Why no internal move? Many organizations today are under enormous pressure for transformation. Cost reduction, automation, digitization, and geopolitical uncertainty are forcing companies into ongoing restructuring, hiring freezes, and targeted workforce reductions. What may look like regression at first glance can actually become an opportunity – if organizations make their internal talent visible and mobile. It's now about redistributing competencies, redeploying skills, an

Steve knew how to hire great colleagues. Hiring overqualified employees is often met with concern: they may feel underchallenged, lose interest, want higher pay, and leave quickly. A recent HR Dive report (October 2025)  shows that three-quarters of employers fear that overqualified employees will be less engaged or leave sooner. Yet, most admit that they regularly hire such talent — and for good reason. Despite doubts, integrating overqualified employees can be a smart HR mo

Invest in your Skills, Employer Branders After exploring how recruiters can upskill for the new era of skill-based hiring, it’s time to shift the focus to their close allies: Employer Branding professionals. Employer Branding is no longer a “marketing experiment.” It’s a strategic weapon in the talent competition. The game has changed: glossy campaigns are out — authenticity, data literacy, content fluency, and digital confidence are in. In short, Employer Branding is now mor

Learning is a management skill. Leveling up your TA team isn’t enough—the focus shifts to those who guide and develop them: Talent Acquisition leaders . The role of TA has undergone a radical change. Yesterday’s focus: operations (processes, KPIs, time-to-hire). Today’s mandate: strategy, technology fluency, data intelligence, and people leadership. Leading TA means acting as a strategist, change manager, analyst, and brand ambassador. With AI, automation, and skill gaps chan

Smart Recruiters skill up. Skill-based recruiting is rising—and it’s about recruiters now, too. Fall is an ideal time to invest in development, as the pace slows down and learning aligns with your schedule. Recruiting is changing fast. AI systems, data tools, remote hiring, and diversity demand new skills. Experience alone isn’t enough. Stop learning and risk losing relevance. Which skills matter now—and how can you certify them affordably? Here’s an overview of key recruiter

After years of talent shortages, the wind is shifting across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Unemployment is rising. For the first time in years, it’s not just hitting blue-collar roles. More and more white-collar professionals are affected. For recruiting teams, this marks a turning point. There are more applications and expectations, along with new opportunities to rethink how hiring works. Wind of Change? A Snapshot of the DACH Labour Market In Germany , registered unem

Final Sale for Vocational Training Positions Between October and January, many companies enter the crucial "second half" of the training year. While regular start dates have passed, thousands of young people are still seeking placements, and many apprenticeship positions remain open. Post-placement programs offer a timely solution: employers and counseling services can match motivated late starters, repeat seekers, and switchers to meaningful opportunities—and help your organ

Mark your calendar: June 7th, 2026. With the EU Pay Transparency Directive (EU 2023/970) , a new chapter in Europe’s compensation culture begins. By June 7, 2026 , all EU member states must implement the directive into national law — meaning that pay transparency will become mandatory  for employers across Europe. Those who wait risk losing valuable time. Organizations can either treat the new requirements as an administrative burden or leverage them as a strategic employer-b

Choosing an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a key HR decision. An ATS does more than track applications; it shapes candidate experience, recruiter efficiency, and data integration. Many ATS rollouts fail due to poor preparation, vague requirements, and overlooked integration issues. A structured approach fixes that. 1. Preparatory Activities: Building the Foundation Start by organizing your internal processes before contacting vendors. Current state analysis: Which systems

Same, same, but different. In a labor market increasingly defined by talent shortages, hybrid structures, and declining employee loyalty, recruitment is undergoing a fundamental transformation. It’s no longer enough to scan résumés for keywords or to focus on “cultural fit” – that is, whether someone seems to fit into the existing company culture. To recruit successfully and retain talent long-term, we need to dig deeper. What matters is not whether a candidate “thinks like u

Employer branding is facing a crisis of trust. According to a recent analysis by Employer Branding News , fewer than 20 percent of companies can demonstrate the ROI of their employer branding activities. In most cases, no solid data proves that branding or communication efforts actually lead to faster hiring, better candidates, or lower turnover. The issue isn’t with the concept itself — it’s with the execution. For too long, employer branding has relied on glossy campaigns a

Discussions on talent shortages usually focus on graduates, immigration, or automation. Rarely do we address the immediate value of professionals aged 50+. It matters—especially now, as shown in my recent Basel impulse session. The situation is tighter than ever, and alarmist headlines don’t help. There’s also serious work: Outsourcing consultancy von Rundstedt has pre-announced a new “55plus” study (publication scheduled mid-November). The preview already highlights demograp

It will crash without silver necks. Even if the economy is wobbling at the moment, Germany’s shortage of skilled labor is a structural reality and one of the country’s biggest economic challenges. Across nearly all industries – from crafts to care, education, and IT – qualified workers are in short supply. The new federal government under Friedrich Merz has introduced the so-called “Active Pension” (Aktiv-Rente)  – an initiative designed to motivate older employees to continu

Illusion: The risk-free recruiting Recruiting isn’t an “HR topic” anymore. Every manager who hires is, in effect, a recruiter — whether...

I recently saw a viral "Job Ad from Hell" on LinkedIn—hilarious for all the wrong reasons. It’s a prime example of clumsy AI use in recruiting, and a reminder that DEI standards still vary greatly by region. JobAd from hell. Rather than focusing on poor examples, I wanted to explore what happens when AI is given a genuinely useful task. To explore this, I prompted my favorite assistant to analyze what the “perfect” job ad would look like for each generation, considering value

Since I keep getting asked about it, here’s a quick deep dive into the world of ATS technology. Before anyone panics, most companies...

Despite talent shortages and aging populations, age discrimination in hiring remains widespread. 50+ candidates are consistently...

AI in recruiting stopped being science fiction a while ago. CV screening, chatbots, matching tools – all here already. However, what’s...

As a recruiter, you typically conduct interviews, moderate assessment centers, and evaluate job candidates through tests. It’s easy to...

Work is evolving rapidly. Digitalization, shifting lifestyles, talent shortages, and demand for flexibility are sidelining traditional...