-first recruitment’ - but it will never take centre stage.

To learn more about how we can leverage AI to support your talent needs, get in touch: [email protected]

A recent survey by the job search site Indeed, involving 1,500 companies and an equal number of employees, unveiled surprising statistics about "ghosting".

Ghosting: The practice of suddenly ending all communication without warning or explanation and avoiding further attempts to communicate.

The survey revealed that 75% of workers have disregarded communication from potential employers over the past year, with Gen Z candidates at the forefront. A staggering 93% of these younger employees have missed interviews, and 87% have accepted job offers only to disappear on what should have been their first day.

This trend highlights a deeper issue within the recruitment sector - a broad dissatisfaction among job seekers, especially younger ones, with the level of communication from potential employers.

The findings from Indeed suggest that for many Gen Zers, ghosting is a means to assert control over their career paths, reacting to the frequent lack of feedback after submitting job applications or participating in interviews.

Against this backdrop, our commitment to a people-first recruitment strategy is not just a principle but a proactive solution to a significant industry problem. By ensuring clear and consistent communication with candidates, we address one of their major grievances, thereby promoting greater engagement and respect in the hiring process. This strategy meets the expectations of modern job seekers, who demand openness and dialogue.

The ghosting phenomenon, as the survey shows, is a reaction against traditional, often impersonal recruitment methods, highlighting the need to cultivate authentic relationships with candidates. By striving to respond to every candidate, whether after an application, an interview, or a job offer, employers can not only improve their image as thoughtful and dependable recruiters but also contribute to a more respectful and efficient hiring environment.

In a time when ghosting has become a widespread reaction to dissatisfaction, our people-first philosophy is not just a policy - it's a commitment to transform the recruitment experience.

If you are a candidate seeking a more respectful and engaging job search experience or a company eager to transform its recruitment approach into a people-first strategy, contact our team for a confidential discussion: [email protected] 

Each quarter, we ask our HR-specialist network which topics are front-of-mind and will be of value to explore. At present, unsurprisingly, the No.1 topic cited is AI; more specifically how it is likely to impact HR departments and the wider organisations they are part of.

Implementing AI may mean that fewer people will be required to complete the same volume of work, of that organisations need to redesign disrupted roles – a potential positive where the roles created encompass a broader range of tasks, offering more stimulating work and a more compelling employee value proposition. New, highly specialised jobs will emerge, requiring a blend of business and technological acumen. Additionally, performance expectations will increase and organisations that are slow to adopt this approach risk losing out to the competition.

As AI impacts how employees interact with HR teams and the technologies they use, a shift in the structure of HR departments and roles becomes likely.

It is expected that generative AI will improve efficiency in HR and, in turn, employee experience, though in parallel HR teams will need to consider potential pitfalls relating to data accuracy and privacy.

Most businesses we engage with are taking the first tentative steps in leveraging AI at an organisational level and are still looking to understand what impacts will result, for their workforce, their talent strategy and the HR function generally. Whilst there’s no need for alarm, the field is evolving rapidly so it’s worth considering the implications sooner rather than later.

If you’re considering the future skills landscape for your HR team or wider business in response to recent developments in AI, do drop us a line to discuss further: [email protected]